Category Archives: Uncategorized

Why Passover is the Greatest Holiday of All Time

  Why Passover is the Greatest Holiday of All Time more than the fourth glass of wine in a family that gets drunk off two more than the smirk you throw at your older brother when you recite the tenth plague, the killing of the first-born more than hiding the…

The Quiet Racism that Killed Trayvon Martin: Reflections from Miami

Before he became the latest and most-Tweeted victim of racial violence in America’s long, dirty history, Trayvon Martin was just another kid growing up in Miami. He was a high school junior, got A’s and B’s in his classes, planned to go to college and become a flight mechanic. His…

Three Good Things that Happened this Weekend

It was a good weekend in terms of sports, activism, and hey, weather. Let’s recap: 1. Duke lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Sorry, Dukies. But my bracket and Maryland loyalties are both very happy. 2. A group of smart, serious Oakland community activists held a powerful…

Twenty-First Century Lover’s Lament

Last week, I got to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a group of people I truly love: Oakland youth. Teaching a writing workshop, it was a dozen high school kids and me, talking about love, heartbreak, and how Rihanna could go back and make a song with Chris Brown. (The general…

Coming to Madison this weekend! USAS, First Wave, and Bratwurst.

Yes, my Badger friends, I’m coming back. You better have my cheese curds ready. This weekend is the 15th anniversary United Students against Sweatshops (USAS) National Conference - a big deal in its own right. This year, though, in honor of the Wisconsin labor uprising that began exactly one year ago this…