I wonder if Neda Agha Soltan -- the beautiful young woman killed in Tehran last Saturday whose name has already become a rallying cry for Iranian protesters around the world -- ever suffered doubts that her life had meaning?

Chilling, this cacophony that fills Tehran's nights: "Allahu akbar" ("God is Great"), shouted from the rooftops.

Jennifer Miller, the director of Brooklyn's Circus Amok, challenges gender and sexual stereotypes with her natural, flowing beard. What preconceptions do we struggle with when confronted by a real "bearded lady"?

         The tragic, shocking death of actress Natasha Richardson filled the news last week. Rarely have I seen a more poignant photo than this one, taken of Richardson's husband, Liam Neeson, and mother, Vanessa Redgrave, leaving the cemetery following her burial. The grief on their faces is unmistakable, palpable; the early spring day, gray and bleak. Yet the photo, taken by the AP's Mike Groll, resonates with a strong, stark beauty. It's oddly compelling, in spite of its subject matter. Or perhaps because of its subject matter. For Groll's photo perfectly captures every mourner's loss, desolation, and devastating grief fully and honestly, without sentiment or commentary.

What is Mitte?  Where - or who - is Mitte??

Mitte is a location: the historic district in central Berlin, where the grand boulevard Unter den Linden transects the River Spree. It was the heart of the Kaiser's capital city, and more recently, the backbone of communist East Berlin. Now, Mitte -- where the spirit of Brecht flourished at the Berliner Ensemble's theatre before succumbing to book-burning thugs at Bebelplatz -- is the hub of German culture.

Mitte is more than geography, however, and it transcends history. Mitte is primarily a State of Mind; it's where tradition and experimentation commingle. Mitte is Listening - Seeking - Exploring.