David Safran

A Closer Look at the Real-Life Inspiration in Netflix’s ‘Wayward’ The hit series draws from many different aspects of the troubled teen industry, but multiple narratives out of one long-shuttered institution are rather striking.

The hit Netflix series Wayward appears to be partly inspired by CEDU, a notorious chain of powerful, tightly controlled "therapeutic" residential programs. I sat down with @thr.com to talk about real-life connections and turning my favorite Kid in the Hall into a ranting man in the cabin.

David Safran & Emma Morris — HIGH CONCEPT LABS

10 years after @curtainlecture.bsky.social and I received a sponsorship and residency to co-write a horror-schlocker musical, Chicago's incredible High Concept Labs now has a profile of our still unproduced yet rollicking cult gem.

This and other books are available from @openpoetrybooks.bsky.social. All proceeds from the following titles go to The Sameer Project: open-books-a-poem-emporium.myshopify.com/collections/...

and they say it's hard to make new friends in your 30s and 40s.

Woman with dark hair sits behind on a bouquet of flowers holding a pillow featuring an image of a young peregrine falcon.

A couple months ago, @curtainlecture.bsky.social noticed and befriended a baby female peregrine falcon at the Newberry Library. Since a falcon apparently isn't a good pet friend in our apartment, today on Emma's birthday, she came to us in pillow form.

Image of the album cover for Fresh by Sly and the Family Stone, which features a gorgeous, joyful portrait of Sly Stone appearing to be in mid-air and wearing a fantastic outfit. There are two stickers on the plastic case protecting the CD: "POP/ROCK - SLY - CD" and "PUBLIC LIBRARY." I've placed five sunglass emojis over the specific public library branch name. The background features blue rectangle and gold star mosaic tiles.

This is a combination CD, public library, and Sly and the Family Stone appreciation post!

Look I hate to brag but being among the first Lizzy befrienders at the library may very well be my finest professional accomplishment.
www.instagram.com/p/DLTBVlgvyY_/

Image of two stills from political mockumentary Tanner '88 featuring 1) Gloria Steinem, "Tanner Sec'y Health & Human Service," in a bright orange sweater against a cozy backdrop and 2) Studs Terkel, "Tanner Secretary of Labor," in a dark sport coat and red shirt in front of a bookshelf. Both stills include conspicuously late 80s TV sets.

I want to live in a world where Tanner '88 was real, he won the election, and his cabinet picks were confirmed.

The Lost Kids was released 5 years ago today, colliding with a world in lockdown and protests. I'm credited anonymously and have complicated feelings about the final version but, overall, I'm grateful to have been part of a team helping turn a hushed-up national curio into a blockbuster topic.

Planting Seeds: An Indigenous Zine Fest Join ZINEmercado and the Newberry Library for a Zine Fest showcasing Indigenous artists.

🌻Planting Seeds: An Indigenous Zine Fest at the Newberry Library on June 7!🌻 www.newberry.org/calendar/nat...

Newish to BlueSky, I'm only now finding my tune "Regional Hit" on this old (and great) @chirpradio.org set list from DJ
@gdwessel.bsky.social. CHIRP is my favorite Chicago station. It's always a thrill to get a spin, even if it occurred last year and I missed it completely.

Two zines ("Library Excavations #7: VHS R.I.P" and "Against Competition") held in front of a bookcase, artwork, anatomy figure, various furniture, closed blinds.

Overjoyed to find these @marc-fischer.bsky.social zines at my local WasteShed's free zine library!

oh hey what’s up to all libraries & librarians & library workers & all the glamour therein & ALSO (maybe especially) to the unglamorous behind-the-scenes work(ers) that keep(s) the library glamour* machines running. #LibraryWorkersDay

Death and typos: my six strange years screening online obituary comments My job was overwhelming and rich in errors. And it drove home one message: we’re always on the clock

I was reminded that 1 year ago today I made my @theguardian.com debut revealing my job screening online condolence notes. I didn't expect a significant readership about such strange, difficult work. To my surprise, the piece was briefly a top story, shared widely, and got around 100k views in days.

Going through my mom's "Free To Be" archives, I found this @chicago.suntimes.com review from almost exactly 35 years ago when her play first launched in Chicago. If ever we were in a moment to return to—and update—this cultural behemoth fighting against gender stereotypes, it's right now.

His memory and voice will be a blessing as long as we have music.

B&W portrait of David Johansen with an impish smile on his album cover.

The greatest show I've attended was David Johansen and the Harry Smiths at the Old Town School of Folk Music in 2001. You haven't experienced the height of American music until you've watched David Johansen drop St. John's wort under his tongue and launch into an acoustic version of "Pills."

A quote from Michael Gold's 1924 biography of John Brown in the 1850s seems like a good first Bluesky post.