Author Archives: beth

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About beth

Ann Arbor-ite writes about enjoying life with all of its ironies and surprises.
Feb24

do what is right.

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a large and passionate crowd turned out in the cold last night 

speakers, chanters, singers, hot cider, flags, signs, hand warmers

even a counter-protester

before the city council met

some community members

spoke at the meeting

the Romulus city council

unanimously approved a resolution

against a planned ICE detention center

in which they outbid an auto supply company

to purchase a vacant building in the city

during the meeting

the mayor  said the city will not issue a permit or a certificate of occupancy

unless mandated by a federal judge to do so

next step is to take it to the state

power of the people.

—

‘the time is always right to do what is right.’

-Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Feb23

american sampler.

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American Sampler

Activating the Archive

Guest Curator: Julie Ault, Artist

Jan, 2026 – Ongoing

Vertical Gallery

THE ART, LANGUAGE, AND LEGACY OF PROTEST

 This archive looks back to a period when protest reshaped the nation. Curated by MacArthur Fellow Julie Ault in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Labadie Collection of political dissent, this eighteen-month exhibition transforms UMMA’s towering Vertical Gallery into a living record of activism.

Bringing together artworks, archival documents, and rare ephemera from the 1950s through the 1970s, American Sampler explores the interconnected movements for Black Freedom, civil rights, and resistance to the Vietnam War—and the visual strategies that gave them power. Through striking juxtapositions of art and protest material, the exhibition asks visitors to consider how acts of dissent are built, communicated, and remembered.

Featuring works by Romare Bearden, Robert Indiana, Corita Kent, Jacob Lawrence, Nancy Spero, Félix González-Torres, and others alongside archival materials such as protest posters, Freedom Rider testimonials, GI resistance material, and courtroom records from the Chicago Seven trial, American Sampler uplifts the shared aims of art and activism. Opening in advance of the United States’ 250th anniversary, Ault offers a timely reflection on dissent as a cornerstone of American democracy and identity.

I went to see American Sampler and it was fascinating to see the artistic and written expression of artists, writers, and activists of the past. Original documents, posters, writings and historical pieces were on display, and I learned many new things about the history of politics, protest, and social movements in the process. Afterwords, I attended a discussion with the curator of the University of Michigan Library’s Labadie Collection, Julie Herrada, who worked closely with artist and curator, Julie Ault on the project.

—

“artists are the gatekeepers of truth.

we are civilization’s radical voice.”

-paul robeson

Feb22

the unusual suspects.

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the scene of the crime

down by the river near my house

no one left any fingerprints

whodunnit?

official lineup of suspects down at the station

all trying to look quite innocent 

who do you think it is?

 

 

—

‘and someone will say it was the dog.’

-Homer Simpson, the Simpsons

 

Feb21

embellished.

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 a fun evening

just what we needed

starting at the perpetually friendly irish pub

a short walk over to the show 

in my favorite

small music/performance venue

a night at the storytelling festival

great emcee

three judges

including one real world judge

just because 

six storytellers

liar’s contest night

fantastical funny tales 

unique styles

and a twist

so many laughs

 a giant check

for the winner at the end

really a win for all of us

especially if they share the check. 

 

—

”i always say show me a storyteller who doesn’t embellish,

and i’ll show you a bad one.’

-rabih alameddine

*Rabih Alameddine, born 1959, is a Lebanese painter and writer. He is the winner of the 2022  PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction.

Feb20

jumbled.

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i’m the house/menagerie sitter

for my daughter and her family

waiting for me at her house

two cats, kind of twin-ish

not always sure which is in or out or both?

also one of the sweetest dogs ever

 cocoa, like the chocolate

the pets must think me to be a monster

quickly found out the invisible fence isn’t working

when I let cocoa out

two different kind neighbors brought her home

the snow melted

on the day they left

she immediately has spring fever

 have to put cocoa on a long lead in the yard

she feels restricted refuses to walk around or sit down

just stares in the window sadly

can’t find her leash, have one delivered

we go on long walks

like steering an excitable pony

finally calming

 at about the forty minute mark

we are home again

now she is sad

when I eat and don’t share my food with her

 when i

work on a puzzle or write or watch a movie or read

or do anything else

she stands by me or lays by me and stares

 have to hide my eating, keep it a secret, open things silently

 feeling guilty

she has lots of food and water and a treat when she comes back inside

still feel guilty somehow

all three sleep with me

i carve out a spot in the middle

one cat gets up at 4;30 am

wakes up the whole menagerie

i try to play dead

none of them is buying it

boom

the new day officially begins

  put cocoa on the long lead outside

 still dark and too early to walk

  sad again and staring in the window

 all she wants

is to take off or come in and stare at me

one of the cat twins is yelling to go out

the other is circling me

everyone gets treats

 let sweet cocoa back in

 started raining in the ten minutes she was out

now muddy and wet

 wipe her down with a towel

cover the couch with beach towels

blow dry her whole body

wrap her in a blanket

she stares at me sadly from the couch

so dramatic

norma desmond in sunset boulevard

as I eat early breakfast silently

sip quiet giant coffee

one or two cats are somewhere

turn on the olympics

cocoa and i sit side by side touching on the sofa

staring

we have found our happy routine.

 

—

“humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.”

-christopher morley

Feb19

quiet, woodland roosters at play.

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out on a walk with my daughter’s dog

we happened upon

this rare sighting

of not one, but two

extremely rare

giant suburban festive woodland roosters

in their natural habitat

we quietly observed them from a safe distance

 took a photo for proof

(some people believe them to be extinct)

and were quickly on our way.

—

“when the rooster crows off the hour, don’t hesitate to adjust the time.”
– Sicilian proverb

Feb18

so many wins, so little time.

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roman emperor nero participated in the olympics

and won every event he entered

—

It’s hard to separate legend from reality when it comes to notorious Roman Emperor Nero, but it’s pretty clear that he loved the Olympic Games, which combined his enthusiasm for Greek culture and commitment to athleticism. In the year 66 CE, Nero planned a 15-month tour of Greece and went to great lengths to ensure that he would not only compete in the Olympic Games, but also win several laurels.

The first hurdle to cross was timing. The ancient Olympics took place once every four years, and Nero’s visit to Greece fell on an off year. No problem: The Greeks moved the Games, along with other festivals throughout the region, to coincide with the emperor’s visit.

Nero wanted to prove his prowess not only in sports, but in the arts, too. The ancient Olympics generally included just athletic events, but organizers tacked on musical events so the Roman leader could show off his acting and lyre-playing skills. Charioteering was one of Nero’s favorite activities, so of course he entered a chariot race. According to some versions of the story, he opted to compete in the four-horse chariot race with six extra horses, fell off his chariot,    and was declared the winner anyway. (Some sources report that it was a special 10-horse race.) Regardless of any mishaps, Nero was declared the winner in every event he participated in.

—

‘ego is the enemy of greatness.’

-the stoics

 

 

—

source credit: history facts, sara ann lloyd

 

 

 

Feb17

fire horse.

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Fire Horse by Victor Sanjinez

February 17, 2026, the Lunar New Year, sees the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs every 60 years

It’s a rare, highly energetic year symbolizing transformation, passion, independence, and dynamic change, intense fire energy for innovation and bold action, unstoppable momentum, ambition, and progress.

You can expect old patterns to break down to make way for new growth and creative forces. The Fire Horse fosters boldness, cultural expression, and a strong drive for self-expression and freedom.

—

let’s go!

Feb16

all the presidents then.

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not us, but similar free-ranging all-aged kids of the 60s

out on the suburban streets

of their neighborhood enjoying the day’s adventures

—

I remember being president, or at least co-president, junior president, vice president, secretary of the president, checker president (who checked a list to see who was there), or some title with the word president in it more than once, in our neighborhood clubs that we made up. we had a book club, bike club, exploring scary old houses club, safety drill club, walking far club (we took canteens), detective club… we loved to have clubs and we loved to have job titles, without really having any jobs to do. today, all these years later, on president’s day, I honor all of the kids who held our presidential positions and did our best to have fun adventures every day and make sure everybody was okay and got home for meals on time with both shoes.

—

‘i have no special talent. i am only passionately curious.’

-albert einstein

 

 

 

 

—

image credit: facebook

 

 

 

Feb15

yet another birthhhhhdknjllklpp.

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well, it’s a day late, but olive is 9!


typical birthday morning after

she has moved from the couch to a box on the floor with her festive things

—

 

FYI:

things that people with multiple cats do, ask one cat where the other one is.