Bill Waterson, Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages,
1985 -1995; Exhibition Catalogue
Mar1
Feb28
never assume.
random nice people i’ve never met – ( photo courtesy of Wright Labs)
—
recently my friend roy, who is a fellow introvert, posted this:
‘as an INTROVERT, I can survive a lot..
but ‘let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves,’
is where I draw the line.’
I so get this.
while I love people, love being around them, and frequently talk to strangers, I much prefer small groups and having real conversations with one or two people rather than big party small talk, get nervous when I know I’m going to be called on, or when public speaking. (if I’m one on one with someone, I can talk for hours, much to their dismay.) when in a big group setting I hang out for a while, find a way to slip out before long using my Irish goodbye technique, and head home to relax and recharge.
another friend who also gets this, a very accomplished woman, was once in this situation and when it was her turn to introduce herself and share one thing, she was so nervous that she blurted out the only thing that came to mind and said, ‘my name is T, and I play with the squirrels in our backyard.’ the room was silent.
—
‘never assume that loud is strong and quiet is weak.’
-author unknown
Feb27
support for those still standing and fighting.
for my blog friend, Audrey, and all Minnesotans, who are still out there fighting, struggling, and just trying to live their lives. The surge continues. People are still being taken, traumatized, afraid to go to work or school, and while not in the big city of Minneapolis, the smaller towns are suffering too. Thank you for standing up and showing us the strength of community and for not giving up, we are learning how to be courageous and caring from you, I’m happy to support you and hope that others will too –
—
‘No more apologies for a bleeding heart when the opposite is no heart at all.
Danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.’
-Toni Morrison
Feb26
Black history.
Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968 and represented New York’s 12th congressional district for 7 terms. She helped to create the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In 1972 she became the first Black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for taking “a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices”, as well as being a strong supporter of black civil rights and women’s rights.
Born in New York City, she spent ages five through nine in Barbados. Shirley excelled at school and earned her college degree in the United States. She began working in early-childhood education, and became involved in local Democratic Party politics in the 1950s. In 1964, overcoming resistance because she was a woman, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. Four years later, she was elected to Congress, where she led the expansion of food and nutrition programs for the poor and rose to party leadership. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College while continuing her political organizing. Although nominated for the ambassadorship to Jamaica in 1993, health issues caused her to withdraw. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
—
‘Black history is world history.
it is not an elective, a footnote, or a trend.
it is the foundation, the blueprint
the unshakeable truth
that we have always been here –
building, creating, and leading.’
-andrea bolder
Feb25
noted.
while staying with the menagerie at my daughter’s house
we had the chance to watch a lot of the olympics together
some of us had strong opinions about the competition.
—
‘your opinion has been duly noted.’
-garfield the cat
—
art credit: babushka cat.com
Feb24
do what is right.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
