M. Alice LeGrow is a professional party princess. It wasn't a job she expected -- she was a graphic novelist until a few years ago, when her publisher went out of business. Seeking a steady job, she took on the job of entertaining kids at parties. In this short documentary by NPR, we learn LeGrow's perspective on the job -- what's challenging about it, how she has learned to like kids, and indeed how she has learned to like the job. Pro tip: "When in doubt, smile harder!" Princess Marty, The Party... READ ON

Harry Taylor is a photographer with an unusual specialty, at least for this century: tintypes. A tintype is a photograph made on a metal plate (often iron, and apparently never tin). During its heyday circa the US Civil War, the tintype's main advantage was the durability of the metal -- unlike delicate paper prints or photographs on glass, the metal tintype could be carried around in a pocket and more or less survive the journey. The big bonus for photographers was the ability to make the photograph... READ ON