by T. G. Metcalf The teacher, a woman in her early forties, was seated at a table in her study. The students were scattered within a one-hundred-mile radius of where she sat. The year was 2137. The subject was United States History. “Looking back at it from our perspective now, one hundred years later,” she said, “the breaking apart of […]
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John
This summer I walked behind John in the woods. I followed him as he followed the trail. “Flies are getting bad,” he’d grumble, reaching for the tobacco in his pocket. I quickened my step whenever John puffed on his pipe, trying to reach the smoke without clipping the backs of his old leather boots. Woodsmen like John know that smoke […]
In town
I followed my mother down a winding forest path. The trail head peaks through the trees that line the softball field down the street from my house. You wouldn’t know it was there if you weren’t looking for it. Gnarled tree roots reach up from the soil, weaving across the path—the perfect snare for an imprecise step. Gusts of wind had recently […]
Beyond the Landfill
Every day, roughly 8,000 tonnes of rubbish are collected from the capital city of Jakarta before ending up at Bantar Gebang, the largest landfill in Southeast Asia. Just two decades ago, the area was covered with paddy fields before it was bought by the state and later converted into a landfill. Being in Bantar Gebang for the first time, I wasn’t struck by the monumental size of the landfill as much as the sight of dozens of people working tirelessly from the base to the very top […]
Reformist // Revolutionary – Not a Dichotomy: A Reflection on Organizing Strategies in the WesPac Movement in Pittsburg, CA
Introduction I quickly walk over to the building that houses Greg’s insurance agency, as well as other suites – I am running late. The downtown area brings back a flood of memories: running to the marina for cross country practice, eating at the New Mecca Cafe, and visiting the farmer’s market with my dad. But most importantly, and what brought […]