Culture Shift is a weekly newsletter curated by the HuffPost Culture writers and editors.
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This week we're talking about baby photography queen Anne Geddes, the history of the world "girl," the Harvard academics treating Harry Potter like a sacred text, Dorothy Parker's dating tips, some alternative required reading, and our book of the week.
Anne Geddes, The Photographer Who Put Babies In Flower Pots, Is Still Making Art
Who is Anne Geddes? Is she self-aware? Sincere? Does she consider herself a fine artist? Is she in fact a bunch of babies stacked atop each other in a large trench coat, like that scene in “The Little Rascals”?
I called a number. The phone rang. “This is Anne,” said a woman in an Australian accent. Anne Geddes is Australian? My first question: “Tell me about your childhood. Where are you from?” She responds, “Well, I’m Australian, obviously.” Right. Off to a good start. (Read more here.)
Hey, Girl, The History Of The Word ‘Girl’ Is Actually Crazy
Is “girl” infantilizing? Powerful? Straight-up condescending? Girl, you decide. (Read more here.)
Why Two Harvard Academics Talk About ‘Harry Potter’ Like It’s The Bible
You’d be forgiven for assuming the team behind the podcast “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text,” in which two hosts dissect J.K. Rowling’s classic series as if it were the Torah or the Bible, were raving tinfoil-hat superfans.
But while they adore the boy wizard anthology, the team approaches their subject matter with reasoned academic discipline like the Harvard Divinity School members and graduates they are. Each episode allows hosts Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile, along with producer Ariana Nedelman, the chance to reread a chapter of the series (starting from the beginning, with one chapter given to each episode) and analyze the characters’ struggles and motivations, picking out moral teachings along the way. (Read more here.)
This Forgotten Book From The ‘70s Is Your New Feminist Manifesto
Meet Eve Babitz, a writer who wears her sexuality on her fur-coated sleeve. (Read more here.)
13 Illuminating Books That Should Be Required Reading
Getting ready to go back to school? Looking to start a book club? Here are 13 timeless books to read this fall. (Read more here.)
5 Dating Lessons Learned From The Ever-Quotable Dorothy Parker
Dating is hard. And while we millennials may think it’s especially difficult with the commodification of desire that quick-swiping apps and hookup culture have wrought, the truth is, it’s always been freaking hard. Look no further than the words of early 20th-century writer and critic Dorothy Parker to find that angst and doubt in love, sprinkled with a little self-deprecation, is not a new invention. (Read more here.)
BONUS: Some Really Talented People Hung The Other Night And You Were Not Invited
Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Gabby Douglas and Madison Kocian ― the quintet of Olympic gymnasts otherwise known as the Final Five ― saw a musical this week. That musical was “Hamilton.” You were not there. (Read more here.)
Netflix recommendation of the week!
Need help figuring out what to watch on Netflix? Here's what our editors have to say about Tig: "'Tig' follows Tig Notaro, a comedian dealing with a life-threatening infection, the sudden death of her mother and a bilateral breast cancer diagnosis. In the face of constant obstacles, she performed 'Hello, I Have Cancer,' a profound exploration of comedy’s place in tragedy."
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