Gratitude and good news
Vol. 78
In This Issue: ESSAY | NOW READ THIS | LISTEN UP | TAKE ACTION | FINAL FRAME
I’ve started and stopped writing this newsletter something like five times over the past month. My writer’s block often manifests as too many ideas and not enough time or mental bandwidth to sit still long enough to flesh them out. That’s been the case more often than not as the world around me seems to spiral faster and further out every day. Even my efforts to “zoom in” on more local issues feels overwhelming right now. There’s just…so much.
But hey, today is my 44th birthday, and as a true Sagittarius, I’m choosing to celebrate by focusing on some of the good stuff that’s still very much present in my life. Call it stubborn optimism, call it delusional. Reflecting on things I’m grateful for and positive things happening in the world doesn’t make the bad stuff go away but it sure as shit makes me feel more capable of facing it.
So my gift to myself–and, I hope, to y’all–is this short list of things that have recently made me happy. May it bring a little light to your week.
1. The buffalo came home (again)
I had the great good fortune to be present in Middle Village, on the Menominee reservation in northeast Wisconsin, earlier this week for a Buffalo Homecoming celebration. On a cold, cloudy afternoon, nine buffalo relatives were released onto Menominee land to shouts of joy, adding to the fifty-odd buffalo herd that’s been returned to and growing on the reservation since 2022.
I was present for the first round of transfers back then, too, but on the other end–where the buffalo were rounded up from a large herd in Illinois and then driven north, reuniting the Menominee people with buffalo for the first time in some 250 years. So it was extra gratifying to finally be able to see them on the release end, galloping through the fields of their new home, surrounded by a large, intergenerational community gathering to celebrate the occasion. It’s an incredible and humbling experience.
All kudos goes to Medicine Fish, the InterTribal Buffalo Council, and the Menominee Buffalo Initiative for the incredible work that’s gone into making all of this happen.
2. Sarah McLachlan is still my number one
When I was in middle school, my older sister introduced me to Sarah’s second album, “Solace,” followed in short order by her third, “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,” and I fell pretty instantly in love. From there, I jumped into fandom, chatting with fellow “Fumblers” on nascent internet mailing lists, following her through three years of Lilith Fair, and then onward until present day when my extra self even sings in a Sarah McLachlan tribute band. Some music just wraps itself around your brainstem at a crucial time and place in your life and stays with you forever. Which is why I took myself on a pre-birthday trip last weekend to catch her on a tour stop for her new album at the gorgeous, historic Auditorium Theater in downtown Chicago. And she’s just as–if not more so–incredible as ever. That voice! That down-to-earth-humor! Those gorgeously dark songs about heartbreak and longing and fucking up! I love music and all it does to/for us.
3. Speaking of music…
Maddie, lead singer/songwriter of LINE–with whom I’ve been playing drums for the past couple of years–just released a new 4-song EP of more pared down, atmospheric, gorgeous indie folk. It’s called “The Woodside Sessions” and you should definitely give it a listen (and a buy, if so inclined). Maddie just moved to NYC to further their music career, which is bittersweet for me: Sad to have another dear friend and music collaborator move away, thrilled for/proud of them for making the big leap to chase their dream. Go support them with your ears and/or dollars, please!
4. Two good people I know are running for governor!
Strange and awesome to have reached a point in my life where people I know and like are running for (and often being elected to) public office. Sometimes I forget that me and my age cohort aren’t teenagers anymore? Then again, I’m not surprised when people I know to be awesome, smart, caring, and driven are out there trying to make a damn difference.
I’m specifically talking about Francesca Hong and Kelda Roys, both currently vying for the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin. I’ve known both of them for several years and have been impressed by their work. I think either would make an excellent governor and urge you to dig deeper into their platforms. This is going to be an absolutely crucial election. I’m honestly a little terrified of what happens if we end up with any Republican at all, but I feel cautiously optimistic about the opportunity to continue steering this state back into its progressive tradition, one that builds a better, healthier, safer home for every person. Both Fran and Kelda get that.
5. Wisconsinites hate data centers–and are winning
The minute I saw Charlie Berens post a video explaining why data centers are bad and urging his followers to push back against their proliferation in the state, I knew the game had changed. For the past couple of years, I’ve been watching with alarm the rapid and seemingly unchecked expansion of energy-and-water-consuming data centers across the country. I read about the environmental racism that came along with them, the pollution, and the way their enormous energy demands are driving a serious rollback of climate goals via the new and rebooted fossil fuel plants needed to power them.
It’s been incredibly heartening then to see the growing, organized, grassroots, and bipartisan resistance to the data centers. Right here in Wisconsin, the community of Caledonia successfully blocked a Microsoft data center, and Port Washington’s residents continue to fight another planned center there. The fight is far from over, but I see more and more of an appetite and a path forward for meaningfully resisting the unchecked expansion of these power-sucking projects.
6. In the face of ICE terrorism, cities are fighting back
Trump’s gestapo, aka ICE, continue to run roughshod over our Constitution and basic human dignity with their vicious, racist attacks and kidnappings across the country. It’s horrifying to watch unfold, and infuriating to see such paltry resistance (when it’s not open support) coming from Congress. However, everyday people in cities most targeted by ICE’s roundups are showing enormous courage and solidarity in support of their neighbors and strangers alike. They’re showing us what’s possible when we band together against the forces of facism. From mass protests and student walkouts, to human shields and volunteer rapid response and alert teams, to delivering groceries and other aid to people afraid to leave their homes–people are showing up for each other in ways large and small. It all matters. And it’s all inspiring. I hope we all find ways to plug in and offer support however best fits our abilities and means. Now is not the time to cower in fear and isolation, but to reach out, connect, and get involved.
7. The salmon know the way
Thanks to years of advocacy work by the Klamath Tribes in northern California, four aging hydroelectric dams were removed from the Klamath River a year ago in an effort to restore river health and the traditional Chinook salmon runs within it. And, incredibly, they’ve done just that, returning in much greater numbers and further upriver than anticipated.
Similar dam removal efforts are underway in various parts of the country and don’t come without controversy or pushback. And while I’m all for thoughtful and transparent processes to ensure regular folks aren’t harmed, I’m positive that the end goal is a net benefit for nature and people. It’s really amazing to see such a clear (and quick!) example of what’s possible when we simply allow nature to take its course.
Now Read This.
“I want you to understand Chicago” [Kyle Kingsbury]
This weight presses on me every day. I am flooded with stories. There are so many I cannot remember them all; cannot keep straight who was gassed, beaten, abducted, or shot. I write to leave a record, to stare at the track of the tornado. I write to leave a warning. I write to call for help.
“A 5,200-year-old canoe was among 6 found in Lake Mendota this year” [Barry Adams for the Wisconsin State Journal]
The 5,200-year-old canoe, found closer to the golf course, was likely crafted sometime around 3000 BC, before the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in Egypt and around the time of the invention of writing in Sumer. The canoe helps further put in context just how long people have been calling what is now known as Madison their home.
“‘One Battle After Another’ Shows Christians How to ‘Work For the Peace of the City'” [Georgia Coley for Sojourners]
Yes, we occasionally play offense, but far more often and much less glamorously, we play defense. We build networks and bonds of community, depending on others and allowing others to depend on us—moving toward people instead of away from them. We grow gardens, both literal and spiritual, not just to feed our nuclear family in an isolated bunker, but to feed others too.
“‘I Lost Everything’: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime” [ProPublica]
Federal prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against anyone who was arrested. Nor have they revealed any evidence showing that two immigrants arrested in the building belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, or even provided their names.
“To Honor Miss Major, We Fight for the Queer and Trans Spaces She Built” [Truthout]
A couple weeks back, Major said she wasn’t sure she was ready to go, that she thought there was still work she had to do. The collision of her relentless vitality with the condition of her human body was stark, but we assured her that there’s an army of people she’d inspired to keep the work going, and we recruit.
“Assata is Welcome Here” [Protean]
Fortunately, Assata left us with a map, a rich archive of her travails, aspirations, and insights, written in her own words. This means that we are not compelled to remember Assata through the twisted logic of the FBI and establishment media, whose mission is to “make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent,” as Malcolm said. Rather, “we the people who are darker than blue,” will remember her for what she was to us: our Warrior Queen.
“A True American Tale: Indigenous Rights vs. Corporate Greed” [Truth Dig]
The fight by the Western Apache people to save Oak Flat once again highlights the limits of religious freedom for non-Christians.
“Why clergy should risk assault to protest ICE” [Michael Woolf]
For people wanting to experience God, we are more likely to meet the Divine trying to shut down the Broadview facility than we ever were in church. I say that as someone who leads a church for a living. God does not live in our houses of worship, but instead chooses to dwell with those who are bearing the brunt of cruelty in this moment.
Listen Up!
The new album from Sudan Archives, “THE BPM,” is incredible. No skips. Give it a listen/buy it here.
I’m also really enjoying Rosalia’s new album, “Lux,” which as best I can explain is a lush and varied orchestral-pop-experimental-R&B experience (where she sings in 13 different languages!) that’s well worth a close listen.
One of my favorite podcasts, Vibe Check, had author/poet/activist adrienne marie brown on recently and I can’t recommend it enough. A timely and needed conversation about how to endure difficult times, find light and hope in the darkness, and learn to thrive within it.
Take Action.
Below you can find a list of three organizations in the Madison area that I recommend supporting right now. They consistently work to meet our community's needs and always need support to continue that good work–especially now, as more and more people/families are facing increased costs and cuts in service.
Healthy Food For All - This organization works diligently to redistribute food waste to pantries in need. They have a good pulse on what's going on on the ground and move large quantities of food quickly.
Community Action Coalition - A nonprofit working to end poverty and putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to food distribution. They supply pantries throughout the community but are looking to build needed infrastructure to make local food a part of the emergency food supply chain long term.
Second Harvest - They are the largest provider of emergency food in Dane County. They are largely concerned with redistributing industrial scale excess food to populations in need. They have been working to divert funding to innovative programming such as REAP’s Farms to Families.
OutReach LGBTQ Community Center - Madison’s only community center focused on support for the queer and trans community, they offer a no-questions-asked food pantry, diverse support groups, free events, direct aid for those facing housing insecurity, and more.
Final Frame.
Stunning aurora borealis over Madison a few weeks ago. Still working on my night photography skills but I was so excited to finally see them again!
‘Til Next Time.
Take care of yourselves and be good to each other. Free Palestine.
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of their employer or other affiliations.
