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Belka and Strelka… 60 years ago on August 19, Bel
ka (Squirrel) and Strelka (Little Arrow) spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) before safely returning to Earth. They boldly followed in Laika’s pawpath but managed to make it back to Earth too. Soviet Space Graphics: Cosmic Visions from the USSR, Phaidon SOMEBODY The sudden death of Marian Finucane at the start of this year (can you even remember back that far?) marked the passing of another pivotal figure from the feminist movement. And when it comes to her legacy from an extensive broadcasting career, it is one interview which will stand the test of time. When Marian interviewed Nuala in 2008, she knew her friend was dying from terminal cancer. It’s heartfelt and heartbreaking as the distinguished writer rages against the dying of the light. This exhibition, curated by June Caldwell, features interviews with people familiar with O’Faolain and those influenced by her startling memoir. Having watched Mrs America lately, it also seems timely for a deep capture of those remaining voices, and their thoughts on a movement, which truly trailblazed for rights which are now enshrined and taken for granted. Somebody: Nuala O’Faolain and a Book that Changed Us is at the Museum of Literature of Ireland, €10. ROADMAP Michael McDermott THE R-RATE Róisín Murphy’s Insta-capers were easily one of our personal highlights of lockdown. Outlandishly entertaining and perpetually reinventing the moment, it felt she was also going down the rabbit hole with us whether she was sending messages of Pride to Russia or performing in her living room for #StayHomo for Manchester’s Homo Electric club. And now after the steady release of disco bangers such as Narcissus, Simulation, Murphy’s Law and Something More comes her new LP Róisín Machine. The look is very Natasha Lyonne Russian Doll, the collage design by Bráulio Amado is covetable in a bedroom poster way and needless to say the sound is of a disco Queen at the height of her powers sprinkling blessings upon Jessie Ware. Róisín Machine is out on September 25 CROSS-STITCH TRAP “I’ve always been a fan of Tom of Finland, as a draftsman, artist, pioneer and as the creator of iconic gay visual culture, so when I saw this kit at a flea market in Tokyo for €5 or thereabouts a year or two ago I had to have it. It sat on my desk ever since then and so it seemed like a nice way to pass a few days of the initial lockdown, glass of wine in hand, disastrous sourdough in the oven etc. Fast forward (slow-forward, limbo-forward) four months and 40,000 stitches later and voila! I will always look at it and think of being a middle-aged heterosexual woman in the middle of a pandemic and this is how I chose to spend my time.” - Nicky Hooper QUEER DUBLIN a n ew h i s tor y o f d u b l i n tickets - l i t t lemu s e um . i e