A story of coffee, war and survival by Felicity Spector

As Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion staggers into its third year (and right-wing ghouls in the U.S. continue their suspicious efforts to sabotage support for the beset nation), a story that emphasizes hope and perseverance is welcome. Felicity Spector writes about a coffee shop proprietor who kept his businesses standing and supported his employees through travail and turmoil. In particular, there’s a inspiring power to the symbolism of a black bench that was rescued from the heart of the war zone. This piece is published at Spector’s own Substack, Flour Power.

Talk of the Town by Alex Carp

This fascinating article from The New York Times Magazine is a reminder that the most common tales we tell about preserving cultural heritage are often incomplete. Rather that excursions to the far corners of the planet to seek out languages that are dwindling to their last users, Alex Carp points out that many of those rare speakers live in the massive melting pot that is New York City. Immigration and diversity are strengths of our culture, not something to be fearful of or rail against.

Ramona Fradon, Longtime Force in the World of Comic Books, Dies at 97 by George Gene Gustines

The resident comic book report for The New York Times pens the paper’s obituary for Ramona Fradon, a quiet trailblazer in her field. Fradon’s place as one of the few women working in comics during her era is probably undervalued, though her persistence — rendering exceptional commissioned work well into her nineties — turned that around somewhat. Sharing this article also provide the opportunity for me to drop in this an excerpt from an interview (an interview that is in fact mentioned in the Times obituary) that I was pleased as can be to see saunter across one of my social media timelines the other day.