Pinwheel Pinwheel
In the back of my classroom stands Blake’s car Bearing Dante’s blest Beatrice; In martial middle, ranked desks, each Packing a lexicon in undercarriage; On one book’s pressed pages, surprise!—a raised Nazi swastika. Find the kid who did it, turn him in to turn Him out? Or claim “a teaching moment,” Redeem the inditer, if woe Like that might ever be removed, might ever Cease being banal? Maybe one should give Credit—extra—for burning Hate not on synagogue wall or lav stall, But on language itself, on thought, A ready reference, a wrought Consciousness, edginess? Perhaps one must Pass on the sinner instead, deal with just The sin, that is, in all Literalness—save at least time and trouble, Change what can be changed, blacken out The offense with more ink (no doubt A “cover-up,” but what the hell)? Would “Wite- Out” be better? Or the ultimate hit, Scissor snipping, eh, bubba? We mouth each day, “…with liberty and justice For all,” and study Douglass, Twain, Truth, Addams, Joseph, Peltier, Tan, Cisneros, King, and on, but to what end? The Indian benediction is bent Backwards, blessing made curse, Love made hate, again and again, a wheeling Known all too well. Wheel, whorl, Blake-Dante Vortex, spirit-world spinning on, Esti, asti, ist, is… This then: add four More arms, close the figure, window it. More Pinwheel, if you will. Still.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Rod Kleber
Shelf Life Shelf Life
In Nell Zink’s The Wallcreeper, biology fails to determine anything at all.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Hannah Gold
Grim Reaper Edition Grim Reaper Edition
The best live shows, audiobooks and Eric's funeral playlist: it's all inside today's Altercation.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman
The ‘Immortal’ Judith Malina, 1926–2015 The ‘Immortal’ Judith Malina, 1926–2015
The founder of the Living Theater was absolute about her principles as a pacifist anarchist, yet never dismissive or judgmental toward those who didn’t share them.
Apr 13, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Alisa Solomon
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/9/15? What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/9/15?
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/9/15?
Apr 9, 2015 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation
Jobs and Empire Jobs and Empire
The music of Empire is the theology of capitalism.
Apr 8, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Joshua Clover
Development and Humanitarian Politics Development and Humanitarian Politics
Why debates about community development sidestep the issue of inequality.
Apr 8, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Jamie Martin
Forensic Translation Forensic Translation
Translation is not the art of failure but the art of the possible.
Apr 7, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Benjamin Paloff
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/3/15? What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/3/15?
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 4/3/15?
Apr 3, 2015 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation
What We Can Learn From the Workers, Activists and Even Politicians Who Tore Down the First Gilded Age What We Can Learn From the Workers, Activists and Even Politicians Who Tore Down the First Gilded Age
Americans were furious at the inequalities of their country 200 years ago. Could they get as angry today?
Apr 2, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Steve Fraser