Crochet Peace
It occurs to me that my last post may have seemed a bit braggarty — is that a word? Like I was trying to boast about how passionate I am about fighting injustice/inhumanity and to caring for all our small furry friends. Like I am special.
I am not.
What I meant to appeal to was the collective “we” — what WE do.
I know that everyone who might be reading this blog is in some way trying to make the world a better place. Whether you are tutoring, painting, volunteering or writing songs, you are envisioning and working toward SOMETHING BETTER.
The problem is that what WE value (and are willing to work/fight for) is not what our administration (fellow country people) value:
- Nix Humanitarian Aid
- Nix education
- Fuck the Kennedy Center
- Fuck DEI
- What climate change?
- What allies?
- And you queer/trans people …
- Not to mention wildlife. The wolves.
Yea, those sure sound like money-saving cuts. 🤑
I know. My head is reeling. EVERYTHING that I value is being swept away with a broad, authoritarian stroke and I am sitting here in disbelief. Makes me think back to my naive response to the threat of overturning Roe vs. Wade. I NEVER thought that would happen. NEVER. That’s not two steps back, that’s a return to the archaic. Like, oh, guess what? You can now hunt at zoos.
Some of you know that I was a cofounder of HEArt – Human Equity through Art — along with my partner Danny Morrow, in 1997. We were the first journal of literature and art solely devoted to fighting injustice and discrimination, and promoting artists as human rights activists. It was a huge experience for me. Art is so powerful.
Through the HEArt “era”, I met amazing artists (Sekou Sundiata, Tim Seibles, Allison Joseph, Sonia Sanchez, Sapphire, Kara Walker, Marilyn Chin, Terrance Hayes (OK, I already knew Terrance), Saddiq Dzukogi, etc.) It was so incredible to be printing the words and art of people who have been fighting social justice their whole lives with profound expression. It was brilliant — simply brilliant.
I will tell the full story of HEArt and why it is no more at some later point.
But this experience taught me a lot. It taught me (even/especially then) how hard it was to get grants/funding for a journal publishing openly gay and minority writing. But making a place for that voice felt really good. I am so happy there are so many others now filling that space. (Tribute to Split this Rock)
All this to say yes, call your goddamn senators and participate in protests and use your vote, but don’t let go of your humanitarian beliefs and artistic expression. Use them — they have power. I know you give a fuck about this world. We care about education and art and voice and freedom — for everyone. Whatever you are doing – even just getting your feelings out in the world at an open mic is helping — and thank you. You never know whose heart you might change.
Crochet something.
Take your history – everything you have in your soul that is angry at what’s going on today – and use it. Culture is far more powerful than hate.
Love,
Leslie
PS: Apologies for the extravagant use of em dashes.
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