“Indeed, we are all implicated in Iowa.”  –Heather Anne Swanson, “The Banality of the Anthropocene”Crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Iowa by car is an almost effortless glide, eliding entirely the forceful pull of the Great River and the centuries of violence greater still that harnessed its bucking current into an engine of commerce unsuitable for fishing, swimming, or drinking. It’s difficult to imagine that this momentary glimpse of blue in my peripheral vision was once the artery from which fortunes gushed or trickled, the playground where the nineteenth...…“Indeed, we are all implicated in Iowa.”  –Heather Anne Swanson, “The Banality of the Anthropocene”Crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Iowa by car is an almost effortless glide, eliding entirely the forceful pull of the Great River and the centuries of violence greater still that harnessed its bucking current into an engine of commerce unsuitable for fishing, swimming, or drinking. It’s difficult to imagine that this momentary glimpse of blue in my peripheral vision was once the artery from which fortunes gushed or trickled, the playground where the nineteenth...WW…

For the fall 2023 semester, I was hired as an adjunct lecturer to teach Dance 540, the history/theory seminar for graduate students in the dance department at Smith College. On Wednesday November 1, 2023, I was summoned to meet with the Associate Provost and the Director of HR Consulting. They promptly fired me in a meeting that lasted five minutes. They let me know that I am now banned from the Smith campus and am not permitted to be in communication with Smith students. A letter sent to me after this meeting stated that my employment at Smith College has ended effective immediately “for...…For the fall 2023 semester, I was hired as an adjunct lecturer to teach Dance 540, the history/theory seminar for graduate students in the dance department at Smith College. On Wednesday November 1, 2023, I was summoned to meet with the Associate Provost and the Director of HR Consulting. They promptly fired me in a meeting that lasted five minutes. They let me know that I am now banned from the Smith campus and am not permitted to be in communication with Smith students. A letter sent to me after this meeting stated that my employment at Smith College has ended effective immediately “for...WW…

As events in Gaza rapidly unfold, Hard Crackers spoke with Noor Salah, a Palestinian-American activist living in the United States. Hard Crackers: Tell us about yourself.Noor Salah: I’m Palestinian-American, first generation born in the United States. I come from a family of activists on both sides, especially my maternal side. My father was particularly active when I was growing up, and both of my parents gave us a lot of political education on Palestine. Both sides of my family come from the West Bank. Today I am a part of a Palestinian community here in the United States.My mother’s...…As events in Gaza rapidly unfold, Hard Crackers spoke with Noor Salah, a Palestinian-American activist living in the United States. Hard Crackers: Tell us about yourself.Noor Salah: I’m Palestinian-American, first generation born in the United States. I come from a family of activists on both sides, especially my maternal side. My father was particularly active when I was growing up, and both of my parents gave us a lot of political education on Palestine. Both sides of my family come from the West Bank. Today I am a part of a Palestinian community here in the United States.My mother’s...WW…