When the frigging New York Times “Public Editor” is that clueless: I said incorrectly last week that Matthew Shepard had been murdered in Colorado. He died in a hospital there. Thank you to readers who pointed out that the fatal beating took place near Laramie, Wyo. It was all over the news, sir. Before youContinue reading “and we wonder why we're invisible”
Category Archives: journalism
100 million castaways, demanding a home
100 million: That’s how many people who felt as I did last week. Or at least as many as stood up yesterday to say: Not in our America. Using the skills that were so essential to the election of the current president, a handful of kids-with-broadband organized the event in cities around the country. They usedContinue reading “100 million castaways, demanding a home”
Author on Sally Hemings: "she would have been on a coin"
A few months ago Annette Gordon-Reed, professor, attorney and historian, launched her new book The Hemingses of Monticello. The book comes four years after DNA evidence finally quieted most critics that had claimed that Thomas Jefferson couldn’t possibly be the father of the children of the enslaved Sally Hemings. (Click the first link for videoContinue reading “Author on Sally Hemings: "she would have been on a coin"”
Dancing with chronic illness, or when a mouse is your role model
Another cross-post, but of work dear to me: a personal essay I first wrote a couple years back, when asked for something in the category “strange bedfellows.” You get to decide who the bedfellows are. (And if you click on the second page, you find out who the mouse is – with video!) A blastContinue reading “Dancing with chronic illness, or when a mouse is your role model”
The XX factor in Obama's transition
On my way to New York today, where I plan on seeing Jeffrey Renard Allen give a reading in my old ‘hood and cover tomorrow’s hearing for the Iraq vets that make up the Hempstead 15. But to wrap up the election thread for this week, here’s the news blog I wrote for WVFC, sinceContinue reading “The XX factor in Obama's transition”
A couple mornings after
Given what I’ve posted here, you were likely expecting me to be exultant tonight. And I remain heartened, thrilled cautiously hopeful, and glad for the national results. In case you were curious about my little corner of the swing state, Ward 58 went with the wave, 69 percent for Obama — though not precinct 26,Continue reading “A couple mornings after”
swing state notes: election day edition
_ The door of the house where I live now has a hand-drawn sign, drawn by my father-in-law: NO POLITICAL SOLICITATIONS. GO AWAY. It’s been a little brutal, here in the 58th Ward: the commercials are relentless, the mail, the phone calls even more so. No matter your sympathies, the cacophony is hard to take.Continue reading “swing state notes: election day edition”
Notes from a swing state
Walking along this suburban-ish street today, I kept seeing young people with clipboards. Using cell phones. I giggled; this is what democracy looks like. Those who know me well, or even knew my old blog shop, might feel puzzled that I almost never blog about electoral politics – especially since I moved this summer toContinue reading “Notes from a swing state”
So much for the loneliness of the long-distance runner
National Novel Writing Month? Me? Normally, I’m one of those skeptical of the enterprise, the idea that a jillion people checking in online and pushing out 50,000 words had anything to do with producing quality work. Still, over the years I’ve thought of doing it, worried about it, then as I put aside the ideaContinue reading “So much for the loneliness of the long-distance runner”
watch this. then again. then vote. then cry.
Running behind, as usual. But I finally saw this, a few days after another viewing of Brother Outsider. A week to the election and I can’t get enough of angelic troublemakers. (I also can’t wait for the flick to come out, whatever Gawker says.)
I Ain't Marching Anymore 