May 2015

A round-up of some of the best things that happened in the last month

Medium news

Larry Lessig helped kick off our partnership with Creative Commons.

Why I’m Excited for Medium’s Partnership With Creative Commons

It’s commencement season!

Matthew McConaughey, Ed Helms, Samantha Power, President Obama, and Vice President Biden all published their speeches.

13 Lessons Learned

‘Don’t Let That Light Die’

What Will You Make People See?

President Obama’s remarks at the United States Coast Guard Academy Commencement

What I Told College Graduates

Politics

For an update on all things political (Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, John Podesta, and more), check out the update below.

It Happened on Medium

Also: The New York Times’s First Draft noted politicians’ use of Medium.

Today in Politics: A Surprise Showdown in South Carolina

Entertainment

Miley Cyrus announced her new foundation.

Innovators vs. Dinosaurs

True Detective creator and showrunner Nic Pizzolatto shared insight into the show’s new season.

Q&A: ‘True Detective’ Creator and Showrunner Nic Pizzolatto

Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA opined about rap and lyricism, while De La Soul’s POS explained why the group turned to Kickstarter.

GZA Speaks: The Lost Art of Lyricism

Why De La Soul Embraced Kickstarter

OK Go’s Damian Kulash paid tribute to Herbie Hancock.

The Moment Music Became My Destiny, by Damian Kulash of OK Go

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences began a conversation about the power of movies.

ART & SCIENCE

MMA fighter Uriah Hall wrote about being bullied.

I Was Bullied So Badly, I Considered Killing Myself

Media and books

Matter collaborated with ProPublica on a series about the devastation of the Colorado River by Abraham Lustgarten.

Holy Crop

The ‘Water Witch’

PEN/Faulkner Award winner Atticus Lish published a mesmerizing five-part memoir about teaching in China.

Atticus Lish

Knopf published an exclusive excerpt of Kent Haruf’s last novel, along with a remembrance by his editor, Gary Fisketjon.

An Excerpt From Kent Haruf’s Final Novel, ‘Our Souls at Night’

Remembering Kent Haruf

Paulo Coehlo shared writing tips.

On writing

Craig Newmark, former White House advisor Dan Pfeiffer, Twitter’s Karen Wickre, newswoman Vivian Schiller, Jonathan Alter, and others debated the merits of political journalism.

Can a Random Group of People On the Internet Interview a Candidate Better Than the Pros?

Guardian columnist Jessica Valenti began a conversation about online harassment.

The better you write, the worse the harassment

Author and critic Jody Rosen published a mash-up of his favorite Mad Men recaps, and newly minted New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll mused on female anti-heroes.

What Was Mad Men About?

What If Don Draper Was a Woman?

Philanthropy

Melinda Gates shared stories from travels in India, while Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman reflected on her first year of tenure.

Three Stories That Explain Why I Am Relentlessly, Passionately, and Impatiently Optimistic

Reflections On My First Year as CEO of the Gates Foundation

Technology

Director of Google’s self-driving car program Chris Urmson provided insight into his work.

The View from the Front Seat of the Google Self-Driving Car

Baratunde Thurston described what went on at a comedy hackathon that his company hosted.

What Mansplainr, a Business Card Gun, and 145 Other Funny App Ideas Say About Today’s Tech Culture

Twitter’s manager of journalism and news Mark Luckie bid farewell to the company.

You are what you wear