From design to Russian literature, we’re covering it all in our Friday Faves. Check out the links below.

Leah Nahmias, director of programs:

• Today, as I watch the understandable and undeniable frustration spill over in Charlotte and Tulsa and around the country, I’m thinking a lot about my former students and colleagues from West Charlotte High School, a historically black high school that was and is a center of black life in the Queen City. The humanities have something to offer us in times like these, as someone at the New York Times recognized by dedicating a full page to Langston Hughes’ powerful poem, “I, Too.” Read it here, then follow up with this reflection from Smithsonian historian David Ward.
• The National Archives has released a whole bunch o’ gifs created from their collections. I’ll be punctuating many more tweets with Papa Hemingway sipping a martini. And who knows what uses I’ll find for this lady’s groovy moves?
• The humanities help us make sense of the world, including when we learn that love is dead. Read Buzzfeed’s Anne Helen Peterson, who has her PhD in the history of celebrity gossip, on Brangelina’s breakup for a smart, media studies take on #BrexPitt.
• Maybe the highlight of last week’s Human/Ties celebration in honor of NEH’s 50^th birthday was learning about Walden, an incredible digital humanities game based on Henry David Thoreau’s classic. (Don’t worry, we’re going to try to get designer Tracy Fullerton here to Indiana sooner or later!)

Bronwen Fetters, executive assistant and program associate:

• An architectural photographer in New York spent five years taking photos of all 210 branches of the New York Public Library. Here are some of the best photos as selected by Literary Hub.
• Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky—which Russian reigns supreme? This family of writers decided to tackle the literary dispute by pilgrimaging through Tolstoy’s Moscow and Dostoyevsky’s St. Petersburg. Their consensus? It’s hard to choose! Read more about the specifics of their amazing trip in this article from The New York Times.

Keira Amstutz, president and CEO:

• On a recent field trip to the IMA to see the exhibit “What lies beneath”, we learned how X-Ray and laser technology can reveal secrets about artwork that can shed light on the origin, inspiration or history of particular works.  In this article, we learn how X-Ray technology allowed scholars to read without unrolling or disturbing an ancient biblical scroll.  I love pieces like this that show the intersection of science and the humanities.
• If I ever go back to college I will study art history. This new book looks amazing!

Jacqueline Cromleigh, communications and community relations manager:

• Have you heard of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum? It is the only museum in the nation solely devoted to historic and contemporary design – and I am geeking out over it’s awesome collection. Check out the Object of the Day and explore the digitized collection spanning centuries of design. I highly recommend learning more about this Peter Pan wallpaper and perusing the advertising tags.
• I was intrigued by Indiana native Melba Newell Phillips described in a two-part blog series by Indiana Historical Bureau. Phillips studied under famous physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and was known as a trailblazer for women in the industry.

George Hanlin, director of grants:

• Here in Indianapolis we’re celebrating the fact that Condé Nast Traveler named local brunch spot Milktooth as one of the best restaurants in the world. (Yes, the world.)  As we ponder how our Hoosier capital has begun to rise in the culinary scene, this NPR article—on 10 restaurants that shaped America—provides some historical background.
• In addition to good food, we also make good art (and good artists) in Indiana. In honor of the state’s bicentennial, two of our top cultural institutions are proving the point with outstanding exhibitions: the Indiana State Museum presents 200 Years of Indiana Art, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art highlights 19 Stars of Indiana Art. Both shows are a feast for the eyes.

Do you have any humanities highlights from your week? We would love to hear from you in the comment section below.