Counternarratives:
Journalist and artist Alexandra Bell "uses redaction, omission, annotation, and text editing to alter articles, primarily from the [New York] Times" and "plasters them onto walls" in New York City. In a conversation with Doreen St. Félix, she ruminated on her work. "There are these subtle ways that racism works in the oldest of institutions," she said.
Ancient History:
Long before his recent attacks on the media, billionaire Elon Musk co-founded Zip2, a "hybrid business directory and mapping service" that partnered with Knight-Ridder.
'A master of her craft':
2015 Commentary winner Lisa Falkenberg has been appointed vice president and editor of opinion for the Houston Chronicle. According to Publisher John McKeon and Executive Editor Nancy Barnes (a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board), "The best editorial leadership in the country often begins with deep original reporting, which informs powerful opinion. Falkenberg is supremely qualified to lead that charge at the Houston Chronicle."
'Who these sufferers are':
What are the ethics of conflict photography? Although "taking photographs is sometimes a terrible thing to do," photographer and critic Teju Cole contends that "not taking the necessary photo, not bearing witness [...] can be worse."
The Poet's World:
1987 Poetry winner Rita Dove has been appointed as The New York Times Magazine's poetry editor for the next year. "I will be thinking about things like representation in terms of gender," Dove said. "I would hope that what would emerge would be a kind of portrait or collage of American consciousness."
The Wave Finally Broke:
Although "time has been kind to the reputation" of Terry Gilliam's adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," Sean O'Neal predicts that the film eventually will "feel like revisiting an old John Wayne movie ... with a distant, almost folkloric awareness that people actually used to make a living like that — that some of them even became legendary."
Blocked:
NFL owners have voted to fine teams whose players kneel or refuse to stand for the national anthem. Players have the option of remaining in their locker rooms during the performance. The NFL Players Association was not consulted in the decision.
Mute It:
In a May 23 decision, Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the Southern District of New York ruled that President Trump is violating the First Amendment rights of Twitter users by selectively blocking political opponents. The lawsuit was filed by Columbia's Knight First Amendment Institute.
Shut Out:
AP and CNN reporters were barred from an EPA meeting on water contaminants, though the AP reporter was later admitted to the session. AP Executive Editor Sally Buzbee said in a statement that "It is particularly distressing that any journalist trying to cover an event in the public interest would be forcibly removed."
What Do You Want from Life?:
Tom McAllister's career in contemporary literature has been a "swirling vortex of neediness" where even favorable reviews from The New Yorker and The Washington Post might elicit only a handful of attendees at a reading. "You can do the work, and you can keep showing up, and that’s all you’ve got," he said. "Most of the time, it’s all you need."
