Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker: Why the Backlash?

I saw the ultimate chapter of the original Star Wars last night. Viscerally, it brought back the sights, sounds, smells, and topoi--sites for conversation and debate in "rhetoric speak"--of my preteen world. It was a world in which we kids would ride our bikes in the neighborhood, fending off swarms of gnats at dusk. My… Continue reading Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker: Why the Backlash?

The Notorious RBG and Social Responsibility

I was recently at a talk presented by Katie Gibson, an academic colleague based on her excellent book Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Legacy of Dissent: Feminist Rhetoric and the Law. In this work, Professor Gibson documents the evolution of the Justice's feminist consciousness and legal strategies. RBG's legal rhetoric has invoked many decades of feminist thought.… Continue reading The Notorious RBG and Social Responsibility

Notice

Giving Notice She asks, did you feel that, or was it Hugo under the bed? Hugo indeed had flattened himself against the floor under the bed, like he does in elevators. I said, I didn’t feel anything. Most significant tremblor in decades it turns out. Tonight there will be fireworks for atrocity children in cages… Continue reading Notice

Trans Migrant Murders and the Importance of Intersectionality

Transgender asylum seeker Johana Medina, a refugee from El Salvador, died in ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) custody on 1 June, the first day of Pride month. Medina is the 23rd transgender person to die in ICE custody. The horrific deaths of trans persons detained by Immigration and Customs and Enforcement are murders, and blame… Continue reading Trans Migrant Murders and the Importance of Intersectionality