An entry into the Blown Covers weekly cover contest, themed “The Gays,” by writer and illustrator Ella German. The cover addresses the recent historic moment for marriage equality, also referencing Maurice Sendak, who had passed away the previous week. Though far from a gay rights activist, Sendak lived as an openly gay man with his partner of half a century. The two never had the opportunity to marry.
(via onehundreddollars)
Source:
Source: peacecorpsHere’s one of the vintage PSAs we shared earlier this year in honor of our 50th
A reminder that, one year in, the Peace Corps is doing really great work on Tumblr.
English PEN’s workshops with refugees:
“Big Writing For A Small World is the latest collection of writing by adults who use the services of refugee centres up and down the country. English PEN worked in five centres in London and five centres in cities across England, bringing amazing writers inside these amazing places to run creative writing and reading workshops.”
(via New Communities, New Books – - English PENEnglish PEN)
Source: englishpen.org
Northstar, Marvel’s first openly gay character, to marry beau in upcoming comic
Wedding bells will ring this summer for Marvel Comics’ first openly gay hero, super speedster Northstar.
The New York-based publisher said Tuesday that Canadian character Jean-Paul Beaubier will marry his beau, Kyle Jinadu, in the pages of Astonishing X-Men No. 51, due out June 20.
(via nationalpost)
Source: nparts
As the controversy over Brett Murray’s depiction of President Jacob Zuma rages on, the Mail & Guardian offers a thoughtful roundup of other art debates that have touched South Africa—from a boyish depiction of Shaka to a painting of Nelson Mandela on an autopsy table.
(via Fine art and fragile egos - Mail & Guardian Online)
Source: mg.co.za
Source: pen.orgIn Doug Liman’s documentary film Reckoning With Torture, ordinary Americans stand side-by-side with actors, writers, and former military interrogators and intelligence officers in a reading of official documents that reveals the scope and cost of America’s post-9/11 torture program.
This Sunday on Moyers & Company, Liman joins Larry Siems, PEN American’s Director of Freedom to Write and International Programs, to discuss the film and the importance of hearing the voices of detainees.
To find out when the show airs in your area, click here.
(via PEN.org » Blog Archive Reckoning with Torture on Bill Moyers - PEN.org)
We got a range of reactions to our recent series on the Homestead Act’s 150th anniversary - from angry to enthusiastic to, well, bummed out.
The Homestead Act is a difficult document. When we think of homesteaders, most of us probably think of “Little House on the Prairie” and not the Trail of Tears*. In many cases those recent immigrants who may have been disenfranchised at home and eager for opportunities of their own were now participating in the dispossession of another culture. It’s hard not to be conflicted.
But as the National Archives, we are supposed to present the records in our safekeeping. Our job is not interpret them beyond explaining the context of the time, although we exist for researchers, historians, and the public to use our records to research, understand, and interpret the past. However, we don’t always have the records from both sides—a challenge faced by many researchers and historians. As it was we could only allude to the impact on Native Americans with the digitized items that we found on short notice (thanks to some amazing colleagues who came through in a pinch), so this is a reminder to us to delve more deeply into our holdings to give a fuller idea of the documents that we hold, even if this part of history is difficult one to acknowledge.
Yes, history can get us down too: it’s full of stolen land, genocide, child labor, war, disasters and murder. But we’re obligated to present the records of U.S. history—the good, bad & ugly. If you’re not bummed out sometimes by our posts, then we’re probably not doing our job.
Of course we hope that’s not always the case—and we appreciate everyone that took time to comment, reblog or retweet with their own opinions on these posts.
(* Admittedly the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and Trail of Tears predate the Homestead Act but the effects are similar.)
nypl:
Source: nyplWhat is art worth? It’s a complicated question, one that will be expertly discussed tonight at NYPL, in a fascinating conversation with world-renowned art dealer Michael Findlay, author of The Value of Art, and Véronique Chagnon-Burke, current Director of Studies at Christie’s Education.
In the meantime, let us know what you think… What is art worth TO YOU?
“The U.S. Department of State has renewed the Charter of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee for a two-year period, effective May 1, 2012. The Committee advises the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs on the protection of cultural heritage… Established by the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (Public Law 97-446), the Committee reviews requests from other countries seeking U.S. import restrictions on archaeological or ethnological material, the pillage of which places a country’s cultural heritage in jeopardy. The Committee submits its findings and recommendations to the Department which carries out the President’s delegated decision-making responsibilities as set forth under the Act.”
