What to Read, Watch & Do This Summer

**Curated by Artisan Alley Studio for PCOM Perspectives.** A summer guide across books, screen, sound, and the neighborhoods themselves — grounded in what's actually landing in summer 2026, and broad enough to serve readers who aren't looking for a nightlife-only city.

**Books to Read This Summer.** Pulled from summer 2026 reading lists and recommended in partnership with your local bookseller — Red Emma's (Waverly), Greedy Reads (Fells Point / Remington), and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Verify current availability before you head out.

• *James* — Percival Everett. The Huckleberry Finn retelling from Jim's perspective — still on nearly every 2026 summer list a year after release. **Fiction.**

• *All Fours* — Miranda July. A queer, funny, formally strange novel about desire and reinvention at midlife. **Fiction · Queer.**

• *Martyr!* — Kaveh Akbar. A debut novel about grief, addiction, and meaning-making, from one of the most-praised poets of the last decade. **Fiction.**

• *The Message* — Ta-Nehisi Coates. Essays on story, place, and political witness — Baltimore-rooted, globally scaled. **Essays.**

• *Fun Home* — Alison Bechdel. The queer graphic memoir that keeps rewarding rereading. **Queer Classic · Memoir.**

**Streaming & Screen — July 2026.** A short list to actually finish before Labor Day. Check your platforms for current availability.

• *The Bear* — FX on Hulu. New season landing this summer; still the best-written ensemble on television. **Series · Drama.**

• *Heartstopper* — Netflix. Gentle, hopeful queer youth storytelling that refuses tragedy as a default. **Series · Youth · Queer.**

• *Foundation* — Apple TV+. Big-swing science fiction with a summer-binge shape. **Series · Sci-Fi.**

• *Only Murders in the Building* — Hulu. Comfort watch, sharp writing, an easy hang. **Series · Comedy.**

• A local screening at **The Charles Theatre** (Station North) or **The Parkway** (SNAP Screens / Maryland Film Festival programming). Check this week's listings.

**A Summer Listening List.** Baltimore club, contemporary R&B, house, go-go, soul, and diaspora sounds — with room for queer artists on rotation. Build your own and send it to us; we'll feature reader playlists in a follow-up.

**Baltimore & DMV Summer Events — verify dates before you go.** Event calendars shift; confirm with Visit Baltimore, the venue, or the organizer.

• **AFRAM** (Druid Hill Park) — Baltimore's flagship celebration of Black music, culture, and community.

• **Artscape** — the country's largest free public arts festival, staged in and around Station North / Mount Royal.

• **Baltimore Caribbean Carnival** — mas, music, and a full parade route; a summer staple.

• **Fourth of July on the Inner Harbor** — for the fireworks and the people-watching.

• **Enoch Pratt Free Library** summer programming — free, city-wide, deeply underrated.

• **Creative Alliance** (Highlandtown) — where *Cooking with Pride* happens; arts programming all summer.

• **Red Emma's** (Waverly) — worker-owned bookstore and coffeehouse; author events most weeks.

• **DifferentREGARD** — Black-owned cultural space worth putting on your map.

• **No Land Beyond** — arts and gaming space with a genuinely welcoming crowd.

**Cartoon of the Week — *Too Cool for School*.** Illustration by Nia Stone (placeholder). A stylish Baltimore summer scene where a young person tries to stay cool while juggling heat, books, community events, Pride leftovers, voter registration flyers, and a melting snowball. Full cartoon coming in the next drop.

**Contribute.** Are you an illustrator, cartoonist, book critic, film critic, playlist curator, or culture writer? PCOM Perspectives is looking for you. Write to us at info@pcomperspectives.com.