When news broke that celebrated architect Zaha Hadid died last Thursday in a Miami hospital, fans may have been surprised to read that she suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated for bronchitis.

A statement from her architecture firm in London said Hadid contracted bronchitis earlier in the week in Miami, and had a heart attack while hospitalized for it. 

The Baghdad-born architect was the first woman and first Muslim to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize and among her many other awards was the Royal Institute of British Architects’ 2016 Gold Medal. Her designs, which were renowned for their bold, sweeping curves, include the London Aquatics Centre, the Guangzhou Opera House and the MAXXI National Museum of the XXI Century Arts in Rome. 

But one small part of her legacy may be what her death teaches us about heart attack risk. Hadid’s death is a reminder that it can fluctuate depending on other health circumstances, and seemingly unrelated conditions like respiratory infections can increase the risk of a heart attack, especially in older adults.

A heightened risk of stroke and heart attack

Doctors have long observed that infections appear to trigger heart attack and stroke: In 2004, London researcher Liam Smeeth confirmed that heart attack and stroke risk does indeed rise a few days after being diagnosed with the flu, pneumonia or bronchitis. 

Smeeth found that being diagnosed with a respiratory tract infection was linked to an almost fivefold increased risk of heart attack, and threefold increased risk of stroke within three days. Then, as the infection starts to heal, the risk gradually falls back down to normal levels over several weeks. He wasn’t able to establish a causal relationship back then, but he did hypothesize that short-lived inflammation prompted by infection may disrupt blood vessel health, resulting in higher rates of heart attack and stroke.

At the time the report came out, American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Valentin Fuster noted that while relative risk may rise, the absolute risk of heart attack and stroke is still very small, reported WebMD. In other words, just because you have the flu, that doesn’t mean you’re going to have a heart attack. 

Smeeth also emphasized this point in a recent email to HuffPost: "While the risk of having a heart attack does seem to be raised three- to five-fold during a severe infection, in terms of absolute risk the increase is quite small because the effect lasts a few weeks at most," he wrote.

Researchers from Canada followed up on this line of inquiry in 2015 and found that higher risk of heart attack and stroke after a diagnosed infection was most severe for people ages 65 and older. People who were younger still had elevated risk, but it wasn't as high and didn't last as long. 

How infection raises the risk of heart attack

Dr. Nisha Parikh, an assistant professor of cardiology at University of California, San Francisco Health says there are a few possible reasons that respiratory infections raise the risk of heart attack. The first is that the infection causes an inflammatory response, which can lead stable plaque in the arteries to rupture and result in a heart attack. Alternately, because it’s harder to breath with a respiratory infection, the body is getting less oxygen than it needs, which can also strain the heart.

Smeeth added that a combination of dehydration, bed rest and the activation of clotting mechanisms during an infection may make blood clots in blood vessels more likely.

Parikh is not Hadid’s doctor and did not review her case. But she did say the strategies to lower risk from a heart attack after infection are the same you’d undertake to try to avoid heart attack in general.

"Common sense prevention applies here,” she told HuffPost. “Avoid smoking, watch your blood pressure, eat a heart-healthy [diet] and see your primary care physician for regular preventive check ups, including cholesterol screening."

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., making up about one in four deaths. 

-- 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.

Add Stephen Schwartz to a growing list of luminaries who are denouncing North Carolina's new anti-LGBT legislation. 

The Oscar-winning composer behind the Broadway smash "Wicked” said he'll deny the production rights to all of his musicals to any theaters or performing arts groups based in North Carolina now that the state has passed House Bill 2.

The legislation, which Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law March 23, blocks cities from allowing transgender people to use public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity. It also restricts local governments from passing non-discrimination laws. 

In an email obtained by Playbill, Schwartz called for fellow theater professionals to refuse to license their properties to North Carolina-based companies "until this heinous legislation is repealed." 

"I feel that it is very important that any state that passes such a law suffer economic and cultural consequences, partly because it is deserved and partly to discourage other states from following suit," Schwartz, who also wrote the scores for "Pippin," "Godspell” and Disney's "Pocahontas," said in the email. So far, he noted, his request had been met with "compliance and approval" from theater licensing organizations and touring producers. 

It isn't the first time that Schwartz, 68, has gotten political. The composer was one of many artists who protested against apartheid in South Africa in the 1990s and, as he pointed out in the email, "this eventually proved to be very effective."

In an email to The Huffington Post, Schwartz said he was pleased with the way the theater community had responded to his pledge. 

"This may be cynical of me, but I believe that the only thing Gov. McCrory and his cronies in the legislature understand is the threat they may not be re-elected," he said. "As long as they feel that the bigots in their state are going to support them, while the rest don't consider it an important enough issue to become exercised about, they are not likely to change anything."

He was also quick to point out that the media's emphasis on the law restricting trans people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity hasn't reflected the overall impact of the bill.  

"This is sloppy reporting, and a parroting of the disingenuous line of Gov. McCrory and those who passed the bill," he said. "This bill forbids any municipality in the state from passing any protections whatsoever against discrimination towards LGBT citizens. There are other heinous things in it as well."

Whether or not Schwartz's move will prove effective remains to be seen. Jason Cocovinis, who the director of marketing at Music Theatre International, told The Winston-Salem Journal that Schwartz's musicals that had already been licensed can still move forward, and the composer's embargo would apply to new touring and local productions only. 

Still, a number of North Carolina-based theater companies feel Schwartz's pledge could have a dire impact on the local arts scene, particularly if other composers and playwrights follow suit.  

Mitchel Sommers, who is the executive director of Community Theatre of Greensboro, described Schwartz's move as a "theatrical disaster" in an interview with The Winston-Salem Journal on April 2, as its shows "must get royalty permission from their owners in order to be produced.”

“If Stephen Schwartz’s ban on North Carolina theaters producing his work is mirrored by his other Broadway colleagues, which is inevitable,” he wrote, “what are we going to put on?”

Jamie Lawson of the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance echoed those sentiments in a March 31 Facebook post, saying Schwartz's effort "affects the wrong population." 

"This suggestion, as well intended as it may seem, will have dire consequences for those of us who are wholeheartedly desperate for a repeal and are fighting for it daily," Lawson wrote. "From a 45-year-old gay man who grew up in a rural town and turned to theater in his darkest hour, I would hate to see the whole state go dark because of a few bigoted individuals who care nothing about a theatrical boycott, anyway. You wouldn't be hurting them; you would be hurting us...your supporters."

-- 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.

The Queen is back -- and proudly wearing her feminist crown.

In a rare interview with ELLE Magazine published Tuesday morning, Beyoncé explained the rather simple definition of feminism and why she chose to embrace the term on her 2014 Mrs. Carter tour.

During the tour, the 34-year-old pop star flashed the word "Feminist" in big, bold letters across the stage as she sang her girl-power anthem "Flawless." The moment solidified Queen Bey as a proud feminist and sparked many debates about the definition of feminism in pop culture. 

"I put the definition of feminist in my song ["Flawless"] and on my tour, not for propaganda or to proclaim to the world that I'm a feminist, but to give clarity to the true meaning," Beyoncé told ELLE.

She said that feminism is for everyone -- including men:

I'm not really sure people know or understand what a feminist is, but it's very simple. It's someone who believes in equal rights for men and women. I don't understand the negative connotation of the word, or why it should exclude the opposite sex. If you are a man who believes your daughter should have the same opportunities and rights as your son, then you're a feminist. We need men and women to understand the double standards that still exist in this world, and we need to have a real conversation so we can begin to make changes

As a parent of a young daughter, Beyoncé said she doesn't understand why someone wouldn't want women to be treated equally. "Ask anyone, man or woman, 'Do you want your daughter to have 75 cents when she deserves $1?' What do you think the answer would be?" she told ELLE. "When we talk about equal rights, there are issues that face women disproportionately... If your son can do it, your daughter should be able to. Some of the things that we teach our daughters -- allowing them to express their emotions, their pain and vulnerability -- we need to allow and support our men and boys to do as well." 

Bey explained that a big part of being a feminist is putting in the work to combat sexism and gender inequality. "Working to make those inequalities go away is being a feminist, but more importantly, it makes me a humanist," she said, referencing her work with Chime for Change and Global Citizen. "I don't like or embrace any label. I don't want calling myself a feminist to make it feel like that's my one priority, over racism or sexism or anything else. I'm just exhausted by labels and tired of being boxed in."

When asked what she has to say to those who feel a woman can't be feminist and feminine at the same time, Beyoncé replied accordingly. "We all know that's not true. Choosing to be a feminist has nothing to do with your femininity -- or, for that matter, your masculinity," she told ELLE. "We're not all just one thing. Everyone who believes in equal rights for men and women doesn't speak the same, or dress the same, or think the same. If a man can do it, a woman should be able to. It's that simple." 

Well said, Queen B. Now... when are we getting that new album?

Head over to ELLE to read the rest of Beyoncé's interview. 

-- 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.

Bilingual Birdies is using music, dance and puppetry to help preschoolers appreciate cultures from across the globe.

The foreign language and live music program teaches children basic vocabulary words in languages like Spanish, French, Mandarin, Hebrew and English with the hope of cultivating the next generation of culturally aware and open-minded adults

"They'll not only learn new words in a second language, but they'll also have an opportunity to broaden their worldview," Sarah Farzam, the founder and CEO of Bilingual Birdies, said. 

Farzam has fine-tuned the program for stateside locales like San Francisco and New York City, but also plans to take her program abroad to help teach English to students in Kenya and train Kenyan educators about their interactive program. 

"Our work in Kenya is about serving children, training teachers and donating instruments," she said. 

Thus far, Bilingual Birdies' Kickstarter campaign for its Kenyan program is just a few hundred dollars from reaching its $15,000 goal. 

Learn more about the program in the video above. 

-- 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.

Between 1993 and 2005, photographer Dianne Yudelson had 11 miscarriages. Her powerful photo series, "Lost," explores the emotional pain of miscarriage while providing comfort to other mothers who've been through the same struggle.

The photos in "Lost" depict mementos honoring the 11 babies Yudelson lost -- from sonograms to baby clothes and toys. Each image is named after the baby the items represent. 

"Hopefully, in sharing the images I can touch the lives of numerous women who have experienced or are in the midst of experiencing the painful loss of a baby," Yudelson told The Huffington Post. "They are not alone in their journey."

The photographer was inspired to take these photos after helping a friend cope with a painful loss and in turn reflecting on her own grief. 

"These thoughts propelled me to take down the big white box in my closet which safeguards the mementos of my lost babies," she explained. "It had been quite a while since I last took each item out, and as I laid them out on my bed I felt their story needed to be documented."

Recalling her first miscarriage, Yudelson said she and her husband had been overjoyed to hear a heartbeat and see their baby at their 12-week ultrasound. After receiving gifts and discussing names, everything changed at their 16-week checkup when the doctor was unable to detect a heartbeat. They lost the baby.

"In the weeks following our lives stood still -- we were stunned," the photographer said. Then came the grief.  

"The loss of a baby naturally carries grief," she explained. "This grief is accompanied by the added residual physical pain of the miscarriage and hormonal transitions associated with pregnancy which add to the emotional toll. Miscarriage is heartbreaking; miscarriage is exhausting; miscarriage is isolating."

Yudelson believes there is a burdensome silence surrounding miscarriage today, which adds to the isolation. 

"I believe everyone knows someone who has miscarried, be it mother, wife, sister, friend or coworker -- they simply have never spoken of it," she said, adding, "When experiencing this type of loss, other people can -- in the hopes of being helpful -- make insensitive comments inferring your grief is unreasonable, so you keep it private and locked away."

"Never hearing a conversation about miscarriage sets up a social, cultural taboo," the photographer continued. "What I hope evolves from the creation of my images is a broadening in the conversation and understanding of miscarriage, both physically and emotionally."

According to the photographer, the "Lost" series has received positive feedback, as many parents reached out to say the images comforted them and encouraged them to speak out about their own experiences and break down the silence. 

Though Yudelson and her husband have raised two children, the pain of losing 11 babies will never fully subside. But sharing "Lost" has helped ease the burden.

"They say in giving you receive. I have found this to be true, especially when you give from the heart," she said. "In helping to heal others emotional pain from pregnancy loss, I have lessened my own."

Keep scrolling and visit Yudelson's website to see the heartbreaking photos of "Lost."

H/T Slate

-- 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.

Fabiana Diaz woke at 4 a.m. one day last year to plant hundreds of teal forks in the ground on the quad at the University of Michigan. The forks were representative of one-in-four women and one-in-six men who experience sexual assault across America — Diaz being one of them. It was an act of protest, an action to raise awareness around the prevalence of sexual assault on campus.

Diaz cried with other survivors that day, and found the experience liberating though stressful. She writes about it in the new book We Believe You: Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak Out, an anthology of voices discussing sexual assault: the experience, the aftermath, the activism.

"I still think it's very surface-level," Diaz told The Huffington Post. "I still think people don't fully comprehend it's not just that night -- it's the nights after that night too." She said the weight of being a survivor never fully goes away.

Diaz is one of three dozen contributors to the We Believe You, including Annie E. Clark and Andrea Pino, who are listed as the two main authors. The writers are diverse: some identify as gay or bisexual, trans or queer, and some are first or second-generation Americans. A couple are a tad older, and experienced sexual violence after they passed the typical college age bracket of 18 to 22 years-old.

The diversity of the book is very important, Diaz said: "I am an immigrant and I tried to talk a lot about my family and my culture because it plays a big role on how I express on my survivorhood."

In We Believe You, several themes are apparent: Their identities are much more complex than simply identifying them as a survivor, and their activism takes many different shapes. Being a sexual assault survivor is not a cookie-cutter experience, and they are tired of being known as the "Sad Rape Girls," as writer Alexandra Brodsky put it recently in an article. And just because the survivors have gone public does not mean they are all better and fully-healed.

I will never be fully healed, but I am so much greater than the sum of my traumas.
Aditi

One anonymous author states they do not believe "time heals all wounds." Another author, named Aditi, writes, "I will never be fully healed, but I am so much greater than the sum of my traumas."

"The assault itself is not a transformative event that makes you a hero," Pino said. "But many survivors feel that publicly they can never have a bad day."

Many were also part of the Lady Gaga performance at the Oscars of "Till It Happens To You," the theme to the campus rape documentary "The Hunting Ground," a film that chronicled Clark and Pino's work which helped spark a national movement on the issue.

[Related: These Are Some Of The Sexual Assault Survivors Who Stood With Lady Gaga At The Oscars]

At the Oscars' rehearsal, Lady Gaga asked if some of the survivors there already knew each other. Sari Rachel Forshner, one of the survivors, said they replied that they did, because of their activism work.

"I didn't have that," Lady Gaga replied, according to Forshner. "That one sentence really stuck with me."

Indeed, a common theme from interviews over the past week with the survivors-turned-authors of We Believe You is that they wish they'd had a book like it to read immediately after they were assaulted.

"Now it's more talked about on campuses and at a national level, but it wasn't always like that, and it's still not like that at all campuses," Diaz said.

The book includes multiple forms of expression, including essays, art, cartoons and poems, like Kevin Kantor's poetry about coming across his rapist's profile in the "People You May Know" section of Facebook.

For some, the book is the first time they've gone public in a major way with their story.

In Forshner's case, she writes about being drugged at a party and then sexually assaulted in the middle of the street as a University of Southern California sophomore in 2012. She doesn't go into detail in the book, however she told HuffPost that witnesses told her a university-employed security staffer saw what was happening, but simply instructed them to stop having sex in public and moved on. The next day, she said, she discovered blood from a head wound.

When a federal complaint was filed against USC in summer 2013, Forshner told her story to this reporter, but decided for her own reasons that she was not yet ready to go public, and so an article was never written about it. The book is the first time part of her story will be published.

Forshner left USC, deciding she needed to stay off campus until the student she says assaulted her is gone.

In one of her chapters from We Believe You, she discusses feeling like the person she used to be is no longer there, and how her body "has become alien."

"The truth is," Forshner said, "behind the scenes, no matter how poised we may appear, the effects of getting assaulted don't leave you for the rest of your life. … The horrible truth is something is lost forever."

Others are going public with their story for the first time, like Ariane Litalien, who wrote the "Dear Harvard, You Win" column, and includes a new essay in the book. Litalien, a Montreal native now studying medicine at McGill University, said the book is the first to spend time exploring how survivors cope after going public or filing a complaint against their school.

"We're getting more and more used to the narrative of the survivor coming forward and the school not listening to them, but life goes on after," Litalien told HuffPost. "What do you do and how do you do it? I'm really glad to help shed light on it and my healing process."

Behind the scenes, no matter how poised we may appear, the effects of getting assaulted don't leave you for the rest of your life."
Sari Rachel Forshner

Clark discusses in one chapter her experience as a survivor and being bisexual, something not mentioned in media coverage of her work, writing about how she grappled for years with how to disclose both of those aspects of her identity. But Clark pointed HuffPost to other aspects of the book that she felt were more critical for readers to notice, like a section called "Everyday Activism," which discusses the different ways people can engage in activism.

[Related: What It’s Like Being A Campus Sexual Assault Activist]

"It's not about being on an Oscar stage, it's not about being on these big platforms -- it's about the everyday things people can do to chip away at rape culture," Clark said in an interview.

Lilly Jay, another contributor, said she'd like more people to understand the personal stress a survivor deals with by being involved in activism or being public about their experience.

"When you're a survivor and people are asking for you to give of yourself so consistently, it's like an entitlement to our bodies shifts to a sense of entitlement to our stories, and access to us as storytellers and voices in this movement," Jay told HuffPost.

"There's definitely a way in which being public [about having been sexual assaulted] is celebrated, and it is regarded as being more brave," she added. "I think as long as we have young men and women having to be really public, that means that something still isn't working."

_______

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

Related Coverage Of Survivors In The Book:

• Hear Andrew Brown's story as a survivor from Brown University. 


• Learn more about Nastassja Schmiedt and Lea Roth, survivor-activists from Dartmouth College. Read their blog post, "Hunting for the Perfect Victim."


• Read the blog post, "An Artist and Survivor Joins Lady Gaga on Stage at the Oscars," by Chloe Allred, a painter and co-founder of the Body Joy Project.


• Read Fabiana Diaz's blog post, "From a Survivor's Viewpoint at the Oscars."


• Learn more about Annie Clark and Andrea Pino's journey starting End Rape on Campus in this story, and read their blog posts here and here.


• Read more about Sofie Karasek's work and her blog posts.


• Learn more about Princess Harmony, a trans survivor and contributor to the book.


• Read a blog post from Alice Wilder, who contributed to the book. 


• Learn more about Harvard Law graduate Kamilah Willingham's contribution to the book.

-- 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.

The new off-Broadway play, “Exit Strategy,” puts a very personal spin on the institutional failure of the U.S. education system, depicting the chaotic final days of an inner city high school.

Still, playwright Ike Holter insists his show, which is being produced by Primary Stages in association with Philadelphia Theatre Company, is very true-to-life in that it’s a balance between a straightforward drama and a comedy.

“That’s kind of what life is like when you go into extreme moments,” Holter told The Huffington Post in an interview. “It’s not always incredibly devastating. There are big moments of levity.”

“Exit Strategy,” which plays New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre through May 6, begins with an all-too-familiar scenario: a long-struggling Chicago high school receives its closure notice. Over the course of one final academic year, the school’s vice principal, five beleaguered teachers and an ambitious student fight to save the campus from being shuttered. But can they?

Director Kip Fagan was quick to clarify that his production of “Exit Strategy,” which comes to New York after an acclaimed run in Philadelphia, is “not exactly an issue play.”

“It’s about an issue, but really, it’s a personal play,” he said. Without offering any spoilers, he stressed that the show does not offer a tidy conclusion for the issues it portrays by the time the curtain falls. “It takes you on a crazy, entertaining ride, and at the end, leaves you quietly devastated.”

It was Holter’s work, Fagan said, that convinced him to helm “Exit Strategy.”

“He’s just a powerhouse of a guy,” he said. “He’s really, really smart, energetic, and a little bit crazy. I liked his voice.”

For actors Rey Lucas and Ryan Spahn, who play a math teacher and the vice principal, respectively, the show also resonated on a personal level, and felt particularly relevant coming ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“Regardless of what your politics are, I think we can all agree that education is so important,” Lucas, who plays an “ex-frat boy turned math teacher” Luce, said. “It really surprised me, really moved me and really made me laugh out loud. Even though there are some hard truths explored, it’s done with so much humor.”

Added Spahn: “We live in a system where there are schools that, if you win a lottery, that child gets plucked out of a shitty circumstance to what is arguably a better one, and therefore, potentially has a better life because he won the lottery. It’s just crazy that education can be left up to chance like that.”

"Exit Strategy" plays New York's Cherry Lane Theatre through May 6. Head here for more details. 

-- 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.

"Act I, Scene I: Elsinore. A platform before the castle." 

These are the very first words to appear on the page of William Shakespeare's great tragedy, "Hamlet." Thanks to the magic of Airbnb, they could also be the first words of a truly badass travel diary entry.

Elsinore, the castle in Denmark where Hamlet stalks the passageways and glimpses ghosts, is believed to be modeled on a real Danish castle: Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. The imposing seaside fortress, which opened to the public as a tourist destination in 1938, has been a draw for fans of the Bard for decades, and has hosted performances of "Hamlet" on site. 

On April 23, 2016 -- the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death -- Shakespeareans can pay homage with not just a tour, but a night spent as Hamlet's guest. In an Airbnb posting, the hosts at Kronborg Castle advertise "Shakespeare with a sprinkle of Nordic Noir," assuring potential guests, "There will be a skull in the King's Tower, no need to bring your own." 

Though the price is right (just $10 for the night, according to the posting), it's not exactly first-come, first-serve. The posting prompts would-be guests to enter a contest for the coveted spot by sending a message to the Airbnb host by April 13th, explaining:

... why you (and your lucky friend, sweetheart or perhaps your estranged uncle) would like to spend the night at my castle. (Extra points for submissions written in iambic pentameter, naturally) ...

It's ok if you don't live close by, we'll fly the winners in from anywhere in the world outside of Denmark.

Though there's no evidence that Shakespeare himself ever traveled to Denmark, Kronborg Castle dates back to the 15th century. A Telegraph article argued in 2014 that the layout of the actual castle jibes well enough with the play's stage directions to suggest that the playwright had some solid knowledge of the real Danish fortress, perhaps through friendships with acting troupes traveling around Europe.

What better way to celebrate Shakespeare's 400th death day than by spending the night in a towering castle he only ever heard tell of? As you rest comfortably in Hamlet's bedroom, the Bard will be rolling over in his grave -- out of sheer jealousy.

-- 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.

Eight-year-old Heidi VanSumeren lost all her reading materials last month when a fire destroyed her family’s home in Parma, Michigan.

According to her mom, Beth VanSumeren, the second-grader was devastated by the loss.

“Books are really special for her,” Beth told "Good Morning America." “We can talk to her and try to explain but when she can read it on her own whenever she’s sad and needs help, that’s always been an easier way for her to understand things.”

Now, thanks to numerous authors, illustrators and librarians across the country, Heidi’s book collection has been restocked — and then some.

“Box after box of new books” have been arriving for the girl in recent weeks, MLive.com reported. To date, Heidi has received more than 300 books, a desk, a chair and other supplies.

Colby Sharp, a teacher at Heidi's school, shared footage of some of Heidi's mail last week: 

The efforts to help Heidi were sparked by children's author and illustrator Bob Shea, who met the girl during a visit to her elementary school last month, Mashable reported.

After hearing about Heidi’s loss, Shea took to Twitter with a plea:

Shea’s message quickly spread, and before long, writers, illustrators and others -- including cartoonist Jamie Cosley and author Julie Falatko -- were sending new books to read.

“It was such a simple thing to do,” Shea told "GMA." “I couldn’t believe it. Everybody wanted to send stuff.”

Heidi's family said they were overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone's generosity. 

“It's so nice for your child to see that even when something bad happens, there's hope,” Beth told MLive.com. “These people have helped surround her with the love that she needs.”

Heidi herself shared a message of thanks for Shea and her other supporters:

In response, Shea tweeted: “Okay. I'm a little crying, but it's probably allergies or this raw onion on my keyboard." 

-- 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 I think Frida Kahlo's fashion, I think of flowing skirts, bushy brows, flower crowns, dramatic corsets, sculpted braids, so on and so forth. Yet a Kahlo family photo taken by her father Guillermo Kahlo in 1924 reveals a Frida before she discovered her now iconic signature style. 

And although her style as a mere 17-year-old is different than her later look, it's no less fierce:

Yup, that's young Frida, sporting a three-piece menswear suit with the fam, staring down the camera like nobody's business. Have you ever seen a teenager so confident and self-possessed? We can just imagine Mama Kahlo being like, "Frida, come on, it's family photo day," and Frida delivering that death stare in return. 

Far before Annie Hall made menswear her thing, Kahlo explored the way clothing could transform a person into a living work of art. This stunning image proves that while Kahlo's style evolved throughout her life, the creative and rebellious spark that spurred it all was there from the very beginning. 

H/T Latina

See more Frida Kahlo photos 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.

The Little Prince was published on April 6, 1943, introducing readers to the little hero of author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's most famous work. The book tells the story of a pilot who, after crashing his plane in the Sahara, meets a young boy known to readers as the Little Prince. This boy tells the pilot-slash-narrator about his home planet, an asteroid, and his travels to other worlds in space, and they form an unlikely bond over the course of eight days marooned in the desert. 

The book has been enchanting both children and adults across the world for the past 70 years, as its illustrated pages have been translated into more than 250 languages ​​and dialects. On the occasion of its anniversary, HuffPost France highlights five of the Little Prince's life lessons.

1. We must reconnect with our childhood creativity. 

The narrator of The Little Prince opens the book with a story about the first drawing he ever made as a child, of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. All the adults who looked at the picture, he recounts, always saw the same thing: an ordinary hat. The narrator says he abandoned his passion for drawing until he met the Little Prince, who immediately recognized the drawing for what it was: an elephant inside a boa constrictor. 

"But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: 'That is a hat.' Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man." 

Life lesson: As you grow older, don't lose that little touch of madness and creativity. Adults prefer numbers and practical ideas, but they forget to look beyond the surface, to let go and be creative. As they lose their curiosity, they become more passive.

What science says: Creativity and imagination are beneficial to your health. A study by the journal of Psychology of Music shows that piano students are less stressed when they improvise on stage. Music can also enhance the perception of vocally expressed emotion, as this study reveals. Creative people strongly resemble the Little Prince; they daydream, search for new experiences, and ask the right questions.  

2. To appreciate life's simple pleasures, we need to be less serious. 

On his journey to different planets, the Little Prince explains that he met a very serious businessman. This man continuously counts all of the stars in the galaxy, and while he says he is happy because he owns them all, his life is lonely and monotonous because he has nothing else. He cannot even appreciate the beauty of the stars.

"'I administer them,' replied the businessman. 'I count them and recount them. It is difficult. But I am a man who is naturally interested in matters of consequence.'"

Life lesson: You shouldn’t compromise your enjoyment of the simple pleasures in life.

What science says: Many studies have affirmed that there's nothing like a good laugh to lift your spirits and improve your qualify of life. In 2014, researchers at California’s Loma Linda University found that people who laugh more often have better short-term memory and are less stressed. Other studies, such as one conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland, shows that a sense of humor can protect against heart disease.

3. Taking time for yourself is the key to happiness.

The Little Prince recounts meeting another interesting character on the fifth planet he visited, in which every day lasts only a minute. The lamplighter, as he's known, must turn the planet's lamp off every minute, and then frantically turn it back on a minute later. He never has time to rest or sleep. 

"Then -- the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out!" - The Lamplighter

Life lesson: You have to appreciate every passing moment. Enjoy life.

What science says: Doctors can't stress it enough: Lack of sleep is catastrophic for your health. Living life like the lamplighter in The Little Prince can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, specific types of cancer, memory problems, mood swings and an increased appetite. The negative effects of sleep deprivation are numerous. Beyond sleep, it is essential to take time for yourself and disconnect from work. There is no doubt that in our day and age, the lamplighter would have suffered severe burn-out. 

4. We must have the courage to explore.

On the sixth planet of his journey, the Little Prince met an "old gentleman who wrote voluminous books." While the Little Prince initially believed the author to be an explorer, he finds that he is actually a geographer who has never set foot outside of his office.

"It is not the geographer who goes out to count the towns, the rivers, the mountains, the seas, the oceans, and the deserts. The geographer is much too important to go loafing about. He does not leave his desk." -- The Geographer

Life lesson: We ​​tend to stay inside our "comfort zones" because it is easier than taking risks. But we must use the time we have on earth to try different experiences, meet new people, and travel the world.

What science says: There are millions of reasons to get out of your comfort zones, many of them backed by science. The anxiety you experience in the face of challenge may even lead you to become more efficient, according to psychologists. And adapting to challenges helps us stay sharp in old age, according to a study published in 2013.

5. It is better to choose with our hearts.

The Little Prince is in love with a rose from his home planet, one that looks like all of the other roses he sees on Earth. But his rose is unique because he has chosen it. It is "unique in the world," says the fox, because the prince took time to take care of it.

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - The Fox

Life lesson: The Little Prince represents spontaneity. Unlike everyone else, he thinks instinctively, with his heart. According to the fox, that is the only way to discover what really matters. 

What science says: According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, intuitive decision-making may deliver equal or better results than an analytical approach. Our intuition helps to balance our decisions -- it serves to bridge the gap between instinct and reason, according to Cholle Francis, author of The Intuitive Compass.

Obviously, The Little Prince contains plenty of other invaluable life advice. But to learn more, you might want to ask him yourself. When you visit his planet, you can't miss him: He'll be watching the sunset with the flower he loves.

-- 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.

It's that time again: The last traces of winter snow have (almost) finally retreated, tulips are sprouting and the ideas of whiling away hours in a park or finally taking that vacation are suddenly very appealing. And vacations mean, obviously, vacation books. (Plus, it might just change your life -- did you know Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired to write "Hamilton" after picking up Ron Chernow's biography of the same name for his own vacation? Just saying.) 

Sure, there are plenty of breezy beach reads competing for real estate in your tote, but occasionally the amateur ornithologist/physicist/anthropologist/etc. within us all yearns for a curiosity-satisfying tome to crack open while stuffed in seat 6B. Consider these 12 just-released or upcoming titles for your informal education in between refills at the swim-up bar.

A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh

If you like: Thievery

When taking in the sights of a city, few people spend their time thinking about how they might case the joint. Architecture blog founder Manaugh will have you thinking differently on this journey through vaults, walls, tunnels and elevator shafts using actual heists and information from the likes of FBI special agents and reformed robbers as his backdrop.

Publication date: On sale now

Kill 'Em and Leave by James McBride

If you like: Enigmatic icons

National Book Award winner McBride takes on a fellow James for this book -- the legendary musician James Brown, that is. After receiving a tip about discovering the "real" Brown, the author embarks on a mission to get to the bottom of Brown's history, revealing a tumultuous upbringing that doubles as a cross-section of American struggles and triumphs.

Publication date: On sale now

Neither Snow Nor Rain by Devin Leonard

If you like: The reliability of public services

Mail: how does it work, anyway? Leonard sets out to answer this question, probing into a system with over 300,000 mail carriers sorting and delivering 154.2 billion pieces of mail a year. You'll probably think really hard about that 49-cent stamp next time you smack one on an envelope.

Publication date: May 3

Pit Bull by Bronwen Dickey

If you like: Cute animals that get a bad rap

It's difficult to broach the topic of this particular dog breed without receiving impassioned arguments for and against the animal. Dickey, a pit bull owner herself, digs into the pit bull's history, tracking its evolution from popular pet to feared beast and back again -- making sure to consider the role humans have played in our perception of man's best friend.

Publication date: May 10

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing

If you like: Dancing in front of your mirror to "Independent Women, Pt. I"

What does it mean to be alone? Can you give yourself that descriptor even sitting among a crowd of friends, or even strangers? Spurred by her own experiences in New York, Laing examines others' lives and noted works of art (think Edward Hopper) to explore the meaning of loneliness in an ever-connected world.

Publication date: On sale now

Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

If you like: Literally anything that Lin-Manuel Miranda may have touched and/or breathed upon

With interviews, profiles of actors, a heavily annotated libretto and a thorough examination of how Miranda put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain, and wrote down one of the biggest Broadway success stories of the decade, this is sure to satisfy the "Hamilton"-hungry public while we figure out which organs to sell in order to afford tickets to the real thing.

Publication date: April 12

Black Hole Blues and Other Songs From Outer Space by Janna Levin

If you like: Imagining ghost Einstein smiling smugly from the afterlife

Space! Science! Levin delivers heaping portions of both in this definitive look at the discovery of gravitational waves. They're a phenomena predicted by Einstein back in 1916: Essentially, he posited the profusion of energy resulting from two black holes colliding would send waves through the universe that couldn't be captured by telescopes, and scientists have been working diligently for half a century to document this elusive occurrence. 

Publication date: On sale now

Hunger by Roxane Gay

If you like: An excellent writer's thoughts on the body

If the breakout success of Gay's previous nonfiction work, Bad Feminist, is any indication, this memoir will be just as readily devoured by fans. Get set to receive a body image makeover with her thoughtful, intimate musings on what it is to have a body. If you love reading women with strong, funny Internet presences, Shrill from Guardian columnist Lindy West is another good bet.

Publication date: June 14

Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

If you like: Realizing you know more about grammar than Microsoft Word

Word nerds, get excited. Kirschenbaum tracks the evolution of word processing, from its tenuous early days -- apparently, it heralded the end of literature -- to its widespread adoption. Clippy would be so proud.

Publication date: May 2

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roach

If you like: The premise of "Naked and Afraid" or "Survivor" but applied to actual life-threatening situations

Roach, known for her evocative one-word titles (Bonk, Stiff, Gulp) returns to the nonfiction world with a look at the lives of humans in wartime. Here, she focuses less on the dying that goes hand-in-hand with conflict and more on the daily specifics of staying alive in nigh impossible conditions.

Publication date: June 7

Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me by Steven Hyden

If you like: Figuring out who actually shaded whom

If you're the friend with encyclopedic knowledge on Kim K vs. Bette Midler or Iggy Azalea vs. Azalea Banks, consider toting this book along on your summer vacation. Sure, A.V. Club writer Hyden's subjects are longstanding musical beefs (Biggie vs. Tupac, The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones, etc.) instead of quickly forgotten Twitter spats, but c'mon. 

Publication date: May 17

The Most Perfect Thing by Tim Birkhead

If you like: Observing pigeons on your lunch break

Calling something "the most perfect" is a tall order, but Birkhead makes a strong case for giving that honor to the simple yet intricate egg. Anyone with a passing curiosity of these soothing ovaloid forms containing the promise of new life should flock to this one.

Publication date: April 12

-- 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 it comes to sexual assault, there seems to be a flood of specious statistics, and a dry well of reliable information.

One particularly noxious stat: nearly half of reported rapes are fabricated. It’s a figure that’s been spouted after a shaky polygraph-based study, but nevertheless is damaging when it comes to talking honestly and critically about rape culture. A more widely accepted statistic is in the 2 to 8 percent range; but even this doesn’t factor in the many rapes that go unreported. As HuffPost reporter Tyler Kingkade points out, men are actually more likely to suffer sexual assault than be falsely accused of it.

Complete clarity on the issue can seem elusive -- physical evidence of assault is difficult or impossible to conjure up, and so we must often take women, and men, at their word. Shaming and disbelief certainly persuades some victims to remain silent, evidenced by the language used by recent victims who have come forth. Fear and silence go hand-in-hand.

Shedding a light on the murky waters of consent, journalist Peggy Orenstein interviewed scores of young women about their sexual experiences. The result is compiled in her book Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape, which explores not only assault but also the hairy, often paradoxical hook-up culture that in some ways contributes to it.

“Media-fueled sex panics tend to prey on parental fears about girls’ promiscuity or victimizations; the backlash dismisses both as overblown. Rarely does anyone ask the girls themselves what they think,” Orenstein writes.

The women she interviewed seemed to feel both empowered and powerless -- sexuality was, for many of them, at once a confidence booster and an ego-destroyer. To pinpoint why, Orenstein dug into the paradox created by sexuality-as-performance rather than a felt experience. While pleasure is at the forefront of sexual encounters for many men, women are less likely to have their physical needs met. Orenstein draws a connection between this and a heightened increase in feeling wanted; being desired has, for some young women, replaced feeling desire.

One girl she spoke with said social media plays a big role in confidence and desirability; “you use your experience to create an image,” she said. To this, Orenstein adds that two-thirds of teen girls feel that selfies boost their confidence.

Without much in the way of formal instruction, young people are left to their own devices. For kids who aren’t yet sexually active, or who feel like they have more to learn, that can mean reading YA books, writing fan fiction, and, yes, watching porn.

“Whereas earlier generations of media-literate, feminist-identified women saw their objectification as something to protest, today’s often see it as a personal choice,” Orenstein writes. She credits Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus and other bold celebs who identify as feminist, and who put their bodies on display. Orenstein says she supports the choice, but takes issue with the fact that, “only certain bodies were allowed to be a source of ‘pride’.” She adds, “it’s hard to see [an] outfit as ‘liberating’ when the threat of ridicule always lurks.”

So if this new breed of feminist sexual expression is arguably not pleasurable -- or at least only somewhat pleasurable -- for women, why has it become common practice? Orenstein touches on the myriad ways young people learn about sex, and explains the potential shortcomings of each. She doesn’t delve deeply into what sexual education options are on offer through schools -- likely because there’s a lamentable dearth. Fewer than half of states require sex ed at all; only 19 states have standards regarding accuracy of information provided.

Orenstein does discuss abstinence-only education, and the vow of waiting until marriage, in some detail. She’s deeply critical here, and rightly so: anal sex is four times more common among pledgers, and oral sex six times more common, indicating a misunderstanding of what has historically constituted sex, let alone very intimate modes of sexual expression. Moreover, “by their twenties, 80 percent of pledgers either deny or have forgotten that they ever pledged at all.” 

Without much in the way of formal instruction, young people are left to their own devices. For kids who aren’t yet sexually active, or who feel like they have more to learn, that can mean reading YA books, writing fan fiction, and, yes, watching porn.

Orenstein is clear about her opinion on porn, if only through the statistics she presents. She doesn’t touch on the burgeoning options available to young women on Tumblr and in porn made explicitly for women. In her defense, those communities are still growing and the male gaze is still present within them, but in any case, they exist. Instead, she provides a smattering of grim figures relating to porn, including the fact that both young men and young women who've watched porn recently are more likely than their peers to believe rape myths: "that only strangers commit sexual assault or that the victim ‘asked for it.'”

Porn isn’t the only realm where Orenstein’s opinions might strike younger readers as old-fashioned. When it comes to the debate over how we should educate young women about the effects of drinking -- should we discuss alcohol as harmful and assault-inducing, or does that place the blame on young women who drink, rather than the men who assault them? -- she lays her thoughts bare.

“As a parent, I’m all for harm reduction,” she writes. “So I will absolutely explain to my daughter the particular effects of alcohol on the female body.” But, she adds, “I will tell her that nothing ever, ever, ever justifies rape. Victims are never responsible.”

This thread of generational difference -- between mothers and daughters, between feminists then and feminists now -- weaves together Orenstein’s comprehensive, insightful study. Her opinions are sometimes poised as more valid than those of the young women she interviewed, but then again, she has the advantage of critical distance. For that reason alone, her book is worth reading.

-- 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.

Black Girls Rock! aired on BET Tuesday night, marking a momentous ceremony that commemorated the best of black girl magic.  

Black women of all ages sat together in sisterhood to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Black Girls Rock!, a mentoring organization founded by DJ Beverly Bond. They watched as host Tracee Ellis Ross led an exceptional evening filled with fun performances from stars like Brandy, Monica and Lauryn Hill. They also applauded strong messages of empowerment from influential women like Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, Amandla Stenberg and, among others, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton who joined the stage to introduce Bond.

"Thank you Beverly Bond for making sure that the entire world knows what you know and that is Black Girls Rock!," Clinton said Tuesday. "Beverly reminded everyone that black women are change-makers, path-breakers, and ground-shakers.  When black women rock, black families rock, America rocks, the world rocks." 

Bond launched Black Girls Rock! as a non-profit organization in 2006 to provide young women of color with the resources, inspiration and tools they need for leadership and self-empowerment. Since its launch, the organization has grown tremendously and recently extended its influence to black women and girls in Africa.

The annual Black Girls Rock! award show has been televised on BET since 2010 and it is only one extension of the extraordinary work Bond produces. In any regard, the award show is undoubtedly one of the best public displays of black women's beauty and brilliance.

"I started Black Girls Rock! because I love us and I believe in us," Bond said onstage Tuesday night. "I want us to walk confidently in our authentic truth and I want us to be free." 

Throughout the ceremony, several black women were recognized for their trailblazing work in their respective fields. Actress Danai Gurira took home the show's "Star Power" award for exemplifying how magical and multidimensional black women are through her roles acting in "The Walking Dead" and as playwright for the hit Broadway play, "Eclipsed."

Actress Amandla Stenberg was also honored as she took home the Young, Black and Gifted award for fearlessly speaking out about issues of race, beauty and identity, all of which were present themes in her speech.

"My blackness does not inhibit me from being beautiful and intelligent," Stenberg said as she accepted her award. "In fact, it is the reason I am beautiful and intelligent. And you can not stop me." 

Celebrated singer Gladys Knight was honored with the Living Legend Award and Black Lives Matter co-founders Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors were also celebrated for their groundbreaking community work that has galvanized a movement fighting for equality. Young game-changers were also recognized like chef Haile Thomas, entrepreneur Maya Penn and 11-year-old Marley Dias, who launched an impressive reading campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks.

Two other standout moments from the evening came from superstars Shonda Rhimes and Rihanna who both shared empowering messages as they accepted awards for their outstanding work. 

In her speech, Rhimes declared the need for strong will, ambition and drive: "Change the world and when you’ve done that, change it again," she said. 

Meanwhile Rihanna, who was honored with the prestigious Rockstar award, spoke about the importance of self-love and self-acceptance. "The minute you learn to love yourself, you would not want to be anyone else," she said. 

Standing ovations erupted endlessly throughout the night. The applause from the audience and the praise people poured online reaffirmed the power of a platform like Black Girls Rock! Along with her team, Bond has championed black women and girls who are challenging the status quo, and she has no plans of stopping any time soon.  

"To all the black girls all over the world," Bond said, "Own your magic, walk in your purpose and rock your truth." 

-- 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 photographers Shaughn Crawford and John DuBois heard about two feminist nuns growing cannabis, they knew they wanted to get it on camera. The photographers tracked down Sister Kate and Sister Darcy, who graciously invited them to their central California "abbey" to watch the magic in action. 

Before we say anything else, Sister Kate and Sister Darcy are self-ordained nuns who created their own order. So, although they wear white robes and call themselves highly spiritual, they are not Catholic, nor are they abstinent or subordinate to any priest. Rather, they are vegan, feminist Bernie Sanders supporters who believe in every human's god-given right to cannabis. 

However, the Sisters of the Valley, as they call themselves, aren't interested in just getting their customers high. Rather, the Sisters seek to treat suffering and assuage the pain of individuals battling anything from cancer and arthritis to diaper rash and hangovers. 

Their salves, tonics and tinctures contain high volumes of CBD, the healing ingredient in cannabis, with little to no THC, the psychoactive element. All the products are organic, lab-tested and pesticide-free. Furthermore, the sisters only bottle their tinctures during full moons and say a prayer for healing with every bottle and jar sold. 

The sisters are driven by a desire to relieve. "We disagree with the concept that suffering is normal and a part of life," Sister Kate explained in an interview with The Daily Beast. "We think that’s bullshit. Suffering isn’t a part of life; they’re making it so when they criminalize plant-based remedies."

In their quest for natural healing, the Sisters have encountered both immense support and hard resistance. Their Etsy account, which often sold out of its salves, has been shut down and, in January, the municipal government of Merced placed a temporary ban on weed cultivation. "It's frustrating to me because there are all of these people with negative attitudes about something that is truly God's gift," Sister Darcy told Merry Jane.

In their photo series, Crawford and DuBois capture a day in the life of the two marijuana-growing "nuns," documenting the entire process from growing to trimming to concocting CBD products. All the while, Kate and Darcy's all-white ensembles provide a wonderfully confounding image, communicating just how trippy real life can be, even sans THC. 

-- 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 little boy may not be taking dance lessons, but his pliés are on point (or dare we say, en pointe?).

A sweet video from New Dance Studios in Amsterdam shows a little boy watching a ballet lesson and practicing moves along with kids in the class. With over one million views on Facebook, it's clear this tiny dancer is stealing hearts.

Get him on a stage!

H/T Babble

-- 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.

"Oaxaca was something that had to happen, it was something that I didn’t look for. It simply occurred." 

That's how photographer Diego Huerta describes his work in the southern Mexican state, where he has diligently traveled to for the past four years to document its indigenous communities with breathtaking portraits. 

The 30-year-old Mexican photographer began working on this project, titled "Inside Oaxaca," after traveling to Oaxaca and inadvertently witnessing the Guelaguetza, its biggest annual celebration and parade that features traditional dances and customs from the States' eight regions.

"I was struck by all the colors and by the faces of the various delegations, and I wanted to know where they came from," Huerta told The Huffington Post via e-mail. "It was at that moment that I knew I had to go to their place of origin to know more about their traditions and customs and document them via my portraits."

About 15 percent of the Mexican population identifies as indigenous, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council. That number jumps to 56 percent in Oaxaca, where there are 16 different indigenous groups. 

"In Oaxaca something very interesting happens: there is a mix of the modern and the traditional, of the indigenous people and the mestizo people, that fight to conserve that indigenous part that they inherited," Huerta told HuffPost. "The portraits that I’ve done are from four of the eight regions that exist in Oaxaca (after four years I’m only halfway through the project) and they are people that I’ve met directly in the villages or small towns that I’ve visited. Some of those people I can now call my friends." 

As part of his project, Huerta travels to remote parts of the State and has photographed women and men from the Zapotec, Mixtecos, Mixes and Chontales communities. His project in Oaxaca will feed into a larger photo endeavor he has planned called "Native Nation," which consists of documenting Mexico's more than 50 indigenous groups.  

The Austin-based photographer shares many of his portraits on his Instagram account. In the long run, Huerta hopes that his photo projects create "an empathy for indigenous people, and that that empathy be a trigger to respect them and value them," he said. "Discrimination doesn't only exist in the United States. In Mexico there's a high degree of discrimination against native people. And there's a lot of ignorance from modern society towards them."

Check out some of Huerta's photos from "Inside Oaxaca" below, and more on his Instagram account.

-- 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.

The Internet is falling all over itself to make fun of Columbia University students “protesting” the impending installation of a “hideous” sculpture by semi-abstract artist Henry Moore.

This sculpture, to be specific:

A group of students and alumni wrote a March 30 op-ed in opposition to Moore's "A Reclining Figure" — which is supposed to be installed on the lawn in front of the school’s main library at some unspecified date — in campus newspaper The Columbia Spectator. From their criticism:

Moore’s Reclining Figure “is meant to suggest the form of a woman with her legs outstretched before her, propping herself up with her forearm.” It also, we submit, suggests a dying mantis or a poorly formed pterodactyl. The sculpture is so repulsive that when thieves stole Moore’s original cast, valued at £3 million, they literally chopped it up and sold it for scraps.

There’s also a 1,200-person strong petition against the sculpture, and a “sit-in” was scheduled for March 31. Though the Facebook event had about 207 people saying they were going, photos from the sit-in made it look like about four people attended.

News outlets like The Guardian mocked the anti-sculpture effort by comparing it to the university’s historic antiwar protests of 1968:

A historic six-day campus occupation at Columbia University in 1968 saw 700 people arrested and pushed the school to cut ties with institutions supporting the Vietnam war.

More than four decades later, 1,200 Columbia students are fighting a different sort of battle: one against the placement of a “hideous” Henry Moore sculpture that they say looks like “a poorly formed pterodactyl.”

The implication is that college kids used to care about things that matter, while now they are preoccupied with trivial questions of whether sculptures are pretty or not. 

But the two “protests” are in no way comparable. The 1968 demonstrations were massive efforts involving thousands of people. This anti-sculpture sentiment can barely even be called a “protest” — it’s mainly just some students voicing their disapproval of the statue. But someone reading The Guardian could come away thinking that Columbia students had shifted their priorities to caring solely about a stupid statue, which just isn’t true.

And though a lot of the anti-statue rhetoric is based around the sculpture being “ugly” or clashing with the campus aesthetic, that’s not the only issue at hand. Students point out the campus is severely lacking in publicly accessible grass and green space, and the 9-by-11-by-7-foot installation will take up even more room on the small lawn. And some students have suggested selling the sculpture to finance to a 24-hour rape crisis center.

Plus, if Columbia brings in this sculpture, what’s to stop the school from becoming the next victim of a "man-humping-bear" installation?

-- 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's better than a pair of comfortable sandals? A pair of comfortable sandals in a range of fun, vibrant Pantone colors, of course. 

Pantone Universe Footwear has released a line of sneakers and sandals as part of its Spring/Summer 2016 capsule collection, and the offerings are basically just dance parties for your feet. 

The Formentera sandals, an obvious homage to Birkenstocks, come in both neutrals like black and dark green and bold statement colors like yellow and pink. The $75 sandals also feature the color name in the insole, perfect for people who, as a news release from the brand says, believe "colors should rule everyone's outfit, from tip to toe."

If you're more of a closed-toe color lover, Pantone also released two styles of sneakers that are just as fun but probably less likely to be spotted at a music festival this summer. One even gives the illusion that you've dipped your foot into a bucket of Pantone colored paint for $135. 

We were unable to track down every single color for purchase, but HBX has a solid selection.

-- 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.

No piece of art more effectively captures what lies beneath it than the (often very literal) illustration on the cover of a vintage paperback novel for children or young adults. Whether it's Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, the Hardy Boys, or a nondescript teen romance from the '80s, a single glance at the soft-focus sketch on the cover can tell you everything you need to know about the mystery or kidnapping or teenage drama inside.

Of course, it might not be telling you quite what the original cover designer thought it would tell you. A brilliant new Twitter account, Paperback Paradise, has been posting vintage paperback covers with one small but important tweak: irreverent new titles based only on the cover art. 

It turns out the smug faces and squeaky-clean style of the Sweet Valley youngsters make for particularly perverse hilarity, once the perspective has been, ahem, adjusted:

Even cozy Beverly Cleary seems indistinguishable from an author of chilling horror novels:

After perusing this Twitter feed, our childhoods have taken on a decidedly more dystopian cast. Some cold realities can never be unseen. But don't take our word for it -- if you're in a location where it's safe to shriek with laughter, check out the Twitter yourself. Here are some of our favorites:

-- 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.