Before I get to the topic...
I'm going to be blogging more frequently, and with a broader focus than my trauma recovery. It may take me some time to find my stride, so I hope you'll bear with me through some wobbly and disconnected content.
Things I've Read Recently
I'm also going to include a short section at the end of each post with a few links to things I've read recently that had an impact. But for today's post, I'm putting this section at the top, and I'm only giving you one link. It's so good, and important, I want you to read it, more than I want you to ready my words below it.
The Invisible Man, by Patrick Fealey, in Esquire, is a first-person account of being homeless in America right now. This article is exceptional, not only for its writing, which is incredible, but because it addresses in stark terms what is one of our biggest failings as a country: the abandonment of so many people by all of us, even those of us who claim to care. We are absolutely not doing enough.
The Big List of Alternative Journals
"The NewPages Guide to Alternative Magazines features publications not typically found in local chain bookstores on topics including the arts, nature and ecology, health, human rights, LGBT, and more."
So begins an adventure. I'm a reading junkie and I'm looking for new sources. I'm dropping most of the 'mainstream' shit I've been reading for decades, and looking for new journals (communities) that focus on art and culture.
I've had this directory bookmarked for ages, with the intention of finding journals of interest, but the list is loooooong, and I've been hesitant to dive in.
Today is thanksgiving day, and we are not celebrating it. The Pamily has a long history of thanksgiving gatherings, either in Atlanta, or at the beach, but for the last couple of years, Pam and I have stayed home. Yesterday we had a lovely afternoon meal on the porch with some of our kids, grandkids, and a few of their cousins, but we have no plans for today.
I mention thanksgiving as an excuse to share a Thanksgiving Prayer from William S. Burroughs.
I love listening to Burroughs speak, because his voice is key to his writing. When I first read his work, I wasn't excited by it. His language and imagery were impressively vivid and of a style, but I didn't grok them. It was clearly 'literature,' but at the same time anti-literature. It was queer, which I appreciated but as an outsider. Some writers have such an original and distinctive voice, that effort, patience, and dedication is required to appreciate them. I thought Burroughs was too difficult. Until I heard him speak.
I don't remember the occasion, but it was sometime in the late 80's, in San Francisco, that I heard Burroughs read from one of his books. It was revelatory. His speaking voice is gorgeously cynical, cantankerously mischievous, he sounds like a con-man at the peak of his game, a trickster salesman, maybe even the devil himself. Every time I revisit one of his books, I am seduced by his voice anew.
I don't usually share youtube videos but when I do, they're worth it.
With no plans for the day, I decided to finally start exploring The Big List of Alternative Journals. When I explore something – anything – I'm thorough. Getting through this is going to be an endeavor. I'm going to be methodical, and read every description, because, otherwise, what's the point? If there's treasure in there, I don't want to miss it.
I need to be careful. It won't be wise to hastily subscribe to every journal that piques my interest. The danger isn't financial, though that's a factor. The risk is subscribing to more than I can handle. I am susceptible to choice paralysis.
My approach is going to be multi-stepped. First, I will briefly visit the journals whose descriptions appeal to me, and compile a list of those that warrant a closer look. The initial visit will be quick, a first impression. Once I've made it all the way through the last Z, I'll have a starting point, after which I will re-visit each one, taking a closer look. Then it will be a process of elimination.
I don't have a number in mind for how many of these I will end up with for potential long term relationships, but it won't be more than a few. I'm looking for quality of interaction, maximum gain -- writing and art that enriches me enough to want to spend time with it.
My selection here may not be to your exact interests, but I share them because they strike me as relevant to our time.
Here are today's contenders:
Adbusters fighting back against the hostile takeover of our psychological, physical and cultural environments by commercial forces.
Long ago I had a subscription to the print version of Adbusters, but I didn't renew because their vision never became clear to me. There was more splash than substance, and it felt almost like they were the very thing that they were declaring opposition to. But I like the crayon aesthetic of their site and their minimalist language. They make bold claims that may be overly simplistic, or unrealistic, but I'm curious enough to want to give them another chance.
American Indian Quarterly a forum for diverse voices and perspectives spanning a variety of academic discipline, and one of the dominant journals in American Indian studies.
I've always been interested in listening to indigenous voices. As a teen, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, had a huge impact on me (I am now aware of its controversies). I grew up near Plimoth Patuxet (formerly Plymouth Plantation), which means I've always known about the Wampanoags. I have read many native authors, but it's been a while. Apart from supporting a local Land Back organization, I have not been listening to indigenous voices lately.
Arena (Australia) a publication which has made an impact on political and cultural interpretation and practice over a period of more than thirty years.
Vague description, but many of the headlines pull me in. Looks like they address culture around the globe, from an anti-colonialist view.
The Baffler interesting and unexpected left-wing political criticism, cultural analysis, short stories, poems and art.
I've known about The Baffler for ages, but never dove in. I like that they publish short stories, poems, and art, alongside leftist perspectives on culture and politics.
Broken Pencil dedicated exclusively to exploring independent creative action.
A meta selection. They do for zines what The Big List does for journals. "...reviews of hundreds of zines and small press books, plus comics, excerpts from the best of the underground press, interviews, original fiction and commentary on all aspects of the indie arts."
I love zines. I make zines. This is an enticing rabbit hole.
BUST fierce, funny, and proud to be female.
I used to subscribe to their print. Women, fuck yeah. We all need to read more women, especially on the topic of women.
Colorlines daily new site where race matters.
White supremacy is the elephant in every room of every institution, and in every hall of every government building. It is the foundation upon which this country was built, and underneath which lies the blood and bodies of all the displaced, enslaved, and oppressed people, whose labor mixed and poured their own concrete tombs.
Columbia Journalism Review a deliberative mix of reporting, analysis, criticism, and commentary.
Another one that I used to subscribe to. I'm drawn to them because the writing is great, and focuses on one of the most significant cultural failures of our country: mainstream media. Always interesting and informative, but this horse might need to die.
CounterPunch bi-weekly muckraking newsletter.
One of my favorite, now gone, journals was Covert Action Quarterly. Hands down, it was the best exposé magazine that focused on America's imperialist spying institutions and actions around the globe.
Counterpunch has never grabbed my attention like CAQ, but they're the closest to that model that I've found. I'm wary of it for reasons I can't put my finger on.
This deserves a deeper look.
Cripple Media An online media space for teens/youth with disabilities to share and access content related to culture, identity, news and politics, and lifestyle.
You wannna talk about marginalized communities? Intersectional communities? Unity through diversity? Disability can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Like the unhoused, people with disabilities are among the most ignored and forgotten communities, who, despite their challenges or circumstances, are JUST LIKE US! They are also one of the most diverse communities to be found anywhere.
I'm old and feeling out of touch with youth culture. I need to listen to more young voices. This looks like it might be a great start.
Listed as "Critical Read telling the true stories behind important works of art." Now Raft.
From their About page:
“Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity. I don’t see a different purpose for it now.” — Dorothea Tanning
Turning to art is helping me stay sane and positive.
That's enough for today. I'll continue this later.
Don't eat too much!