I was halfheartedly listening to the radio a few days ago when a woman, finishing up her interview, declared flatly: “God is on my side.” I punched the radio off and sat in the silence wondering why those words provoked such a powerful irritation in me. I used to be vehemently atheist and outspoken about […]
I love to read. There are many books that have changed my life through inspiration or escapism or a new way of seeing the world. I love to write. Poems and songs and essays and stories fill my computer and many journals. And yet. I never take the time to write to my favorite authors. In some ways, this […]
Audio Here you are right at my feet you’re unassuming, solid, sweet. You fit so tight and so complete that I forget the void beneath. You lay there still, but still I slip, you look like someplace I could trip, we met and then I lost my grip, look out below- manhole- I flip. From where I […]
Originally published by ModelD From where he sits in his tiny booth on the north side of the Fisher Building, Gerry can see about half of a city block. Gerry is the attendant for Tony’s Parking on Lothrop Street. He has spent at least 60 hours a week here for the past 30 years, and […]
It takes something truly egregious to catalyze public action – we all now know the harm that was done and the toxic combination of neglect and manipulation that led to it. Will Flint be the tipping point? Originally published by Occupy.com The violation of human rights in Michigan has been going on for […]
Originally published by ModelD Gov. Rick Snyder has apologized for the inexcusable failures of leadership that led to the current situation in Flint, where tens of thousands of individuals, including children, have been poisoned, dismissed, neglected, and lied to. What’s clear at this stage is that great harm has been done to both people and […]
When it started hard to say Couple hundred yesterdays Simple system growing cracks Auto business, off the tracks Getting mine means getting gone Whites flight from the red line zone Money tighter, feel the strain Pull the plug, choke the drain Safety net becomes swiss cheese poor is spreading like disease Trickle down […]
Get in your car. Wait for it to warm up, like he would do. When your impatience catches up to you, 20 seconds later, put the gear in drive and head onto the highway, north. Pass the 7-mile and 8-mile and 11-mile exits and the accompanying suburbs thereafter. Don’t check your phone or pick at […]
one I lived in a gleaming sterile 42-story complex in midtown Manhattan. It was one of the biggest buildings I’ve ever been in, but it still sat in the shadow of the Empire State Building just behind. New York has a way of offering a ready reminder that you can always have more. I never […]
Since I moved to this city, I’ve kept a note on my phone to keep track of the weird ways that my phone interprets the word Detroit. They’re not exactly electronic Freudian slips, but it’s still fascinating to see how my careless spelling is contorted. Det Riot Serpent Tide trot Detour Devote Fisher Dishrag Deceit Dwight Delete Elite Work […]
