The Both/ And Post

Where was this kind of solidarity in the face of other wars? Our capacity to empathize and feel solidarity is racialized.

Don’t Fall Asleep: An Open Letter to Myself on the Day We Saved Democracy from Its Latest Threat

I say this to myself as much as anyone: beware of the crooners. They will soothe you and sing you a good lullaby. That’s a big part of their job. But do we really want to sleep in a burning house?

Reopening

What happened to changing the paradigm?

The Importance of Being Unsettled: Deeply, Permanently Unsettled

Feeling profoundly unsettled is about becoming uncomfortable with comfort, insecure in security. It is an echo of a whisper of the trauma that victims and potential victims of state violence feel. It is an awakening.

Some days are like this

What do you do with the days when you just can’t stop crying? They come out of the blue. Just at the moment when you think, “I’ve got this. COVID-19: bring it on!” You’ve mastered the grocery store or Instacart. You’ve figured out your exercise route and schedule to minimize contact with other humans. You’ve …

Day 24

By my count this is day 24. I still wake up and, for half a second, I forget. Then it all comes crashing in. Again. And it still takes my breath away for that first moment of the day. And then I just lie there for an hour or so, looking at the trees, listening …

Triage

Shelter in place. Do not go out. Do NOT leave your home. If you do, shower, change, sanitize, wipe your feet with bleach upon return. Six feet is not enough. You are too close. Too close. TOO CLOSE! Voices scream from social media. Irate. Vulnerable. These kids on the beaches. These boomers inviting friends over. …

Dear Class of COVID-19

Dear Class of COVID-19, This sucks. It totally, totally sucks. There’s no way around that. No one was expecting this. I know how many tears you have shed and will shed. I know how you feel because I feel it too. I am rather astonished by the array and unpredictability of emotions I wake up …

Your Utopia will arrive in the next 3-14 business days, some assembly required*

The thought occurred to me this morning that COVID-19 is all about the planet fighting back against its most invasive species. Not only does this make it clear that we are not at the top of the food chain, but it is a pretty effective weapon if you think about it. What better way to …

Electronic Collective Effervescence

Here's my facebook post from March 12th which inspired me to restart my blog: Yesterday, I was in such a funk. I realized why when several students asked me, almost tearily, what I thought they'd do about graduation. I didn't have an answer, but I suspect the worst. Then it hit me-- I, and so …