Throwback Thursday: Houdini vs. The Afterlife
In the 1920s, America had a brief but intense fling with spiritualism. Eventually the phenomenon became so widespread that Scientific American decided to hold itself a little contest, with a $2,500 prize for the first medium who could convince a panel of judges that they were the real deal.
Celebrating Teens and Creativity at the Teen Media Awards
At The Labs @ CLP, young people in the Pittsburgh region have many opportunities to collaborate with each other and pursue individual interests in a variety of areas include writing, music, filmmaking, animation, photography, robotics and design.
Best of BARD: July 2016
I told you all last time around to keep it hot and malicious. I don’t know how we can keep up this torrent pace. It’s nice to see the variety … Continued
Kick-starting Creativity
If you would have asked me about a year ago, I probably would have told you I wasn’t a very creative person. Now I realize I was just working with the wrong definition, and making some pretty common mistakes.
Even Stranger Things: What to Watch After You Finish the Hit Netflix Show
If you’ve already burned through the eight episodes of Stranger Things, check out some materials that inspired the hit Netflix show.
Ballin’ with Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of my favorite people in the world. He’s what I would consider a national treasure. My aunt had told me about his television show on HBO called Ballers and how I should check it out. Once she told me that Johnson was the star I was sold.
Mary Gaitskill and the Art of Progressive Perversion
Prudes beware: Writer Mary Gaitskill—once called the “Downtown princess of darkness”—earned her nickname from the oftentimes “taboo” subject material showcased in her books: drug use, prostitution, sex work, and sadomasochism. … Continued
Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Want to know more about affordable housing and why it’s in crisis? Check out Matthew Desmond’s latest book Evicted and come to the library tonight, August 4, at 7 p.m. to meet the author!
You Did It!
Congratulations, Pittsburgh – you just read 90,000 books!
Awesome Edgy Comics That Are Definitely NSFW
Here are three ongoing comic series that explore difficult topics and taboo subjects. Sex Criminals is a series about two people who rob a bank to save a library. Bitch Planet looks at the way we treat women and hold them to impossible standards. And Morning Glories examines violence and youth (with some time travel thrown in for good measure).