Richard Conway Jackson, a dear friend and longtime contributor to this blog, died in his home in Lake Los Angeles on December 1, at the age of 66. Richard and his wife Vanity with our family at the Whately Inn for my 50th birthday in 2022. Richard was a self-taught poet, tattoo artist, and car
In Memoriam: Richard Conway Jackson Read More »
The groundhog may have seen his shadow today, but did he recognize it as himself? You may have noticed the cute “rat selfies” making the rounds on social media last month. CBC Radio has the backstory about Canadian artist Augustin Lignier, who built a photo booth for his rats Arthur and Augustin to make a
February Links Roundup: Do You Know You’re a Rat? Read More »
The monthly link-o-rama is on the late side because I’ve been busy writing 30 Poems in November as a fundraiser for the Center for New Americans, an immigrant literacy and job training nonprofit in Northampton. I’ve got another $134 to go towards my target amount. Chip in today and receive a cute picture of my
November Links Roundup: Angels and Dirtbags Read More »
Happy Spooktober! Pumpkins by Shane. My inner 12-year-old would like to remind you that October 2 is the 571st birthday of King Richard III. Follow efforts to clear his name at The Missing Princes Project. 78 degrees is how hot it’s expected to be today in Northampton. Thanks, global warming! It’s also a reference to
October Links Roundup: 78 Degrees Read More »
Raheem Rahman, an incarcerated writer in Maryland, recently wrote to us at Winning Writers about his podcast The Caged Guerrilla. Rahman’s twice-weekly show discusses prison life, urban culture, self-improvement, and activism. He’s a raw, dynamic speaker who understands how “prison reform” requires radical change in the power structures outside the prison walls. In one letter
Poetry by Raheem Rahman, the Caged Guerrilla Read More »
Tonight being the first night of Passover, let’s start off with Rachel Meirs’ graphic memoir “Ruth’s Kitchen,” published in Jewish Currents in 2021. It reminded me of a 1960s cookbook that my husband’s paternal grandma passed on to me, shortly before she died. (This was when I still had time to cook.) The recipes leaned
April Links Roundup: A Recipe for Transformation Read More »
Readers of this blog may remember my pen pal “Conway”, the poet and artist who was serving 25-to-life under California’s three-strikes sentencing law for stealing a motorcycle. This Independence Day finally has real meaning for him, because he is FREE! He is thriving in a re-entry program in Los Angeles, reuniting with his devoted daughters
July Links Roundup: Free at Last Read More »
Happy Spring! Six weeks into my program as a first-year student of the Temple of Witchcraft, I have communed with several trees, learned a lot about my inner struggle over manifesting my power, but so far failed to establish a meditation practice before the end of April. The Temple’s founder and head minister is Christopher
April Links Roundup: Making and Unmaking Read More »
More links that didn’t fit in the last post! My prison pen pal, “Conway”, sometimes sends me pictures of the gross food that they serve California’s inmates. It’s mostly starchy, unidentifiable mush slopped together in styrofoam trays. I’ve been spending a few hundred dollars every year sending him and his cellies some more appetizing, though
March Bonus Links: Food and Freedom Read More »
Nothing I will read on the Internet today could top this hilarious illustrated essay by Bradley Bazzle in the new issue of the online lit mag DIAGRAM. In response to his 2-year-old’s fascination with the human body and “Sesame Street”, a bored dad finds himself drawing “Naked Bert & Ernie” in some peculiar situations: When
September Links Roundup: Drawn That Way Read More »