Writers and Readers Mourn Harper Lee’s Death: The American writer Harper Lee died at the age of 89. Lee was famous for her Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which focused on themes of racial injustice and class and gender roles. The film adaptation of the book, which starred Gregory Peck, won three Academy Awards and currently sits on the American Film Institute’s list of the greatest American films of all time. Lee’s health had been failing for some time, including severe hearing and vision loss in recent years. In the wake of her death, writers and readers alike have taken to social media to mourn. Many point to her ability to inspire, her humility, and her priceless contribution to the literary world. Though she will be missed, her brilliance will live on through her work.

Afghanistan’s First Female Street Artist: 27-year-old Shamsia Hassani has become widely known as the first prominent woman street artist in Afghanistan. Hassani holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in visual art and uses the walls of the city of Kabul as her canvasses. Many of her pieces help to spread feminist messages of female empowerment; Hassani explains, “I have changed my images to show the strength of women, the joy of women…It’s not the woman who stays at home. It’s a new woman. A woman who is full of energy, who wants to start again.” Her works tend to feature bright colors, whimsical swirls, and musical instruments along with female subjects often in burqas and hijabs. Hassani aims to paint a picture of a different Afghanistan for the world–one marked by beauty and art rather than war and violence. Her work is an inspiring and important example of the power of art to fight stereotypes and spread messages of peace and hope.

Debate over The Met’s New Logo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has rebranded itself–to mixed reviews. Since 1971 the Met, as it is called for short, has had an intricate “M” logo involving circles, squares, and diagonals. ‪Starting on March 1, however, the classic “M” will be replaced by a new logo designed by global-branding firm Wolff Olins. The new logo uses the museum’s nickname, with “THE MET” stacked on top of each other in scarlet letters that have seemingly melted together. The new logo is part of an attempt to expand the “reach and relevance of the Met,” according to Amy Lee, the strategy director at Wolff Olins. Unfortunately, the new logo has garnered many negative reviews in recent days, with some calling it “atrocious” and “a graphic misfire.” Regardless of opinions about the logo, hopefully the Met’s attempt to draw larger and wider audiences is successful and this New York City landmark sees success as it opens a second location in the former Whitney Museum building on Madison Avenue.

Dancing through the Pain: A recent story in USA Today about the injuries of Nicole Ciapponi of the Joffrey Ballet Company has highlighted the brutal toll of ballet on the body and the strength and perseverance of dancers. Ciapponi herself has had seven fractures, six bone chips, and tendon problems, all categorized as “Lisfranc injuries” because of their location in the middle part of the foot. These Lisfranc injuries are not specific to ballerinas, as they frequently bench NFL players for seasons at a time. Dancers like Ciapponi, however, often dance through these injuries, and often en pointe. In a world where football players and fans equate “ballerina” with being weak (see, for example, the recent comments of a Philadelphia Eagles fan that received national attention and a response from the Pennsylvania Ballet), it is imperative that we recognize Ciapponi and other ballerinas for what they are–elite athletes with truly inspiring strength and perseverance.