PolicyMic's Culture Round-Up: Introducing Our Exciting Arts Fellows Program

Culture

For over a year now we’ve been working hard in the Culture section to feature more diverse content, more unique articles, and introduce the community to talented new writers. This month, we are launching a brand-new arts fellows program, which will help us to advance all of those goals, while also being a really exciting opportunity for writers!

We are taking applications for five arts fellows one in each of the following categories: music, movies, television, fine arts, and books. The fellows will contribute 10 articles over the course of one month, and receive a small stipend for doing so. We’ve developed a system in which these fellows’ stories will be comprised of reviews, interviews, original reporting, and responses to big cultural happenings.

I, for one, am very excited to see how the program develops and what these writers bring to the table. The structure, the proposed content types, and the categories are all representative of the direction both Julianne and I hope to take the culture section in. Is this direction you’d like to see the Culture section heading in as well? I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

For information on how to apply, see here.

Shout Outs of the Week:

Shout out to our culture intern Steven Goldstein whose last day at PolicyMic was yesterday! Steven wrote amazing content all summer long and brought a fresh new perspective to the team. Check out his piece What I Learned at PolicyMic That J-School Never Taught Me

Shout out to Deputy Culture Editor Julianne Ross, whose piece Why Is Stripping Down a Rite Of Passage For Female Child Stars? was the most viewed of the week in the culture section (21,040 views!).

What Have You Been Up To?

Let me know what you’re up to! In the weekly newsletter I share our illustrious pundits fantastic writing achievements as well as highlighting news about what we’re all doing offline. If you have anything you’d like me to include (accomplishments, publications, that awesome play you’re in), about yourself or a fellow PolicyMic-er, please send it my way!

Culture Section Must-Reads of the Week:

“Blurred Lines” Isn’t As Blurry As Everyone Is Making It (Chloe Stillwell, @chloekillwell) – Until the feminist movement can find unity and temper the war calls accordingly, the message will always be distorted, and people will keep bouncing titties and blurring lines.

6 Brilliant Writers On the Importance Of Keeping a Journal (Katherine Costello, @karslanian) – These six writers found that keeping a journal was essential to their work, and to their lives. You will, too.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Burqa’ is Supposed to Empower Muslim Women, But It Does the Opposite (Marian Elba, @mariamelba91) – Sorry, Lady Gaga. You're doing it wrong.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’’s Copyright Fight is an Important Lesson For All Writers (Frederica Hill, @FredvHill) – Harper Lee's slimy agent represents a new wave of publishing professionals.

Is the Music Industry Really a Sexist, Coke-Filled Dystopia? (Nathaniel Khaleel, @RetrogradeMars) – We're quick to view the music industry in this dim, shady light. Are our perceptions mistaken or have we been right all along?

The MPAA’s Movie Rating System Is Useless and Needs to Go (Autumn Harbison, @Fallmark18) – Films are getting darker, dirtier, and more violent, but the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system hasn't changed. Here's why it needs to catch up.

Mumford & Sons Just Dropped the Funniest Music Video Of the Year (Steven Goldstein, @GoldsteinNU) – Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Will Forte, and Ed Helms take "Hopeless Wanderer," an already great rock song, and make it considerably better.

Please send your feedback! Elena@policymic.com