weekend links: moving forward, a manifesto
Untitled #3 (Turns Gravity) (2010). Image courtesy Glasstire.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, with typical eloquence, reminds us that "now is the time to talk about what we are actually talking about." This means calling out the "alt-right" for what they really are—white supremacists—and fighting against false equivalency. This means refusing to compromise core beliefs for the sake of appeasing the "white working class." All of American politics exists to palliate the white working class. Now is the time for actual solutions. [The New Yorker]
Likewise, now is the time to remember the horrors of the past, with clear eyes to the possibility that they may befall us once again. To this end, we look back at Dorothea Lange's once-censored photos of the Japanese internment camps of World War II, and we present Brandon Shimoda's experiences with the Japanese American Historical Plaza. [The New Inquiry]
It is important to remember the ways in which government infiltrates and uses culture to advance state interests. Consider the ways in which the CIA co-opted Gabriel García Márquez, and be wary. [The Baffler]
Entrenched political interests and cynics will refuse to allow space to consider a world that exists beyond the limitations of the status quo. Ignore them. Immerse yourself in the utopian imagination of the past, and recalibrate the parameters of your expectations. [BookForum]
Reconsider the power of art to compose and deconstruct narratives. Use this to your advantage. [Glasstire]
Strengthen your resilience. Continue to celebrate and nurture the creative spirit. In the aftermath of the Ghost Ship fire, municipalities are closing downDIY spaces. We must continue to demand and create space for the arts and for ourselves. Do not become discouraged. Where there is solidarity there is a way forward. Let us come together and work to create a better future.
—Sean Redmond