Dr. Gavin Brown speaks about the way in which the role of music in black South African society translated into its becoming a powerful tool in its political culture.
Freedom Songs
Magpies
I am a filmmaker, illustrator, graphic designer and copy editor.
Too Good to Get Married
An excerpt from Bonnie Yochelson’s wonderful biography of photographer Alice Austen.
The Tenth Muse: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
“Known as the “Tenth Muse” or as ‘The Phoenix of America’ due to her formidable achievements in literature and scholarship, she is now revered as an early feminist.”
Totoro’s Words: Glitter Beneath the Rot
In the late 1980s, a local study claimed that, “in Baltimore, there is rot beneath the glitter.” Through her comics, Amy aims to show that there is also glitter beneath the rot.
The Photo I Shouldn’t Have Taken.
“But maybe the image can serve as a metaphor — not just for that dusty street, or the ever-expanding city, or the long-suffering country — but for the sad state of a world capable of so much more.”
Black on Black: Louis Draper Made His Subjects Visible
“For Louis Draper, who grew up in segregated Richmond, Virginia, in the 1930s and ’40s, navigating expectations about photography’s realism posed a unique challenge.”
She Packs a Punch: Unmasking a Feminist History of Luchadora Moviess
“She underscores their relevance as social, cultural, and economic barometers for a changing Mexico, countering the historical amnesia that surrounded this vibrant cinematic heritage.”
El Greco: View of Toledo
From the station we walk past panel beaters, La Rosa tile factory, then up the hill by the river — and there it is, El Greco’s view of Toledo, on first glance hardly changed in over four hundred years.
June Issue, 2025
A collection of all the articles we’ve published over the past month, for those who like to savor their Magpies’ tidings as an issue.
Letter From the Editor, June 2025: Inside Outside Light
June ramblings in an absurd world.
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