Millennial Notes Harrison David Rivers Reveals Outsider’s Self-Doubt by Javon Blair We Americans put intense pressure on each other to follow the herd. When we break away from strict guidelines, others remind us to “straighten up” and “fly right.” We internalize identities that don’t really fit us. But who are we if we reject…
Suzan-Lori Parks Spotlights Overlapping Black Histories by Patricia L. Morin In her 2002 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Suzan-Lori Parks creates a fantasy shared by two brothers, reflecting their confrontation with American racial conflict. She mingles the Civil War with conflicts today. It’s shocking in “Topdog/Underdog” how slavery blends so perfectly with our waves of brutality…
Matthew Ozawa Modernizes Beethoven’s Ode to Justice by Jennifer Ann Charron Beethoven, with help from friends like Matthew Ozawa and the cast, orchestra, and crew of SF Opera gave me two-plus hours of unadulterated joy. Ozawa’s new “Fidelio” updates Beethoven’s opera about triumph over tyranny—delivering a contemporary win over political injustice. Ozawa’s modern detention…
Millennial Notes Justin Huertas’ Fantasy Inspires His New Punk Pop Album by Tyler Jeffreys “Lizard Boy” is set to tour four continents next year and Justin Huertas’ “Terrible Ride” has nearly a million hits on Spotify. I’m excited to listen to the album, skipping only two songs. Rather than a soundtrack, music album composed…