One scene in "Blessed: The Life of a Hip Hop Dancer" takes place on a busy Manhattan street. Dancers in everyday clothing portray trendy New Yorkers walking briskly to a driving hip-hop beat. They talk on their cellphones with great urgency and generally give the impression of productivity and satisfaction. The illusion is shattered when, for no apparent reason, the dancers suddenly double over at the waist like wind-up toys at the end of their springs. It's a humorous moment, particularly for anyone who has ever lived in New York City.... Read more

Josie Leavitt is almost everything an audience could want in a stand-up comedian. She meets the first criteria: She's funny. At 40, she has a face made attractive more by her personality and sense of humor than genetics. The grey flecks in her shoulder-length, dark brown hair, and her robust torso give her an appearance that's unthreatening, quirky and ultimately inviting. Leavitt talks to her audience as if she's chatting with a neighbor over a backyard fence.... Read more

The blurring of church and state usually gets a bad rap among leftists. But long before the ascendancy of the Religious Right, American churches were at the center of the movements to end slavery and champion civil rights. A group of Vermont churches and synagogues has been rallying members to turn faith-based social involvement back into a liberal tradition.... Read more