The Daily Bruin is a running a stunning multimedia series about “the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Malawi, a country that outlaws homosexuality and in which UCLA has a strong research presence.” Two recent UCLA graduates – Sonali Kohli and Blaine Ohigashi – spent 24 days interviewing LGBT Malawians, activists and researchers “about the healthcare and human rights challenges the community faces.” As with the 40 Towns project I’ve mentioned previously, the result of Kohli and Ohigashi’s reportage is a testament to the quality of student journalism.
“In The Shadows”
You are Katniss
Ever spent the whole day reading The Hunger Games and then found yourself paranoid that a tribute was following you? Don't worry; you aren't crazy. Turns out that reading a really gripping novel can cause our brains to believe we are in the body of the protagonist, and this effect can last for days after reading according to a scientific study.
“The void was me.”
Recommended Reading: an excerpt from Amber Sparks and Robert Kloss’s The Desert Places.
Best American Notables at The Millions
We're proud to report that "Beautiful Babies" by our editor Lydia Kiesling and "Summer without End" by Wayne Scott were both named "Notable Essays" in the 2016 edition of The Best American Essays, edited by Jonathan Franzen.
Sullivan on the Animal Mind
John Jeremiah Sullivan has a new essay about animal consciousness – and specifically our understanding thereof – in Lapham’s Quarterly. This effort is more serious and decidedly less terrifying than Sullivan’s last essay about animal agency, “Violence of the Lambs.”
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Chasers
Last week, Year in Reading alum Megan Mayhew Bergman released Almost Famous Women, a new collection of stories. Now, at Bookslut, Rebecca Silber talks with her about the book, which spans nearly a decade of meticulous reading and research. Sample quote: “We need to see women who chase wild dreams and professions as ardently as men.”
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