Philly novelist Elise Juska founded the creative writing program at UArts, where she taught for 24 years. She brings us inside her last days at the university, alongside her irrepressible st…
The Climb, the latest world premiere onstage at InterAct, examines the white gaze in feminism, academia, and art, asking questions about power, consent, and commodification. Krista Mar revie…
Hilma, a contemporary opera receiving its world premiere at the Wilma Theater, fails to capture the artistry or mystical charisma of its subject, the painter Hilma af Klint. Cameron Kelsall …
Lovesong follows a British couple who comes to live to the US. In exploring memory, love, and the passage of time, the play's ultimate vagueness makes it hard to empathize with the character…
Power Street Theatre presents the world premiere of Erlina Ortiz and Robi Hager's Siluetas, which brings Tony-winning star KO to Philly. The show could benefit from some more development, bu…
Quintessence Theatre Group's production of Suzan-Lori Parks's Father Comes Home From the Wars: Parts I, II & III only intermittently captures the grandeur of the text. Cameron Kelsall re…
The Strides Collective, founded in early 2020, supports new work by local queer playwrights and shines a light on queer stories through play development programs and productions. New Strides…
June brings outdoor music in striking natural locales, early music, new music, the rededication of Verizon Hall, and some bonus musical Book Week picks. Gail Obenreder rounds up.
When Shanghai native Wenlu Bao wanted to continue her arts education, she came to UArts, which led her to museums throughout our region. She was shocked to see the news about its closing. Sh…
Sometimes I think books are the only thing keeping me sane(ish). Fiction, nonfiction, memoir, a new lens on Jane Austen, anti-marriage manifestos, and more: here are top recommendations from…
BSR writers are also memoirists, poets, novelists, scholars, and so much more! Discover their books and order a copy to add to your shelves.
A background in music theory will serve readers well in this trenchant and insightful tour of music throughout history: its meaning and function, and how it helps us understand the many worl…
More and more, artists worldwide are incorporating a performance-art element in their galleries. This slim, eminently readable collection brings us the voices of these unique performers. Gai…
Civilization has always had its discontents, but few things reflect the spirit of resistance like rock music. In this intriguing survey, local author James A. Cosby tackles a socio-political…
Do you love books? We do, too! Philly's literary scene is an important part of our cultural scene, and we spotlight it in our annual BSR Book Week. Learn more here!
In this classic Polish novel, newly translated into English, a young working-class doctor argues that doctors should not just treat diseases but try to prevent them in poor factory workers' …
Philly author Joseph Earl Thomas's fierce and unusual memoir, Sink, follows his boyhood in 1990s Frankford, where fiction, fantasy, and reality collide. Krista Mar reviews.
What did Major League Baseball have to do with World War I? In this surprising history of baseball, American industry, and the US military, William Ecenbarger sheds new light on a little-kno…
The second poetry collection from Philly-based poet Jonathan Koven mirrors the orchard of its title, as we wander the grounds, admire the trees, and sink our teeth into the fruit. Jordan Cam…
Some writers have accused tech journalist, entrepreneur, and podcast star Kara Swisher of holding her fire until Burn Book, her own memoir, was published earlier this year. Is that criticism…
Everybody knows about the Founding Fathers, but historian C. Dallett Hemphill looks beyond, chasing the fascinating historical records of ordinary, little-known people who had a notable impa…
The Lillys are back in Girls with Bad Reputations, the second installment of Xio Axelrod's popular romance series about an all-women rock band chasing love and stardom from their Philadelphi…
This debut novel from award-winning writer Michael Deagler follows a young man fighting for sobriety in South Philly, learning that it's not transformation, but a daily process. Eileen L. Fa…
Philly writer Emma Copley Eisenberg's debut novel, Housemates, begins in a West Philly group house and spreads across Pennsylvania as two young queer characters find art, love, and life on t…
Philly's theater community rejoiced at hearing that the Wilma will receive the 2024 Regional Theatre Tony Award at this year's ceremony on Sunday, June 16. It's a huge reason to keep fightin…