Celebrating Bethlehem's Southside Culture
Summer might be drawing to a close soon, but there’s still plenty of time left for summer reading. If you’re interested in discussing literature and exploring issues surrounding economic justice, look no further–Tackling T.I.N.A. will host a book group discussion of Marge Piercy’s groundbreaking novel, The Longings of Women, on August 21st from 4 until…
“You need to stay faithful to your story, but you need to tell it on your own terms.” – Charles Kiernan If you haven’t visited Godfrey Daniels–our folky, eclectic, fiercely independent 4th Street neighbor–find a way to get there. I realized I hadn’t been inside since my arts-focused pre-orientation program before my freshman year at…
What do science, consciousness, and classical guitar music have in common? For local poet Cleveland Wall, all are a source of inspiration for her latest works. A West Bethlehem resident and poet-performer, Wall has been creating provocative verses since she was a child. She recalls growing up in a household where her parents recited poetry…
Ava Bertone: Introduce yourself for our readers! Chloe Cole-Wilson: My name is Chloe Cole-Wilson and I am the Artistic Director and co-founder of Basement Poetry. AB: How long have you been working with the group? How did you get started with it? CCW: Basement Poetry was founded in January of 2015. We started off as…
Anyone who has visited the Southside of Bethlehem knows that the area takes art very much to heart. At practically every corner is a distinct, fiery-colored planter that consists of elements of Bethlehem. And lest we forget, drivers and passersby alike can now enjoy the recently completed murals located near the New Street Bridge and…
There are many things about Bethlehem that makes it stand apart from other cities. For example, can you name any other pottery studio that hosts a “Paint With a Sloth” event, where attendees can BYOB, learn how to paint, AND snag a selfie with a real life sloth? You guessed it – Color Me Mine….
Someone murmurs that there’s “no choice but to be immersed,” as I enter the basement of the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Allentown. I’m here tonight to see Allentown Public Theatre’s (APT’s) performance of Coming Clean, a show providing insight about the national opioid crisis. I’m surprised by the wide age range present at the…
Prison reform projects have been a hot button social and political issue for a number of years– with good reason. Currently, the United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. According to a recent study by the Prison Policy Initiative, today, over a million individuals are imprisoned in state prisons, followed by…
Every second Wednesday night at Godfrey Daniels Listening Room, community is built. The Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild hosts their Story Circle, a gathering that is free and open to the public. Tellers new and old show up to share, to workshop, and to listen. In anticipation of the July storytelling circle, I reached out to…
Hidden Gems July 6th was a glum, overcast Friday afternoon–the kind where people would usually retreat inside their air-conditioned homes. Some loyal music-lovers, however, emerged from their shelters and went out on the town to General Zapata’s on East 4th Street to listen to some beautiful, acoustic covers of their favorite hits and to feast…