Drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182 can now add "author" to his name. Barker is releasing his memoir, called Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums, on Oct. 20. 

In the book, Barker talks about surviving the plane crash he was in during 2008, which killed four others. The drummer escaped the crash with the late DJ AM (real name Adam Goldstein) and both suffered second- and third-degree burns. Barker shared an excerpt from his upcoming book with Us Weekly.

"At that moment, I felt like I was running for my family. I didn't care about anything except being with my kids, my father, my sister, Shanna ... I didn't think I was going to survive," Barker wrote. 

DJ AM and Barker were flying back from a concert in Columbia, South Carolina, when the private jet they were in became engulfed in flames. Eyewitness William Owens saw the plane crash happen when he was driving down the highway. 

"It ignites -- it crashed, in fact -- went across the highway and crashed, dumping two guys out onto the highway, and they were on fire, I'm seeing that as I approach, and the plane is burning slightly," said Owens.  "The two go to the grass. They're circling; they're, like, stunned. I certainly am as well; I don't know what to do. They don't know what to do." 

Below are photos of the crash: 

DJ AM died a year later from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs and cocaine.

You can preorder Barker's book before it goes on sale Oct. 20. 

Also on HuffPost: 

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

In one two-minute clip, "Scandal" exposed the levels of intense online abuse women in the public eye face. And in true Shonda Rhimes fashion, the show nailed it. As Amanda Hess wrote for Pacific Standard last year, "women aren't welcome on the Internet," and that apparently includes Olivia Pope. 

On Thursday night's episode of "Scandal," Kerry Washington's Pope faced a barrage of rape and death threats after "coming out" as the president's mistress. 

We watch Pope curled up on a chair with her laptop and a glass of red wine, sifting through the comments on a website that has put up a pornographic parody of her relationship with President Fitzgerald Grant. In one of the season's strongest moments, Pope explains to Fitz exactly what she's seeing:

A lot of people, a lot of anonymous Internet people, cowards who won't use their names, apparently want to have me killed. Also raped. How come whenever a woman does something that people don't like, the only way these men on the Internet know how to express themselves is by threatening rape?

 

I have at least a thousand threats of rape here. Just on this one site from guys who are mad that I had the audacity to be born female. And black.

 

Do you think if I told them I own a gun and that I've shot someone, they'd threaten to rape me? Do you think if I told them I've survived being kidnapped and tortured they would get that their weak little misspellings barely make me blink? That I would welcome the chance to take out a little bit of PTSD on the next man who put his hands on me?

Fitz tells her to just turn off her computer. But unfortunately, trying to "stop reading the comments" isn't a sustainable way to combat online abuse. 

Olivia Pope is one of the strongest characters on television. But even the bravest and most thick-skinned among us aren't immune to mass levels of verbal harassment -- especially when people are calling for your body to violated, mutilated and destroyed.

Although men are more likely than women to experience low-level abuse online (a.k.a. name-calling), women -- specifically young women -- are more likely to experience severe sexual harassment, online stalking and sustained abuse. It's this type of online harassment that "Scandal" sought to tackle. Women routinely face threatening messages clogging up their timelines for things as simple as supporting abortion rights or identifying as feminists. 

So, thank you Shonda Rhimes for amplifying that reality to the millions of viewers who watch "Scandal" each week. It's something people need to hear and see -- if only for two minutes.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

A new social media trend is combining politics, dress-up and sheer cuteness.

Using the hashtag #BabiesForBernie, parents have been posting photos of their little ones dressed up as Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders -- complete with glasses, white hair and serious presidential ambitions. 

Mom Ashira Siegel launched a Babies for Bernie Facebook group and website along with fellow activist Bryan Leggo.

A meme of Siegel's son Natan posing as Bernie Sanders quickly became a viral hit and served as inspiration for the Babies for Bernie merchandise she sells online. As the website's description states, "All parents want a better future for their children. Bernie Sanders is going to get us there!"

Looking at the #BabiesForBernie Instagram photos, this much is clear: When it comes to politics, these babies (and big kids) aren't afraid to feel the Bern.

H/T Today

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Brie Larson spent so much time with the 8-year-old co-star who plays her son in "Room" that when they weren't together during the shoot, she "felt incapable of not talking about 'Star Wars' and which animal would beat what in a battle." That's among the many charming and insightful revelations Larson and her movie son, Jacob Tremblay, revealed at the Toronto Film Festival, where "Room" screened to critical kudos and walked away with the coveted People's Choice Award. A month later, "Room" is now opening in theaters, a mere stop along its path to potential Oscar glory. Larson is one of the front-runners for Best Actress, and there's a good shot the movie will walk away with a Best Picture nomination, as well. 

The Huffington Post sat down with Larson last week to discuss the movie, which is an adaptation of Emma Donoghue's acclaimed 2010 novel. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson ("Frank"), "Room" opens on a garden shed where Ma (Larson) and her 5-year-old son Jack (Tremblay) have been held captive for years. Jack knows no life outside of what they call Room -- until Ma devises a plan to escape. It's an emotionally searing story that required a great deal of prep for Larson, who participated in a silent retreat, avoided extended sunlight to achieve the requisite paleness and worked with a trainer to lose weight and build muscle. Larson's star is on the rise as a result. But before we could get to the nitty-gritty of making "Room," we had to ask about vacationing with a certain funny lady.

First of all, please tell me about your vacation with Amy Poehler and that human pyramid you guys did.

Oh! I mean, there’s not much to say about it. We were all on vacation together and simultaneously Amy Schumer was on her own vacation and we all saw her and were like, “I think we can respond real strong.” We were all very pleased by how it turned out. We thought it was so awesome. So we posted it and then I think we all went surfing. Something like that. And then by the time we came back, it was like on the front of IMDb and all these things. I had just gotten Twitter and Instagram. I’d only had it a week, so I had no idea about this whole world of people picking it up and it getting this other life outside of being on your little page. I was like, “Whoa!”

Have you been surprised by the Twitter and Instagram worlds? 

No, not really. I had a MySpace back in the day, so it wasn’t a complete shock. It is a wild one, especially something like an Instagram where you can see the comments. It’s been around for five years or something, so I became friends with some of my friends and you can see five years’ worth of photos that I didn’t know about. It’s our own Akashic records. It’s pretty wild.

When you first read for this movie, did you do a scene from inside or outside of Room? There's a different rawness to both halves.

We did both. We did a couple of scenes that would take place inside and then we did the interview scene that’s at the end. I think it was four or five scenes altogether, most of them being in Room.

There is a distinct shift in the second half of the movie. What sort of shift did you experience in making it, since most of it was shot sequentially?

Yeah, we shot pretty much in chronological order. The shift for me was -- and I knew this going into it because I had spoken with a trauma specialist -- is that any of the traumas that were happening to Ma in Room weren’t going to be emotionally dealt with until she was at home and in a safe place because the brain does not have space to deal with it. I had assumed that we would have to put moments inside of Room of her suffering and experiencing pain from this experience, but a trauma specialist said, “Oh no, it wouldn’t happen there at all." It’s shutting certain things down in order to cope with that situation to survive, so for me I knew that Room was probably going to be the easiest the movie was ever going to get for me. Everything outside of it was like the dial was getting turned up more and more each day. 

Because it involves a child suffering, some people might assume this movie is difficult to watch. I feel like I've heard people say they're not sure they can handle it. 

Of course you can handle it! It’s not a scary movie!

I’ve also seen it described as a thriller, which I don’t agree with.

I don’t agree with that. And I don’t agree with “harrowing” either. I find that to be a real downer. I think the thing to get across about it is, from my understanding of people’s experience of watching the movie, the tears that you may express when you're watching the film are not coming from a place of anguish or sadness or fear; it’s coming from the love for the movie. It’s coming from this bond between mother and child -- it’s so tender, and you feel that love and it’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming how it exceeds and transcends beyond their circumstances. That’s why people are having the connection to it that they are; it’s not coming from a scary, fearful, worrisome place. This is not a movie that’s going to give you nightmares.

Does a role like this bring you closer to your own mother? 

No, the only thing I spoke with my mom about personally was what it was like to carry a child and what it was like to give birth. That’s a physical thing that I have no knowledge of, so I wanted to know, from her perspective, what does that mentally and physically make you feel like and what happens when you have a child? What changes for you? 

What was her take? 

It was a lot of what I had read, actually, which is that something clicks in your brain where suddenly this child is a floating piece of yourself that you need to protect. That becomes No. 1 and everything else, including yourself, becomes secondary or less. So everything goes into caring for, protecting, nurturing and creating a safe space for that. It also becomes a time of reflection where suddenly you’re reliving the experience that your mom went through and there are moments of feeling deep love and connection to your mother because you realize what amazing things she did despite the circumstances, and there may also be moments where you feel resentment where you go, “I see that you didn’t do this for me and I’ll make sure I do it for my kid.” I imagine there was quite a bit of that happening inside Room because this is an even heightened situation where Ma has nothing but time to reflect. She’s basically trapped in this time capsule where she’s just constantly looking back on her life and relating to this child as she’s relating to her younger self. 

After seeing him speak at the movie's press conference in Toronto, I'm amazed what a professional Jacob seems like.

He is.

I know you hung out and played together before shooting, and surely that informed a lot of what we end up seeing on the screen. But this is a tough role for a youngster. You yell at him a good bit. Did you have to talk him down after doing those scenes?

No, because he had done a couple of movies at that point and this is what he loves to do, so it’s fun for him. He finds it exciting and interesting and a cool experience to let loose and explore, so he never took it personally because he knew what we were doing. He wasn’t a kid who just happened to fall onto a movie set and didn’t know what was going on. To him, it was all great fun.

In looking back at your career since “United States of Tara” ended, do you feel like you’ve had an easy time finding the types of roles you’ve wanted to step into? 

No, it’s never been easy, but that’s sort of the fun of it -- the finding it. When “United States of Tara” was over, it felt like that feeling of graduating high school and wondering which college you were going to. That was my home. That was my place with my people for three years of my life. I was there from 18 to 20, such an important time in my life and such a safe place where I was so loved and understood and nurtured. When that was done, I had to go back out into the world and find myself all over again, so it was such a great thing, in some ways. I still miss it, but it was a great opportunity for me to find myself again and not just stay in a safe place, but to go back out in the world and see what was there for me.

People are banging the “Brie Larson is a star!” gong a lot right now.

Oh, that’s a nice gong!

Do you feel it? I think it’s gotten louder between “Short Term 12” and this.

I mean, people tell me that, but I don’t think that’s a gong that I have the frequency to hear. I don’t think that’s my place to believe or know. I just want to keep telling good stories, but it sounds like a great gong. I love that gong! Keep banging that gong! I just didn’t know if I’m supposed to hear that gong.

It goes back to our conversation about Twitter and Instagram and having a heightened awareness of those conversations.

Yeah, and that’s why it becomes important to take it all with a grain of salt and know that nothing is good and nothing is bad -- it just is.

"Room" is now in theaters.

Also on HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

For 3-year-old Willow, Halloween costumes aren't just for October 31. In fact, the California toddler likes to dress up every single day of the month.

It's a tradition her mom Gina Lee calls "Dress Up Willow Month." A professional photographer, Lee helps Willow put together new costumes and shares finished results on her popular Instagram account. 

"Willow loves it," the mom told The Huffington Post. "It’s like a play date or a field trip for us."

This year, the adorable little girl is bringing it to the next level with some awesome pop culture-themed costumes and a new partnership with Netflix. Lee said that Willow's favorite part of dressing up is "getting her hair sprayed different colors" -- as well as taking photos with her BFF Cooper, who also gets in on the costume action. 

"It just started as a fun photo project, and as long as Willow is still having fun, we will keep doing it," Lee told HuffPost.

Ultimately, the mom hopes their Halloween project can help bring out some creativity in others. "I hope people, parents get a bit inspired about Halloween this year for their kids ... and even for themselves as adults."

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

This article first appeared on QuietRev.com

As a minor key kind of gal, I often wonder: 

Why does sad music make me feel so happy?

Why do I feel so thrilled when Jacques Brel sings of abandonment? Why do I prefer my Chopin in C sharp minor? Why do I love Leonard Cohen so much?

Aristotle thought that the answer to this phenomenon was catharsis—by immersing ourselves in sad feelings, we free ourselves from those same emotions in real life.

But psychologist Ai Kawakami has a more interesting explanation: the sadness we feel “in the realm of artistic appreciation” is not the same thing as the sadness we feel “in everyday life.” When we listen to tragic music, he says, we understand perfectly well that we’re listening to something “gloomy, meditative, and miserable.” But that’s not what we feel. Instead, this kind of music provokes romantic emotions—“fascinated, dear, and in love”—and even blithe ones such as feeling merry, animated, and “in the mood for dancing.”

Kawakami calls these “vicarious emotions”—we experience secondhand sadness that somehow transforms into something lovely and positive.

But why are our emotional systems set up this way? Why is sadness beautiful when viewed from a distance? No one knows the answer yet.

But I have a guess. I think that love and loss go together—flip sides of the same coin. And when we hear music that makes us think of loss, it also makes us appreciate love—fragile, fleeting, evanescent, transcendent love.

This article originally appeared on QuietRev.com.

You can find more insights from Quiet Revolution on work, life, and parenting as an introvert at QuietRev.com.

Follow Quiet Revolution on Facebook and Twitter.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Cool baby names can range from classic to creative concepts. Here, Nameberry gives its stamp of approval to a group of celebs who have recently nailed it with the following fantastic choices.

Alaska

The "Best Uncharted Territory" prize goes to Russian model Anne Vyalitsyna, aka Anne V, who chose a previously unheard place name for her daughter, unusual and yet on trend with the new vogue for wintry names like Snow and Frost, Winter and January. With partner Adam Cahan, they became a triple-A-initial family. 

AmélieMoon

We nominate actor Kevin Durand and wife Sandra Cho’s choice for the "Sheer Beauty" award, for this luminous, moonstruck combo. Amélie, the French version of the popular Amelia(number 15 here, number one in England), came to the U.S. on the wings of the charming 2001 French film. Moon has become a bright new middle-name option, quirkily adorable.

ApolloBowieFlynn

The whole No Doubt band has been dubbed (by us) as "Best Musical Group Baby Namers", led by vocalist Gwen Stefani. After sons Kingston James McGregor and Zuma Nesta Rock came Apollo, classical god of music, truth, the sun, poetry and more. Can’t get much cooler than that.

Art

Irishman Chris ("Bridesmaids") O’Dowd chose this vintage nickname for Arthur. But wait -- if you don’t know your Irish history -- Art is the noble name borne by a number of legendary kings. And there’s also the connection to art, with a lowercase 'a.'

DeltaBell

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard get the "Most Surprising Siblings" prize for their diametrically different names for their daughters. First came a girl given the presidential surname Lincoln in 2013, followed by the languid and lush, ultra-femme, southern Delta, less than two years later.

EdithVivianPatricia

On a recent talk show, Cate Blanchett revealed the inspiration behind the names of her first three children -- Roman, after director Polanski and the French word for novel, Dashiell from Dashiell Hammett, and Ignatius from a children’s Doctor Underpants book (“I must have been hallucinating.”). But for her first daughter, adopted last winter, she went in an entirely different direction, combining three lovely, traditional appellations.

ElsieMarigold

Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans get the Cutest Combo Award for this double vintage choice. Elsie, until recently a dusty old Elizabeth nickname, is in the process of being polished up -- it’s reached number 32 in England and Wales -- and Marigold is a fresh new flower in the name garden. This latest little Gruffudd shared the El-beginning of her name with sister Ella Betsi.

Ophelia

Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, who was ahead of the starbaby pack with older daughters Violet Maye and Harper Willow, now gets the "Best Shakespearean Choice" prize for using the lovely name of Hamlet’s tragic heroine.

PoppyLouise

We wouldn’t expect you to name your kid Gramps or Pop-Pop, but Jenna Bush Hager was fortunate (and clever) enough to use the childhood nickname of her grandfather, George H. W. Bush, as the trendy name of her second daughter. Middle name Louise, another family honor name, makes a nice, gentle counterpoint to the peppy Poppy, making this the "Most Perfect Tribute Name."

Valor

There are any number of virtue names for girls, but very few for boys. Actor Emile Hirsch made this bold choice for his son, a name that had previously been seen only in comic books. Valor is hereby declared "Most Creative Word Name" in recent times. 

SilasRandall

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake looked back into their family history and chose the middle name of Justin’s maternal grandfather as the baby’s first, while Randall is the middle name of both Timberlake and his dad -- another solid choice with real meaning.

WinnieRose

There is just something so winning about Winnie, the name of Jimmy Fallon’s older daughter (the second is Frances/Franny) that the old-timey, endearing nickname for Winifred wins the "Neatest Vintage Nickname" award. Runners-up are Drew Barrymore’s girl Frankie (sister of Olive) and Max Greenfield’s Ozzie James.

ZephyrEmerson

This light and breezy name of the Greek god of the west wind was the interesting choice of tech entrepreneur and Facebook founding president Sean Parker, who also named his first daughter Winter Victoria, as well as several notably branded companies.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

Also on HuffPost: 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Off Broadway plays can get really weird. Like, watermelon-being-smashed-to-bits-on-stage weird. So when the basic Broadway lineup starts to feel tired, it can be difficult to navigate theater options outside of seeing "Wicked" a fourth time. Here to help you avoid being needlessly splattered with fresh fruit, we bring you the October edition of our monthly round-up of Off and Off Off Broadway shows.

"Barbecue"

Great For: AA sponsors who can handle the drama

The brilliant Robert O’Hara (previously of “Bootycandy”) has woven his brand of raw yet loving humor into "Barbecue." The two-act dramedy is centered around a white and black version of the same family, each staging an intervention under the guise of a party in the park. As the scenes switch from group to group, anticipating the arrival of their beloved addict, what emerges is a portrait of the intricacies of race within the context of two equally dysfunctional families.

The parallel universe premise mounts to an intriguing twist just before intermission, which allows O’Hara to poke at canned sitcom humor while also painting with the broader brush of racial exploration. Basically, imagine both a black and white trailer trash version of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” but with a compelling plot. (Note: Yes, as the crowd realized through a series of scattered whispers last Sunday night: that woman in the Aerosmith T-shirt is Yoga Jones from "Orange Is the New Black.")

In performances until Nov. 1 at the Newman Theatre at The Public.

“Unseamly”

Great For: Anyone who can honestly say they have never shopped at American Apparel

There’s a fine line between a play about sexism and a play that is sexist. When it comes to “Unseamly” -- the “unofficial” American Apparel play by Dov Charney’s cousin -- that line is as about as clear as the hemming on a cheap bodycon dress after it has been washed too many times.  

In terms of intention, “Unseamly” would at least appear to be the former. It sets out to explore the experiences of a young woman who has been sexually abused by a knock-off Dov Charney figure (for legal reasons, pretty much). The purpose of the show is to unpack the structures of power that control the truth, but it falls victim to some of the patriarchal temptations it sets out to critique (e.g. our protagonist's lawyer prodding for details over her use of a vibrator.) Also, full disclosure, there’s an interpretive dance scene meant to simulate sex that is sort of like what would happen if Cha Cha DiGregorio lived in the ‘80s.

In performances until Nov. 1 at Urban Stages.

“The Elephant in Every Room I Enter”

Great For: Energetic people with or without Tourette syndrome

Gardiner Comfort takes on the realities of living with Tourette syndrome in this hyper-personal one-man show. Using a mix of experimental elements, including Tourette-inspired choreography, he recreates the experience of his condition, mapping out the textures of his world over a week-long conference. The most interesting aspect of the show is its implicit discomfort. As Comfort presents different tics with a comedic bent, he challenges his audience to laugh, while also forcing them to wonder whether they should.

In performances unti Oct. 31 at La Mama Theater.

“The Elephant in Every Room I Enter”

Great For: Energetic people with or without Tourette syndrome

Gardiner Comfort takes on the realities of living with Tourette syndrome in this hyper-personal one-man show. Using a mix of experimental elements, including Tourette-inspired choreography, he recreates the experience of his condition, mapping out the textures of his world over a week-long conference. The most interesting aspect of the show is its implicit discomfort. As Comfort presents different tics with a comedic bent, he challenges his audience to laugh, while also forcing them to wonder whether they should.

In performances unti Oct. 31 at La Mama Theater.

“Séance”

Great For: Ghosts who tend to be a bit gullible

Interactive theater can mean a lot of different things. In the spectrum ranging from “Here Lies Love” (standing and dancing) to “Then She Fell” (being caressed and read a bedtime story in a dark room), “Séance” is somewhere in the middle. Jason Suran uses the small round-table space, which can’t accurately be called a theater, to craft an intimate setting for a mix of history, storytelling and magic tricks. Those who regularly attend psychics may be disappointed, though even a cynic could have a good time. Disclaimer: You probably won’t get to talk to your long-lost great aunt during the show, but there is a glow-in-the-dark maraca that appears to float in the dark on its own.

In performances until Oct. 31 at Highlight Studios.

"The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey”

Great For: Your bigoted grandma who means well

“The Absolute Brightness of Lenonard Pelkey” is a one-man show about a detective investigating the death of a young gay man. He interviews the small town's cast of characters, building a post-mortem look back at the titular character and learning his place in the community. What unfolds is the sort of outwardly empowering play that could double as an after-school special. Like a lot of art about garnering acceptance, it’s unfortunately another story about the experience of being gay that is really about straight people learning to accept gay experiences. Still, James Lecesne delivers a charismatic and heartfelt performance that redeems his sentimental whodunit beyond its heteronormative pitfalls. 

In performances until Oct. 18 at the Westside Theatre.

Also on HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Nearly everyone who lives in one of New York City’s five boroughs has likely wondered what they’d say to Brandon Stanton.

The Humans of New York photojournalist scoures the streets capturing images of people that reveal small glimpses into the diverse human experience, and publishes those photos on his blog with short captions that are equal parts charming, poignant and heartbreaking.

“It’s constantly surprising, the depth and reach of these photos,” Stanton told The Huffington Post. “The impact tends to outsize the following itself.”

And now his reach has extended far beyond just New York, as told HuffPost in an interview on Wednesday. Stanton talked about sensitively presenting his subjects to a passionate but discerning social media following, the moral implications that come with weighty features and why certain stories seem to resonate with so many people.

Often, Stanton's brief captions leave viewers hungry for more, curious about the rest of the narrative that the photographer only touches briefly on. To try to satisfy that urge and to capture deeper complexities, Stanton has expanded his storytelling in both his captions -- which have grown noticeably in length -- and a new book, Humans of New York: Stories, that delves deeper into his exchanges. Stanton presented the publication in a talk at Barnes & Noble in Manhattan’s Union Square on Wednesday, co-hosted by one of his latest viral subjects, a boy named Luis.

The event opened lightheartedly, with a delightful Luis presenting a series of knock-knock jokes to the photojournalist and an eager audience. But the tone shifted slightly when Stanton spoke about his project’s latest development -- a series of stories from refugees making their way across Europe.

“Every single story is sad,” Stanton told the audience. “These people hung onto their homes as long as possible and then something awful happened that made them leave. Almost always they would talk for about 30 seconds, and then they would pause and tears would start flowing.”

When asked if these images ever feel exploitative, Stanton told The Huffington Post that leaving Europe knowing there was very little he could do was extremely difficult. But he is hopeful that, as with some of his other subjects, an element of their stories will inspire the HONY audience.

Some of Stanton’s past images -- among the most notable a gay child fearful for his future and a Pakistani activist working to end slave labor -- sparked a social media movement that rallies support and empathy, but this isn’t always the case. Especially with photos of people who are going through an extreme hardship or struggle, as viewers, we find ourselves hoping everything turned out OK, but we're rarely given a resolution. Even rarer do these subjects find the help they need, which Stanton says can leave him with lingering feelings of guilt and sadness. But he remains pragmatic in his outlook on the project.

“It’s the same way that all of us run into people,” Stanton said. “Just because I’m asking people their stories doesn’t mean that I’m singular in the fact I encounter people every single day that need help, and I cannot give it to them.”

As Stanton developed his interviews for Stories, he commented on how the exchanges cling to him more the deeper he dives. His sensitivity has also continued to grow since starting the project in 2010, and with social media being the primary judge of his work, Stanton is mindful of how he presents his subjects. Comparing HONY followers to “care bears,” he told the audience, “If someone is saying something hateful, those care bears get mad. I have to be careful not to open someone up to a [mob] on social media.”

Moving forward, the famed photojournalist is finding "the photos are subservient to the storytelling."

"It's not always an opinion or a philosophy that gives us a unique story," Stanton said. "It's a very strong emotion that changes and evolves us."

Also on HuffPost: 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Oscar Rialubin's stunning photo of a watch repairman in Doha, Qatar, is the winner of this year's Global Urban Photography competition.

The competition is organized by CBRE, a global real estate and investment firm, and is now in its fifth year. Rialubin's image was one of 21,000 submissions sent in from 113 countries focusing on the theme "cities at work."

This edition was the first to allow mobile entries. Chinese photographer Coco Liu, who captured a snowy scene in the city of Chicago, took away the first prize in that category. 

CBRE also handed out awards in several regional categories, including Asian Pacific, Americas and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). 

See more amazing entries from the Urban Photography Competition below:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Over 1,000 migrants and refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos every day after risking their lives riding from Turkey across the Aegean Sea's choppy waves.

For many of them, the island is the first glimpse of Europe after crossing the waters and before continuing their journey west in search of asylum.

Most of the people arriving on the island are from war-torn Syria, which has seen 25,000 deaths -- 74,400 of which civilian -- since the start of the country's civil war in 2011. Others are from countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

In photos taken around the island between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, Associated Press photographer Santi Palacios documented objects that the migrants and refugees left behind, from children's toys to lifejackets to Syrian passports.

Take a look at Palacios' photos below: 

Follow The WorldPost

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

Related on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Move over, Rodgers and Hammerstein: there's a new version of "Cinderella" in town, and this one's not for kids. 

Coming off the success of the baroque-burlesque holiday spectacle, "Nutcracker Rouge," choreographer Austin McCormick has brought a similar vision to his take on Charles Perrault's classic rags-to-riches tale for Company XIV, now playing at New York's Minetta Lane Theatre. The "Cinderella" essentials are pretty much intact in his version: mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, an orphan girl (Allison Ulrich) meets a handsome prince (Steven Trumon Gray) at a royal ball. The loss of a glass slipper hunts a village-wide probe before the two live happily ever after.  

But McCormick plays fast and loose with the story's specifics, and the results are gleefully naughty. After all, only Company XIV could get away with a "Cinderella" that boasts a boozing, gender-bending stepmother (deliciously played by Davon Rainey), a fairy godmother (Katrina Cunningham) who shares a slightly-more-than-familial embrace with Cinderella and chiseled chorus boys galore. The show's surprises are musical, too, with Patsy Cline, Nicki Minaj and a German-language take on Irving Berlin's "Sisters" incorporated seamlessly into classical selections and even opera. 

The most striking visual, appropriately, is when Cinderella and her prince, both clad in G-strings and little else, mount an aerial ring for a sexy, "Cirque du Soleil"-style rendezvous. It may not be the ending you envisioned as a child, but we can safely assume it was a happy one, nonetheless. 

Company XIV's "Cinderella" plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York through Nov. 15. Head here for more details.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

Also on HuffPost: 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Masculinity is a complicated issue in the queer community.

One only has to log on to social networking apps like Grindr or Scruff to see phrases like "Masc4Masc" or "No Fems" splashed across various profiles -- all of which essentially shame queers for not embodying traditionally masculine ways of navigating the world.

And while ultimately no queer person should be shamed for wanting to embody a masculine aesthetic, the reality is that expectations and hierarchies of masculinity among queer people can easily reproduce systems of power and violence that our movement is actively fighting against and trying to break down.

Can we save masculinity from the patriarchy? That remains unclear. But party promoter and nightlife personality Rify Royalty wanted to create a space to celebrate queers who want to explore a more feminine or sissy side of their gender expression in a party context. 

Thus, he created a monthly event in Brooklyn called "Straight Acting," the name of which is a tongue-in-cheek nod to gay men who use the phrase to describe their own reproduction of traditional notions of masculinity.

And that queer performance showcase is about to celebrate its one-year anniversary, sponsored by Scruff.

"As a society in general, masculinity is at the top of the hierarchy but something about that spilling over to a community thats already had to fight for acceptance didn't sit right with me," Royalty told The Huffington Post. "On the other hand, I wanted to create a show/party for nonconforming artists to showcase their work -- in a safe space."

The Huffington Post talked with Royalty this week about the evolution of "Straight Acting" and what he ultimately wants the event's attendees to take away from this celebration of feminized gender expression -- and fluidity -- among the queer community.

The Huffington Post: What's been your overarching concept or vision for "Straight Acting"?

Rify Royalty: My intention for Straight Acting was to raise awareness -- wake people up in our community. I was tired of hearing "Masc4Masc"  and "No Fems" on apps that were designed for queer people to meet one another. That dialogue was becoming a joke, but no one was doing anything about it so I figured I would. I knew calling the party "Straight Acting" would stir the pot a bit and it did. I figured it was controversial enough to be effective. I was never trying to "masc shame" anyone, there's nothing wrong with being masculine (whatever that means) but I was really trying to be more fem celebrating. As a society in general, masculinity is at the top of the hierarchy but something about that spilling over to a community that's already had to fight for acceptance didn't sit right with me. On the other hand, I wanted to create a show/party for non-conforming artists to showcase their work in a safe space. 

How has the party changed and developed over the past year?

I was really inspired by London nightlife -- party spaces where everyone came together. Drag wasn't necessarily about impersonating women but about developing individual drag identities and performance. "Masculine" men were more willing to embrace the idea of dress up. It was always refreshing to see people having fun and making out in some form of drag. I originally set out to create a party for boys to put on heels and dress up and not worry about masculinity or being "passable drag queens" and I was seeking that in my performers as well. I also figured I'd include cis women as well since they, too, have had their obstacles in society's acceptance of how a "woman should behave." Eventually, the party kind of organically blossomed and all kinds of performers hit the stage from different gender, racial and performance backgrounds. The shows have included drag, rap, performance art, spoken word, burlesque and more.

What do you want people to take away from "Straight Acting"?

I want people to be more accepting of other people's art and identities. There's a big divide in the "boy culture" and drag culture in the queer scenes and I hope to somehow, someday bridge that gap. Gogo-drag, maybe? Who knows? I just want people to come out, dance, watch some shows, feel welcomed and go home with their minds blown. Or just blown. 

"Straight Acting" is a safe space for performers, DJs and people who enjoy nightlife. The bar is usually filled with a mixed crowd of people from all over the world. When I hear "My friend told me about this party, so I had to check it out" -- that makes me happy.

And although posters usually say "Rify Royalty Presents," this is not my party. It's everyone's party. 

The one-year anniversary of "Straight Acting" will take place at This n' That in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Thursday, Oct. 22. Head here for more information and check out the slideshow below for photos from past editions of "Straight Acting."

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

When American and Cuban officials gathered on Aug. 14 to formally reinaugurate the U.S. Embassy in Havana after half a century of severed diplomatic relations, pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill was among those in attendance.

It was important for him to be there. Long before diplomats began secretly hammering out a deal to normalize relations between the Cold War enemies, O’Farrill -- who was born in Mexico and raised in New York City -- had started cultivating relationships with a group of innovative Cuban musicians, most of whom are relative unknowns in the United States.

The product of those efforts is the new album “Cuba: The Conversation Continues.” On Oct. 17, O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will debut the album in a performance at Hostos Center for the Arts in the Bronx.

Originally released in August, “Cuba: The Conversation Continues” is an album that encapsulates the historic rapprochement. Continuing the musical dialogue that began in New York in the 1940s with American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo, the album highlights the common ties between the two countries by showcasing musical traditions that fuse African and European roots.

“This is a beautiful moment in history,” O’Farrill said. “I think the great lesson of this era is that what we have appropriated as jazz in the United States is actually about a greater story that is not about national ownership. This is part of a larger pan-American movement.”

Listen to the first movement of the "Afro Latin Jazz Suite" above.

The 10 Cuban musicians who joined the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra last year to record the album at Havana's Abdala Studios represent the diverse sounds and styles that have percolated in Cuba over the last five decades, but have rarely made it across the Florida Straits to U.S. listeners.

Pianist Alexis Bosch, who adopts an elegantly restrained style on “Guajira Simple,” bucks the traditional idea of the almost excessively flamboyant and virtuosic Cuban pianist. On “El Bombón,” the flashy musician Cotó offers punchy and percussive solos on the tres, a guitar with three double strings that helps anchor the rhythm in some traditional Cuban music styles. 

Cotó’s solo begins around the 3:00 mark in this video of a 1997 performance for Cuban television. 

The American musicians also shine, with alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s snaking lines appearing throughout. And, of course, there's O’Farrill himself, who composed the album’s four-part “Afro Latin Jazz Suite.” It’s an album that symbolizes what can happen when the barriers that separate the United States from Cuba fall.

For O’Farrill, the album is more than a professional accomplishment. O’Farrill is the son of Chico O’Farrill, a great Cuban bandleader and composer who died in New York in 2001. When Arturo O’Farrill traveled to Cuba to record the album, he went with his two sons, Adam and Zack -- both of whom are accomplished musicians in their own right and perform on the record.

“I think that’s one of the great surprises,” O’Farrill told HuffPost. “The Cuban culture, the pace, the speed, the aesthetic of Cuban culture really resonates with Zack and Adam. And sometimes I watch them interact with other musicians either here or in Cuba -- it’s almost like watching them access parts of themselves that they didn’t have access to before. I wish my father were here to see it, and to see that they still are Cuban on some level.”

Watch the making of “Cuba: The Conversation Continues” at the top of this story.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

A former University of Miami graduate student filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging that Colin McGinn, a philosophy professor, sexually harassed her over several months in 2011 and 2012.

The graduate student, Monica Morrison, named as defendants the University of Miami, McGinn and his former colleague Edward Erwin, according to court filings.

She's claiming the school violated its Title IX responsibilities by failing to fully investigate her sexual harassment claims against McGinn in 2012 and failing to stop his retaliation against her. She is also accusing McGinn of sexual harassment and civil assault, and McGinn and Erwin, another UM philosophy professor, of defamation.

Morrison filed similar claims against UM in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint last year, which was not resolved. Her attorneys kept open the option of litigation if the EEOC complaint wasn't successful, they said.

McGinn has always maintained he was never formally accused of sexual harassment. He resigned in 2013 just before facing faculty senate charges of not reporting a consensual relationship. Morrison claims UM erred when it accused him of that lesser charge after she made what she believed to be a formal complaint of harassment against McGinn. 

"The problem is it wasn't consensual, it wasn't romantic in any way," said Ann Olivarius, one of the student's attorneys. (Olivarius herself was a plaintiff in the first Title IX sexual harassment lawsuits against a university.) "If this isn't a case of textbook sexual harassment, then I don't know what is, and I brought the first case."

The Huffington Post recently reviewed several hundred pages of emails and text messages exchanged between McGinn and Morrison over nearly a year, most of which have not been publicly available. They show the professor talking about having an erection, referencing a "hand job," complimenting her legs and calling her foot his "beloved pet."

When Morrison worked as McGinn's research assistant, the famed professor pressed the student for a photo of her, repeatedly asked if he could come to her apartment and made multiple references to Lolita, the novel in which an older professor becomes obsessed and sexually involved with a 12-year-old girl, according to emails HuffPost reviewed. At the time, McGinn was 62 and Morrison was 26, something he noted in one email. In the emails, McGinn wrote about wanting to kiss her, floated the idea of their having sex over the summer and stated she was "much better off with my support than without it."

Morrison is now "destroyed" and spends a lot of time home in bed, Olivarius said. Her goal now is to "get her name cleared and have some sort of future in front of her" because she has struggled since the university decreed that what she claimed was harassment was actually a consensual relationship.

Andrew Berman, an attorney for McGinn, said in a statement the professor "denies the claims and we will vigorously defend against them in the appropriate forum." Erwin declined to comment, citing advice from his lawyer. 

Eric Isicoff, an attorney for the university, declined to comment on the specifics of Morrison's charges.

"Obviously, the University of Miami is aware of the allegations of the former teaching assistant," Isicoff said. "When the allegations were brought to the university, they were investigated thoroughly and a very swift and decisive action was taken. The matter was successfully concluded very quickly."

The Start Of The Comments

McGinn offered Morrison a research assistant position on Dec. 12, 2011, the emails show. She had taken a seminar with McGinn, who was working at the time about a book on evolution and human hands. They developed a grip, similar to a handshake, that they would perform during in-person meetings.

McGinn is well-known in the philosophy world, having taught at the University of Oxford, UCLA, Rutgers and Princeton prior to landing at Miami in 2006. He regularly wrote for the London Review of Books and the New York Review of Books. Morrison, as her emails reflect, was often worried about her prospects in the job market and saw working with McGinn as a big leg up.

But just a few weeks after he hired her, McGinn started to harass the student in correspondence, her attorneys say.

He emailed her at least once a day between Dec. 19 and Dec. 27, with little response from her. In a Dec. 27 email, he wrote, "I think you owe me unlimited hand strokes and full body grips for abandoning me over Christmas." Over winter break, which lasted about a month, McGinn emailed her more than 30 times and spoke with her just once, according to his own count in an email he sent her Jan. 15, 2012.

After multiple emails from McGinn, including a request to come to her apartment, she replied, "I see no reason that we can't continue the beautiful and unique relationship that we have developed." She did not directly address the request to visit, but said she would see McGinn in class.

In a January 2012 meeting, the graduate student says he held and kissed her foot, according to the lawsuit. After that, court papers state, she frequently wore sneakers that she hoped would discourage that behavior.

McGinn wrote that he missed Morrison and wasn't able to see her as much as he wanted. He complained about their working relationship, stating in an email he is not "getting much in return" and said "I need you to make a big gesture in my direction--anything would do." 

She wrote back that she had been feeling sick and dealing with stress at home, but reassured him "I am so excited to be [in] the Colin McGinn intellectual lineage." In other emails, Morrison wrote she was "flattered" by attention from him. 

In a Feb. 24, email, McGinn wrote:

I have a rather modest unassuming leg--nothing flashy, but quite agreeable. Not like your spectacular look-at-me legs! We should have a foot race one day--I expect to be left in the dust. Also, what about wearing shorts or a skirt one day so I can actually see them--so far I've only strictly seen their shape. Not that I'm obsessed or anything. Your mind should model itself on your legs--powerful, muscular, beautiful, agile. Oh reader!

She did not respond.

Morrison's attorneys say she often avoided his direct questions about his coming to her apartment or wanting to see her, saying she was sick or had spotty Internet or simply was too busy.

One March 2012 text message exchange provided to HuffPost is emblematic of her general response to his comments, the attorneys claim: 

McGinn: I love your essence

McGinn: Plus it gives me a slight erection

Morrison: Can I borrow your philosophy of physics book…the one by lange [sic].

McGinn texted her later that day to say he had an "erotic" and "religious" dream about her; she responded, "Strange."

The texting language then escalated, according to copies of messages sent April 25 that were provided to HuffPost:

McGinn: So I expect a hand job when I next see you.

McGinn: Yes.

McGinn: I like to amuse you.

McGinn: Now I've got a slight erection.

McGinn: I'm imagining you.

Morrison did not reply to the texts.

Later that month, McGinn pressed her for a response, and she eventually texted, "Yeah, I was a bit surprised" and said "I won't really know how to respond [sic]...I suppose I should be flattered?"

In May, McGinn offered her a paid summer position working for him, and her attorneys said she accepted because she felt she needed the funds. Afterwards he sent her messages saying one of her comments about the weather "gave me a boner." He also said he wanted to visit her apartment. On May 18, he texted "I feel like kissing you." She responded, "You can't do that."

The "Sex 3 Times" Email

On May 23, 2012, McGinn allegedly made multiple verbal comments about having sex with her. She said no, her attorneys said, and stated, "I don't know why we have to have this discussion." He then sent an email saying he needed a compromise. "Here's one (I'm not necessarily advocating it): we have sex 3 times over the summer when no one is around, but stop before next semester begins," he wrote.

The full email:

Need to avoid the scenario I sketched: you meet someone else, I broken hearted, our relationship over (except formally).  This follows pretty obviously from current policy.  To avoid my heart break I need to prepare myself mentally, which means withdrawing from you emotionally--not good for either of us.  Also no good to just have full-blown relationship--too risky and difficult in the circumstances.  So need compromise.  Many are possible. Here's one (I'm not necessarily advocating it): we have sex 3 times over the summer when no one is around, but stop before next semester begins.  This has many advantages, which I won't spell out, but also disadvantages, ditto.  I am NOT asking you to do this--it is merely one possible compromise solution to a difficult problem, which might suggest others.  It has the FORM of a possible solution.  Try to take this in the spirit in which it is intended.  yours, Colin

The next day, May 24, McGinn wrote the student in an email, "If I could I'd marry you." Later that day, she texted him, "I am in no mood to continue talking about our relationship. And I don't know what more you expect to come from an extended discussion...the past two days have made me feel increasingly uncomfortable with the situation." 

The student went out of town over the summer, and the emails largely remained professional during that time, her attorneys concede, but they say his tone reverted in August.

She resigned her position as his research assistant on Sept. 11, 2012. Two days later, McGinn emailed her, stating "you are much better off with my support than without it. So please think carefully about your actions." On Sept. 14, Morrison made what she believed to be a formal sexual harassment complaint and provided some of McGinn's messages to university administrators, hoping to be protected from retaliation. However, UM routed her complaint through an "informal process" pressing the professor to resign, according to reports, because it was quicker. (McGinn denies on his blog that he was forced out.)

UM lawyers have said they chose to pursue this informal route to achieve an immediate resolution. Isicoff echoed the comments in conversations with HuffPost. Morrison said she had a right to choose between a formal or informal complaint process.

University officials told Morrison on Oct. 19, 2012, that McGinn insisted she had consented to his advances and there would be no sexual harassment charge, according to her lawyers. Administrators told her a month later that McGinn would be charged in the faculty senate with failing to report a consensual relationship with a student. His actual charging letter stated his "conduct is unprofessional due to the amorous relationship that developed between a senior faculty member and his student," according to the suit.

McGinn Exits

McGinn told the university in December 2012 he would resign. He insists he wasn't removed by any administrator. "I decided I didn’t want the hassle and expense" of fighting the non-reporting charge, he later wrote in a blog post, adding that he had never heard any mention of sexual harassment charges.

Isicoff noted it's typically pretty hard to remove a tenured professor like McGinn and insisted, "This is the poster child for responsibly and quickly dealing with allegations" of sexual harassment. 

As word got around campus about McGinn's decision, Morrison faced retaliation from McGinn and Erwin, the lawsuit contends.

In April 2013, Erwin allegedly called the student -- who was taking one of his classes -- into his office. During this meeting, according to the suit, Erwin said she had "ruined" McGinn's career and asked, "Do you even know what harassment is?"

The suit also states that Erwin circulated emails around campus warning the case would be "discussed in different departments around the country" and that "Colin and his friends intend to fight back."

On his blog, McGinn highlighted a long, anonymous comment that defends his behavior and states that McGinn did not identify his accuser. Morrison's attorneys say he did identify her in emails to philosophy professors at other schools. Close to 100 philosophy professors nationwide signed an open letter urging the university to do more to prevent retaliation against Morrison.

University officials responded to those complaints that they had "limited authority to shut someone up in higher education," according to the suit.

"Miami sits there and lets him out on a lie," Olivarius said.

When news of McGinn's planned resignation at the end of 2013 broke in June of that year, he defended himself publicly, writing on his blog that he had no choice but to clear his name.

"I did not make a public response to a confidential allegation; I made a public response to a public allegation that I deemed defamatory and without merit," he wrote. "I think anyone else would have done the same. What was I to do—say nothing?"

Morrison transferred to a program in the Midwest that year, but had to take a leave due to anxiety and depression. She filed her EEOC complaint in 2014, which did not reach resolution before the lawsuit was filed Thursday. The lawsuit now supersedes the EEOC complaint, Morrison's lawyers said.

Read the full suit below:

 ______

Tyler Kingkade covers higher education and sexual violence, and is based in New York. You can contact him at tyler.kingkade@huffingtonpost.com, or on Twitter: @tylerkingkade

______

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Are you tired of the world we currently live in? Wanna get back to a simpler time, when things made sense? Maybe ... the '90s?!

Introducing the new '90s Nostalgia Retreat!

From the trends to the celebs to the day Kurt Cobain died, at the '90s Nostalgia Retreat, you can experience everything that made the 1990s the best decade that has ever existed.*

*Except for swing dancing. That was terrible. We all know it. Someone was asleep at the wheel for that one.

Also on HuffPost:

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Netflix, once again, is disrupting the film industry's predominant business model. "Beasts of No Nation," the first movie to premiere on the streaming service, is now available for your home-viewing pleasure. That decision has angered the country's biggest theater chains, which refuse to screen the film despite a simultaneous theatrical release. The Netflix platform is even more of a gamble given the story's harrowing nature. "Beasts of No Nation" is a great movie, but it's not exactly something you curl up with when hunting for comfort food.

But that's only the start of the woes Cary Fukunaga has seen in making "Beasts," which chronicles Agu (Abraham Attah), a young orphan forced into mercenary service for a West African warlord known simply as Commandant (Idris Elba). After directing the first season of "True Detective" (he swears he hasn't seen the dreadful Season 2), Fukunaga headed to Ghana to make the movie. There, he contracted malaria and had to fill in for his camera operator, who pulled a hamstring. Meanwhile, Elba got the flu, the production battled erratic weather conditions and props didn't arrive on time. No matter: Fukunaga barreled through the ordeal and was met with glowing reviews at fall's major film festivals. Whether you see it on Netflix or on the big screen, "Beasts of No Nation" -- written and shot by Fukunaga, and based on the 2005 novel by Uzodinma Iweala -- demands your attention. In keeping, The Huffington Post hopped on the phone with Fukunaga to discuss the film. In case you're still wondering, yes, he does know how you feel about the end of "True Detective." 

You’ve shot a visually rich film that most people will see at home on Netflix. As it goes, the revolution will be televised. Obviously this is the business deal you made, but does part of you wish more people could see it on a big screen?

Well, it’s kind of the same, though, if your movie comes out in the cinema and gets a limited release and then eventually most people discover it. It’s kind of just the nature of it. People aren’t all going to be able to experience your film in the way you intended them to, which is on a big screen. There’s no doubt that the best way to watch a movie is on the big screen. There’s just nothing that comes to replace that, no matter how much anyone hypes up their home-theater system. It’s tough because we’re getting a pretty wide release -- we’re going to 31 markets in the U.S. and definitely three or four markets in the U.K., and we’re still lobbying with Netflix to try to open it up in more cinemas around the world because I think there’s an opportunity there, but I’m not the voice of Netflix.

Will Netflix make you privy to viewership numbers even though it doesn't release ratings?

I don’t know. I think they’ll probably remain the same. I’ll probably get a sense of the seat count for per-screen average for theatrical, but I’m not sure if I’ll actually know who’s tuning in to download the film.

Are you cool with not knowing? You’re probably used to seeing weekend box-office numbers and overnight TV ratings.

That’s a good point. Thanks for making me sleep less well at night.

I assume it didn't bother you previously, then.

I hadn’t even thought about it yet.

Sorry to plant the seed. Don’t even worry about it. Who needs numbers? It’s fine! Let’s talk about the artistic side instead. In writing the script, what was your take on how brutal the movie should be? There’s a fair amount of humor buried in it, but it’s also pretty grisly and tough to watch.

I am always hesitant about films that have zero humor in them because I’ve found, in the most dark places, whether it’s gallows humor or something else, that humor still exists. Humor is reality, so although not everyone’s going to laugh at the humor I’ve put in the movie, I try to keep that in there because you need to have, through tragedy, comedy. For me, that’s what makes it more human -- to have those dualities coexisting. But the darkness even isn’t as dark as I could have made it.

Part of that balance is in the way you’ve written Idris Elba’s character. He doesn’t fit a lot of the dictator tropes that have become clichés in film. Elba has more swagger than he does theatrics.

Part of it was, as opposed to, say, “The Last King of Scotland,” where Idi Amin was the leader of the entire country, Idris’ character is the leader of a military battalion. That’s part of the reason why I wrote in [Dada Goodblood, the supreme commander,] who's sort of a political figurehead. It shows that even this guy has somebody to answer to. There’s always a bigger fish, and that character, in a way, castigates or really humiliates Commandant in terms of his limitations. He’s not fit to be a political leader once the world is watching. He’s a very effective bulldog, so I think Idris did a very good job playing that swagger and playing the capriciousness of a somehow adolescent-like military man. I’ve seen leaders like him -- leaders on a small level who will never be leaders on a national level. He can lead a band of men, but he can never take that and transition it to more widespread power. He’ll make decisions on a whim without really thinking about what the consequences are. 

Representation is something the culture is very consciousness of right now. Even though you had the novel as source material, for a filmmaker who isn’t from the area you’re depicting, what did you do to ensure you were telling the right story?

In terms of research, I did a ton. I was a poli-sci and a history major, and when I do history on real subjects I approach it as if I were writing an article about it and try to saturate myself in facts and details and anecdotal information and first-person testimonials. I’d done research with former combatants, displaced people, mercenaries, British and U.S. military involved in the conflicts, as well as, during the production, working with a commander who had taken part in the wars in Sierra Leone and in Liberia. A lot of what I did was based on that reality, even though it is fiction.

And what went into the decision to set it in an unnamed country?

That was in the book, and I think Uzo and I were on the same page all the way through development on this in that if we were to place it in Nigeria during the Biafra War or in Sierra Leone during its war or Burkina Faso or anywhere where these coups d'état or cyclical regime changes are taking place, that these kinds of wars aren’t so dissimilar. If we had to get into the nitty-gritty history of one, it feels like it’s less applicable to the others. Because they are so similar, it just seems like you can transpose the regions and the details of the war on the other. Of course, there are always nuances and it’s dangerous to generalize, but it was important that it feel more allegorical as well in terms of the kid’s experience, which was the most important thing.

Are those the specific settings you had in mind, even if you didn’t intend the film as a literal representation? 

Yeah, because you have to nail down certain things so that your production designer knows what to base things on and your costume designer knows what to base things on. You can obviously make it all fantasy and fiction, but it’s better if it’s somehow rooted in reality, so I sort of did a mixture of Ghanian history using some of the plot points of the war in Sierra Leone. 

You shot a pivotal battle scene using what appears to be infrared film. It's one of the movie's best moments. What does that scene mean to you?

It was in the book that when Agu first takes hallucinogenic drugs, the colors would shift and change. He described the leaves dripping red from the blood, so I took that pretty literally. In 2006, when I was writing the screenplay, I figured out that I’d probably shoot it, assuming we’d be shooting in a photochemical world, on infrared, similar to what Oliver Stone had done in the India sequence on “Alexander.” That was gonna be the goal for that section, and then ultimately we didn’t end up shooting on film and they discontinued infrared stock a couple of years ago. We tried using infrared on “True Detective” as well for Rust Cohle’s hallucinogenic sequences, and we couldn’t find infrared stock anywhere. So I ended up doing a digital effect that mimics infrared. 

Speaking of “True Detective,” are you happy to go back to film for the moment, knowing this won't be as heavily scrutinized as the first season of that show was?

I didn’t really feel any kind of over-scrutiny with “True Detective.” It was more exciting that people were that interested in the details we put into the story, even if they were ultimately disappointed with the ending. It’s so different. This is such a different genre, this film, that I never figured it would be held to the same standards, in a way. It cost about the same as an episode of “True Detective” would cost, and this is a whole film.

Did you take into account the attention paid to "True Detective" when you first decided to do "The Alienist," your next TV project? It seems like it could generate a similar level of chatter. 

Man, I hadn’t even really considered it. “The Alienist” is going to be ultimately compared to “True Detective” only in that it’s going to be a limited series and because it’s another crime series about crimes that involve children, and we’re trying to investigate it. But what draws me to that story is so different, and the writers are so different that I don’t know how the audience is going to respond. I don’t think I could ever anticipate that because even on “True Detective” I had no idea it was going to get that kind of response. I’m always mildly surprised that people like what I do.

Did you keep up with fan theories? Some of them got pretty ludicrous.

My agent is the biggest fanboy ever and reads all the blogs, so he would usually send me stuff along. I kept up that way, but I went to Ghana at the end of February last year, so I didn’t even see the whole rollout of the show. I was deep in pre-production, so I kind of stopped following it at some point. But when I got back, I would see some of the memes and some of the “SNL” and other skits. I thought it was hilarious. It was just awesome to have something you’d done go mainstream like that in the best possible way.

"Beasts of No Nation" is now in select theaters and available on Netflix. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Also on HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

What if the chants emanating from a Buddhist temple were actually rap lyrics and the intricate mandalas were actually graffiti?

That's how Gomyo, an American Buddhist priest living in Japan, envisions the future of his faith. Born Kevin Seperic, Gomyo began rapping in the 1990s and got introduced to Buddhism when he moved to Japan in 1994. Now he's spearheading a movement called "Hoodie Monks" to use hip hop as a vehicle for Buddhism practice and education.

“By expressing Buddhism through hip-hop culture, we hope to do two things: introduce people to Buddhist thought who might not otherwise be exposed to it, and offer an alternative to mainstream hip-hop, which is often preoccupied with materialism,” Gomyo told The Japan Times.

Gomyo became an ordained priest in the Shingon tradition in 2004, and he currently works at Yugasan Rendaiji temple in Okayama, Japan, which serves as the home for his group of "Hoodie Monks." His first hip hop album came out in 2014.

Japan has witnessed a decline in Buddhist practice, particularly among young people, in recent years. Though roughly 75% of Japan's population identified as Buddhist as of 2008, many only visit a temple at the time of a relative's death.

“In Japan, it’s not about exposing young people to Buddhism — it’s all around them — it’s more about showing them that Buddhism is more than something you do at funerals," Gomyo told The Japan Times. "It’s a useful tool in dealing with daily life and it can be cool.”

Read more about "Hoodie Monks" here.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

At the front row of a fashion week show, among the many poised faces, there once sat an ornately dressed preteen whose unabashed self-expression could’ve been described as courageous, naive, or both.

Though her wild, keen sense of fashion launched Tavi Gevinson’s career -- which the now 19-year-old writer and actress is still defining -- it was clear even then that her ability to express herself boldly and artistically would only continue to grow and change along with her.

Among her many creative endeavors -- Tavi is the editor-in-chief of Rookie.com, a site dedicated to teen-centric interviews and personal essays, and she recently starred in a Broadway play called “This Is Our Youth” opposite Michael Cera -- perhaps the most personal is her annual collage-like collection of articles and photos, Rookie Yearbook. There are four in total, meant to mimic the progression of actual high school yearbooks. The fourth is out today, and hinges on the positive aspects of growing past your teenage years -- which is fitting, considering Tavi’s frequent reflections on growing up herself.

“Rookie will still be for teenagers even as I continue to get older,” she said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “As I get older, it’s less about, ‘What am I going through and how do I write about it?’ It’s more about how to use my power to highlight other people’s voices and make a good space for them.”

We talked with Tavi about getting older -- and how to stay optimistic rather than cynical along the way. We talked, too, about conversation writing, gritty photos, and why adults shouldn’t worry about reading YA, because everyone should read whatever the hell they want.

Nostalgia is a theme that runs throughout the Rookie yearbooks -- you spend time with each reflecting on your progress. What is it about nostalgia as a theme that you enjoy?

I don’t know, I have lots of theories as to why I constantly feel like the world is coming to an end, and why I feel like I need to review everything and memorialize it. In a way, I wonder if it’s almost generational in that we’re able to so immediately reflect on things as they’re happening to us. So maybe it’s just that I’ve written about my life every day as it’s been happening, either on my blog or Rookie or in a diary. So maybe I just snap into a set of rose-tinted glasses very quickly or something. I literally talk about this in therapy, I’d love to know why I’m so fixated on it.

The fourth book, I’m excited about because I really feel like it’s not so mournful about growing up as the other ones. It’s more celebratory. It’s a lot more optimistic, and I’m really pleased about that. I think when I was younger I felt, as many of us do, like Holden Caulfield. Like, when you grow up, your heart dies. And the adult world mars you. But I don’t feel that way anymore. I think it was getting out of high school that allowed me to imbue this last book with that sense of optimism.

For sure. I think it’s important for women in particular to not value their youth more than other parts of their life.

Yeah. High school’s hard and I never wanted to romanticize or glaze over just how innately, physiologically, biologically painful it can be to be between the ages of 13 and 18 or whatever. I never wanted to brush over that. So maybe in trying to acknowledge that, a lot of my writing was a little more cynical. I feel that the fourth book acknowledges that part of being a teenager, but it looks outward a lot more, too. There’s a lot about just the world, and life.

Since you started Rookie, have you noticed the tone of conversations about teenage girls changing at all?

Now I pretty consistently see articles about young women who have something to say. It’s like me, Amandla Stenberg, Lorde, and other people. Take that for whatever it’s worth. I don’t know how much weight to give an article like that.

I don’t really care about the adult conversation about teenagers, but I hope teenagers and readers of Rookie feel, if not taken more seriously by adults, then at least a little more comfortable with themselves and connected to each other. 

The tone of Rookie articles is often more conversational than most essays or interviews. Was this intentional? And why do you think it’s important?

I knew in the beginning I wanted it to be informal, but that wasn’t, like, a stretch. I didn’t have to very consciously make that choice, I just had to let myself write the way that I write, which was very much the way that I talk. And that does change. I’ve been working on something this year -- I don’t know what it will be, but it’s probably not right for Rookie. The tone is a lot more controlled. I like having a place to try that, too. So it’s sort of conscious but it’s also organic. 

The photos and essays you promote are informal in another way, too: they’re often gritty or offhand. What it is about this aesthetic that you like?

When someone sends us her work, it’s like, whether it’s more candid or more composed, I just think you can feel when it came from a real place. Even when a teenager has conducted a photo shoot with her friends, and they chose their outfits very specifically and it’s not just a photo diary, even that is very authentic. I just have a huge place in my heart for that, because I was conducting my own versions of that every day when I did my blog.

I guess I’m just drawn to anything where I sense somehow that it’s organic. I mean I don’t know that I’m like, the realness police. I’m not trying to say that. But it’s like how every now and then fashion will be like, “Punk is in!” and there’ll be a fashion shoot that’ll be like, “Studs! But they’re, like, $2,000!” And I just think it’s cool to try and encourage people who are actually just like, 16 years old and covering everything in studs. It’s just cool to give them a space. 

Speaking of gritty girlhood: Did you see "Diary of a Teenage Girl"? 

I’ve literally been avoiding that movie because everyone keeps telling me to see it. I know it’ll give me a lot of feelings, and I am scared of that, and I don’t want to have a lot of emotions right now, so I’ve been avoiding it. I will see it when I’m a little more willing to receive that. It has nothing to do with the movie. Like, I avoided watching "Man on Wire" for years because I was like, ahhh, it’ll give me feelings.

Obviously, there’s been backlash against adults reading YA books or sites like Rookie. How do you feel about that?

I’m not aware of this. What have people been saying?

You know, if adults are reading teen stories it represents a sort of juvenilization of our culture. Like, they should be reading adult things.

Who’s saying this?

Oh, there was an article in Slate about a year ago, and it was really divisive. The New York Times did a Room for Debate on it around the same time.

Oh my god, who cares? I just don’t really care. Nothing seems more boring to me than policing what other people are reading, and waving a YA novel in the air and being like, “Intellect is going to rot!” No. Come on. That’s really narrow.

I also think a lot of writing for teenagers is really strong and not juvenile, and that’s really condescending. It shows such a misunderstanding of the creative process. You don’t choose the things that light you up or that you’re fixated by. I would love to know why I feel the need to analyze my own nostalgia, and I would love to have something new to think about, but I’m trying to process things, so this is what I have to work with.

Obviously publishing is an industry -- I’m not saying everyone is waking up in the morning and just following their heart or pure artistic desires. But that criticism, to me, is cynical, and it’s talking about something that’s really hard to quantify, and it’s a misunderstanding of who people like to write about. Or like, what kind of character might excite an author.

I know John Green said he likes writing for teenagers because they don’t shroud everything in irony. And I’ve been out of high school and in the “real world” trying to find my people for maybe a year and a half now. I feel like I know people who are adults who roll their eyes if the conversation moves somewhere kind of interesting because they think it’s stoner-y or college-like or something that they covered in philosophy class.

It’s like a knee-jerk reaction to vulnerability.

Exactly! I mean, I’m college-aged, but I feel so much more stimulated by friends who are still thinking about the world, and I hope to never resign myself to not being allowed to turn things over my head and analyze them because it seems juvenile. I’m like, freaking out right now -- what will I do when I’m not interested in the world? I hope I never get to an age where I’m like, “Ugh, that’s dumb, we already figured everything out!” That’s not how it works, I would hope. That seems really sad.

It’s not just that I’d rather hang out with other people my age. People I know who are older who are writers, and they’re writers because they love writing, not because they moved to New York because they had an idea about being a writer in New York, and they are just constantly trying to think of the most relevant thing you can say. Last week alone I hung out with four women separately -- some of them have kids -- and we were having conversations about stuff that might’ve seemed embarrassing or too earnest or faux-deep or juvenile, but I don’t think any of those people are, like, stunted.

I saw one of those women throw out a word -- it was so, like, The Secret History to me. The other woman we were having breakfast with looked up the definition and wrote it down. That’s not because there’s this sort of naive interest in the world. It’s because she’s a writer, and if you’re not trying to receive these little clues that are given to you about how to live, then what are you doing?

Have the movies and books that you’re into changed at all since high school?

I read Bluets by Maggie Nelson -- that was huge for me. It changed a lot of the ways that I think about writing, as did The Lover by Marguerite Duras. I’ve been reading all of Annie Baker’s plays.

I think in high school I was going back through a lot of stuff mentors or older friends of mine liked when they were younger, and now I think I’m mostly just keeping up with newer music, so like Carly Rae Jepsen and Drake -- the same stuff as everyone else. I don’t really watch TV because it’s like, I can either watch all of “The Sopranos” or I can, like, write a book. I don’t know how to sit still. I wish I could, it’s not a waste of time by any means. Watching “Breaking Bad” was probably one of the richest experiences of my life.  I’m just too precious with my time.

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has published a book of J.R.R. Tolkien's sketches for the 60th anniversary of the series. Edited by Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond, The Art of The Lord of the Rings contains over 180 of Tolkien's drawings.

Only a few of the featured maps and landscapes were initially intended for publication, while Tolkien used the rest as visual aids in his epic world building. Check out a selection of images from the collection below and spend a few moments in a universe where Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" octalogy needn't exist.

Also on HuffPost:

For a constant stream of entertainment news and discussion, follow HuffPost Entertainment on Viber.

 
Like | 
 
Follow | 
 Contact

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.