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Hi! Happy weekend.

There is a LOT happening (in the world, certainly, and also around town), so please read on below for events, news, and Dreamville dispatches. 

First, though, I’d love to highlight a phenomenal new story that former INDY staff writer Jasmine Gallup has been reporting for months on how Wake County libraries have stepped up to offer resources for homeless patrons.

This story—part of our yearlong series on local libraries—could also have been about many other libraries that have seen an influx of needs in recent years, but Jasmine homes in on Richard B. Harrison and Oberlin Regional, two large urban branches in Wake County located off bus routes. Here, some of our country’s last truly public places offer shelter, bathrooms, outlets for charging phones, and solitude. 

Of course, the fact that librarians have to step in to play the role of social worker is an indictment of our social safety net, but Robert Lambert, manager of Oberlin Regional, offers an empathetic perspective throughout the story. 

“You have to triage every different person,” Lambert says of front desk work. “People will come in with a need, and the ability to articulate that need is not as intuitive as you may think it is.”

That idea—how difficult it can be, in terms of crisis, to articulate a need—has stuck with me. On a related note, I’m looking forward to reading Brian Goldstone’s new book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America, which just came out. 

Thank you for reading and supporting our work at the INDY! More below.

PS: As I was sending this newsletter, we published an interesting story on a trademark dispute between Big Spoon Roasters, a nut butter company in Hillsborough, and Big Spoon Sauce Co., a small chili crisp company in California. Read it here.

A still from The Last Partera, premiering at Full Frame this weekend. Read Lena Geller’s interview with the filmmakers here. Photo courtesy of the filmmakers.

elsewhere in the culture section

First up, writer Ryan Cocca has some bad news for you: 

At this point, if you don’t know a guy who knows a guy, or have a loose $1,000 to roll the dice on StubHub (cross your fingers it’s not a scam!), you probably missed your chance at seeing 100-megawatt headliners, riding a giant ferris wheel, and photo-opping at the golden toilet Charmin Experience on the grounds of Dix Park.

Nevertheless, even though Dreamville is sold out, Ryan has a roundup of events that don’t require $1,000 or a wristband. You can find his lively rundown here. 

In Durham, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is in full swing (last night, I saw opening night film Prime Minister, which was amazing and—get this!—made me feel hopeful about political leaders!). Here are five films we recommend. 

Here’s a great interview with the Durham filmmakers behind the documentary The Last Partera, which is seeing its world premiere at Full Frame this weekend. (One more interview coming tomorrow, stay tuned!). 

Andrea Richards wrote a long, probing review (you know, the kind that doesn’t exist anymore! ) of the NCMA’s new exhibition The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure. Maybe it’ll persuade you to go. 

If hip-hop or documentaries are not your thing, we have event picks for the week, which include a homesteading influencers event and Single Frame, a mini Full Frame. Read here!

— Sarah Edwards —
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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.