2016 has been a year of challenge, introspection, and vivid creativity. Here at Cultural Weekly, we have published more than 400 new articles, poems, reviews, and interviews. We also made the decision to go non-profit, so we can keep publishing and grow in 2017. As you enjoy the 2016 Top 10 stories, please consider a generous donation so we can stay right here and keep publishing strong creative voices. Thank you for your continuing support.

Cultural Weekly’s Top 10 Stories of 2016

10. Always Running, La Vida Loca: Gang Days in LA. Tomorrow’s Voices Today is a series curated by poet and educator Mike Sonksen. This essay, by 16-year-old Monica Santiago, reflects on Luis J. Rodriguez’s seminal work.

9. Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival Winners. This original Cultural Weekly competition, produced by ScreenDance Diaries author Sarah Elgart, was a platform for great creativity. We hope to do it again next year!

8. Catching Up With Swedish Street Artist Yash. Sami Yakim’s interview with Yash, a mural artist living in Stockholm who draws inspiration from people, animals and their bodies.

7. We Carry It Into Our Future. Chiwan Choi’s personal meditation on the 2016 presidential election.

6. Embrace of the Serpent – A Tale of Metamorphosis. Sophia Stein’s reaction to this film and interview with actor Brionne Davis.

5. Jack Grapes Poetry Prize Contest 2016 Winners. Every year we are honored to bestow this prize on extraordinary poets. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to Cultural Weekly so we may continue publishing the work of poets every week.
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4. Sundance Infographic 2016. Our annual survey of the independent film scene, especially the statistics we published about film piracy, was the a main topic of discussion in Park City. We’re getting ready for our 2017 infographic, to be published in January.

3. Theatre Does Not Apologize. Adam Leipzig’s response to president-elect Donald Trump’s demand that the cast of Hamilton apologize to Gov. Mike Pence for words spoken from the stage.

2. Holy Hell, a review of the documentary film by Evie Sullivan.

1. Whiteness isn’t intellectualism. Whiteness isn’t indigenous. Whiteness isn’t anything. Topping our list, Chiwan Choi’s reflection on the state of our culture brought considerable reader reaction, pro and con. In what we might see as a forecast of the presidential election, several of the comments had such racist overtones we chose not to publish them.

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