AltWeeklies Wire
Did the Push to Save Philadelphia's Libraries Backfire?new
The decision not to close any of Philly's libraries may come at a cost. Because while all branches remained open this fall, the libraries did suffer from the first round of budget cuts: Free Library Director Siobhan Reardon now faces the prospect of running all 49 branches with significantly fewer resources per library.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Isaiah Thompson |
03-24-2009 |
Economy
Clean and Green Pedi-Cabs Are Poised to Run Amok in Philadelphianew
Pedi-cabs and velo-taxis are passenger bicycles that could be the future of green transportation in Philadelphia, with weary pedestrians hailing them when they need a lift.
Philadelphia City Paper |
A.D. Amorosi |
03-24-2009 |
Transportation
Will Your Favorite Indie Book Store Survive or Be Swallowed Whole?new

More than a decade deep into Amazon, Borders and Barnes & Noble's ravenous gangbang of all things mom-and-pop, local bookstores are now staring down the barrel of Depression 2.0.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Jakob Dorof |
03-24-2009 |
Books
Loose Canon: Once and Future Journalismnew
Matt Golas' news beat is Philadelphia's best: development. And he's living the journalist's dream of telling the truth without being badgered by bean counters.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Bruce Schimmel |
02-24-2009 |
Media
Olney the Lonelynew
Peering through the kaleidoscope of one of Philly's most diverse and overlooked neighborhoods.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Brian Howard |
02-24-2009 |
Housing & Development
Tags: Philadelphia, neighborhoods
Jazmine Sullivan Makes the Jump from Black Lily Prodigy to Grammy Phenomenonnew

Sullivan's voice is a window-frame-shaking, drawn-from-the-depths alto she still manages to bend and tease with ease, splashing across tracks like a smooth stone across a still pond.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Drew Lazor |
02-10-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Josh Wink: Stay Out All Nightnew
Josh Wink, who came up in the Philly rave scene in the 1990s, is still chewing the pacifiers on his new LP When a Banana Was Just a Banana.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Patrick Rapa |
02-10-2009 |
Reviews
How a Dermatologist Accidentally Found a Promising Cure for Baldnessnew
Man may crave the secret of eternal life. But even if that problem were solved, most gents would trade that knowledge for the answer to one question: How do I keep my hair? University of Pennsylvania dermatologist George Cotsarelis may have solutions.
Philadelphia City Paper |
A.D. Amorosi |
01-27-2009 |
Science
Drexel Prof Has Some Concrete Answers About How the Pyramids Were Builtnew

Michel Barsoum says the theories that modern science have devised to explain the construction of Egypt's Great Pyramids are wrong. Barsoum's theory, naturally, has been treated as heresy in the world of Egyptology.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Patrick Rapa |
01-27-2009 |
History
Working Stiff: Amy Stein's 'Domesticated'new
As human domesticity presses onward and communities sprawl further into undeveloped regions, the wildlife in those regions runs out of places to remain wild. Think of it as the gentrification of nature. Photographer Amy Stein sees it less as coexistence, and more as entrapment.
Philadelphia City Paper |
John Vettese |
01-27-2009 |
Art
You Can't Take It with You: Philadelphia Artists Explore the Transience of Naturenew
Most outdoor art installations are built with permanence in mind, the point being to work with materials that can stand the ravages of time and weather. In curating "Ephemerality" at Philadelphia's Schuylkill Center, Zoƫ Cohen had the opposite in mind.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Shaun Brady |
01-27-2009 |
Art
Desperate Times: An Interview with 'Wendy and Lucy' Director Kelly Reichardtnew
The accident of timing has everything to do with how a movie is received, and there's no question Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy hits home more forcefully now than when it premiered last May. The spare, lyrical story seems tailor-made for hard times, when even the formerly comfortable are staring destitution in the face.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Sam Adams |
01-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Daydream Believer: 'Waltz With Bashir'new

Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman reconstructs a tragedy using animations and his own experiences as a grunt soldier.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Sam Adams |
01-27-2009 |
Reviews
Lesbian Hip-Hoppers Yo Majesty Are Looking for an Alternate Route to Successnew
It's hard enough being a woman in hip-hop. The misogynistic lyrics from the male MCs. The objectifying audiences who keep coming back for more. Being a lesbian in hip-hop? That's double trouble, a minority within a minority.
Philadelphia City Paper |
A.D. Amorosi |
01-27-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Looking Forward, Looking Backnew
It's nice to hear Barack Obama give speeches. But I think we all, President Obama included, are long past ready for him to get down to the business of fixing this country. Because as the big guy made abundantly clear, this country's busted up.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Brian Howard |
01-27-2009 |
Commentary
Tags: Obama inauguration