The Occupy Wall Street movement doesn't exactly have the most shining reputation. It has been criticized for having no concrete goals or any sort of discernable structure, for oversimplifying the complex issue of the economy, and for its treatment of gender and race (among other things). #OWS's treatment of women in particular hasn't been great. From the repulsive Hot Chicks at Occupy tumblr (which I know isn't a blog sanctioned by #OWS, ... Read More

At 17, I waited for hours on end to be front-row-center for my favorite new songstress Regina Spektor at Austin City Limits. The festival experience was grueling yet thrilling, and as the show came to end, all I could think was, “That was totally worth it.”  So at her recent show, as she started to sing, a wave of nostalgia came over me. The venue for this performance, the United Palace Theater, was quite grandiose and ... Read More

New York BUSTies, you are in for a treat! Jesymn Ward, author of the National Book Award-winning novel Salvage the Bones, will be at the NYPL as a part of the LIVE series. She will be discussing her acclaimed novel, which deals with a family’s struggle with poverty and sacrifice in the days leading up to and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with NYPL Director of Public Programs Paul Holdengräber. “There is something ... Read More

If you’re in the know with the going-ons of the New York City nightlife then you’re probably familiar with DJ Venus X. Maybe you heard her DJ at Fashion Week last fall or dance your ass off at her GHE20G0TH1K parties. I personally saw the light when BUST Crafty lady Callie passed along one of DJ Venus X’s mixes. The 25-year-old Dominican-Ecuadorian DJ from Manhattan, born Jazmin Venus Soto, first gained attention after ... Read More

The "Speakeasy Dollhouse," a Prohibition-era interactive play by Cynthia von Buhler, is puzzling. It’s a participatory work of theater, a whodunit and an unsolved mystery. Audience members are encouraged to study evidence before experiencing the play, which is set in a speakeasy (based on a previously constructed dollhouse set). Most importantly, it’s based on a true story: Von Buhler created "Speakeasy Dollhouse" to try and ... Read More