Among natural landmarks, the Potomac River doesn’t seem all that remarkable. It doesn’t possess the grandeur or the fame of the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, or even the Mississippi River. But in her new book Potomac Fever: Reflections on the Nation’s River, Charlotte Taylor Fryar treats the river with the reverence and respect of a national treasure by tracing its history, expounding on its ecological diversity, and illustrating the way nature relates to racial division in the capital city and surrounding areas. 

These days, questions of race, politics, and identity put many of us immediately on edge. But in Woman on Fire, currently performing at the Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia, playwright Marisela Treviño Orta tells a haunting story that explores these questions directly. She blends elements of Greek tragedy with a contemporary setting to delve into themes of border politics, cultural identity, and the enduring power of empathy in a small Arizona border town in the aftermath of 9/11.

The 33rd Annual D.C. Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF) kicked off on March 20th, beginning a nine-day showcase of films that highlight developments and discoveries in the natural world, aiming to inspire audiences toward lasting changes for the health of Earth’s ecology.