• We here at The Stranger have been loving Philip Kennicott for years, and finally the East Coast's most original cultural critic has won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism. His title is chief art critic of the Washington Post, but he's not an "art critic" in any limited sense of the term. His writing is unexpected and strange, and often includes examinations of material that never considered itself art—newspaper images of grisly deaths, for instance. Congratulations on an award heartily earned, and thanks to the Post for continuing to publish an uncategorizable writer.
• Highlights from Ballard's New York Fashion Academy's 9th Annual Fashion Show: Marcella Kelly's bolo ties for ladies; Melody Hirsch's high-waist, chevron-seam, tiered-pocket short shorts; and Marisa Rockett's stretch-vinyl cigarette pants, pairing the exceedingly tight with the exceedingly white. Erin Weathers accessorized her intricate corset ensembles with deer antlers, coral-pink tassels, metal swing-latch closures, and eyebrows of sparkling gold.
• It's a quiet fear that resides in the heart of every repertory-cinema-goer: Will beloved films of yesteryear be reduced to relics from a bygone age that only draw ironic chuckles? At Central Cinema's recent engagement of the 1952 classic Singin' in the Rain, the period magic was retained in full, with each major song-and-dance number—including Gene Kelly's rain dance, Donald O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh," and the duo's "Moses Supposes"—followed by spontaneous applause from the generation-spanning audience.
• The opening of Polari at True Love Gallery last Thursday night was packed with fun-havers making the most of 'Mo-Wave, Seattle's great new queer music-and-arts festival. The art, varied in quality and frequently wang-based, merits further exploration without the distractions of a DJ and free beer—Joey Veltkamp, Ilvs Strauss, David Belisle, C. Davida Ingram, and The Stranger's own Kelly O (balls!) all have work here, among many others. The show is up through May 4.
• On Earth Day this Monday, April 22, get your green self to the opening of the supposedly greenest building in the world: the Bullitt Center at 1501 East Madison Street. Public tours start at noon, with free bike valet service from Bike Works, free bike repair from Polkadot Jersey, activities from EarthCorps, Central Co-op, and the International Living Future Institute, and music spun by Hollow Earth Radio. If you use the restroom: Human waste in this building gets stored in the basement, treated for viruses and bacteria, transformed into fertilizer, and transported away to forests. Take a green shit!
• On Monday, Granta announced its 20 Best of Young British Novelists list, an impressive array of talent including a little-known author named Zadie Smith. Seattle will get a chance to meet two of the young'uns in person on Wednesday, April 24, when Granta editor John Freeman brings Nadifa Mohamed and Ross Raisin to the Central Library for a free reading and conversation. 
