Poetry to help us rise to the occasion of the climate emergency Rise is a stunning short film by indigenous poets Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner (Marshall Islands) and Aka Niviâna (Greenland/Kalaallit Nunaat). For me, watching it brought home the urgency of the climate emergency in a whole new way. The poetry and the visuals powerfully link the trans-continental realities of melting glaciers and rising sea levels, showing how large yet interdependent our world is. This film is energising and deeply inspiring, and I think everyone needs to see it. (Olutimehin, Othering correspondent) 350: Rise: from one island to another (viewing time: seven minutes)
Can Dolly Parton make America great again? At a time when the US is more divided than ever, one thing everyone can agree on is that they love country music icon Dolly Parton. Jad Abumrad sets out to understand why in this lovely podcast that weaves together interviews with Parton and her music. Parton explains – in gorgeous Tennessee cadence – how she went from being “the pretty little gal” sidekick writing "sad ass songs" to a music phenomenon with her own theme park. Often the butt of jokes, Parton has always been firmly in control of her own image. ("It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!") My dad was playing me Parton records since before I could walk, but even if you’ve never listened to her music, you won’t find better company for an hour than Parton. And I guarantee you’ll feel as though there’s hope for the US after all. (Shaun, copy editor) WNYC Studios: Dolly Parton’s America (listening time: 57 minutes)
Social media and urban planning: how Instagram shapes our cities Before today, I didn’t know Google Maps had a feature to alert people of cool photo spots, or that there’s an entire genre dedicated to sharing the most Instagrammable locations to visit when on holiday. What’s so appealing about documenting the beaten track someone like me might ask. This piece doesn’t answer that question but comments critically on the trend to include "Instaworthiness" into architecture and urban planning strategies for commercial yield. Reading it plunged me into a world I’ve so far successfully avoided, but for how long? Can we really be said to move freely when social media and aestheticisation are built into our cities’ very foundations to make us stop, stare and snap? (Carmen, member support manager) Strelka Mag: Good content vs good architecture: where does ‘Instagrammability’ take us? (reading time: 20 minutes)

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