Creativity is non-acceptance, wonder, rebellion
With creative writing, and even with art and photography, a text or work can be more powerful if it shows the thing (the person, event, issue, landscape) without directly mentioning it. It's not just about leaving room for the imagination, but about adding depth by going beyond the obvious. Subtext and hinting is expressive and... Continue Reading →
Why the hero of my latest novel is an old woman refugee “I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It's so fuckin' heroic.” ― George Carlin “No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going... Continue Reading →
Three writing exercises to help face difficult times, injustice, anger, and the news.
The following is my translation of a story by Isis Samaniego, with their permission. Samaniego is a writer based in Puebla, Mexico and originally from Veracruz. They founded the publishing house, Ediciones Ají, and have published numerous books of stories and poems. The below story is part of a collection that make use of older... Continue Reading →
I wonder what the tiny hummingbirds and pink-white bougainvillea trees and lizard babies with their wide, searching eyes think of the country run by organised crime and transnationals when they stumble upon disappeared activists hidden in wells bought judges, dead rivers, industrial towns and zombied shoppers what kind of ecosystem do they think they have... Continue Reading →
If you're sick of scrolling through endless social media ads and other types of spam to get to decent content, newsletters are one option that can help you stay up-to-date and informed in an intentional way, without all the other crap getting in the way. Below I list some quality, free, non-promotional newsletters. These are... Continue Reading →
From hundreds of thousands to sometimes a million people marching in major cities, through to cultural events, rallies, and speak-outs in thousands of towns and smaller cities around the world, people have mobilised to speak up for Gazans. That creativity, regional diversity and passion can be seen in this collection of protest posters from around... Continue Reading →
On my last day in Marrakech, I went to a cultural space to the south of the Medina. There was Saharan music at 7pm, and I got there just before and ordered some food. The sun was setting, so I went up to the roof and took photos. A woman was on another nearby roof... Continue Reading →
Palestinian poet and author Heba Abu Nada's last tweet before she was killed by Israeli airstrikes. And here is a video where she is reciting one of her poems (translated, somewhat roughly, to English).
So much cool stuff to share. I love how in slam poetry people just say it like it is and that is the point. Unlike other mediums where it's frowned on to just scream out what isn't f-ing okay. At a time when the media is leaving big holes in its coverage of the coups... Continue Reading →
The greater our level of involvement in a project or endeavour - whether it's writing a novel, championing a movement, making home improvements, or even raising children - the more challenging it becomes to perceive our work objectively. When we get to a point where we have been working on the project for a very... Continue Reading →
On Friday, there was a mass shooting in Chiapas, Mexico, and seven Tzotzil people were murdered. But there was zero coverage in the English media, because it happened in Mexico and not the US, and because they were original people, not wealthy tourists. The seven people had fled their homes due to violence in the... Continue Reading →
“Get rid of stuff you don’t need”, “throw out extra sheets”, “I threw out 90% of my stuff and you should too,” some people are saying on social networks, as though there were a black hole in the sky where stuff goes, and no environmental consequences to landfill. As though, for some, destressing were as... Continue Reading →
The people were shot down in the streets with no regard for age or sex, many women and children being among the slain. They were pursued to their homes, dragged from their hiding places and shot to death.
“But I don't shut up and I don't die.I liveand fight, maddeningthose who rule my country. For if I liveI fight,and if I fightI contribute to the dawn.”― Otto Rene Castillo There is a poem stuck to the door of the small room where I work and write, and it's by Otto Rene Castillo. It's about... Continue Reading →
Here are a few of my own poems, written in moments of nostalgia, sadness, and anger. -Tamara Pearson A well-contained crossness she was so silencedher broken glass ragewas sandsitting as little hillsin the landscapes of her feetshe stayed a mother and wifewell after the man and children were goneunable to pronounceher needsNo one, no place,... Continue Reading →
Mexican movements create artistic, poetic, powerful, and creative posters to build events and support causes. A lot of symbolism and references to Indigenous culture are used. Below are just a few of some of the awesome posters used by organizations over the past year. No fearful, nor obedient, nor submissive - It's women's time Unity... Continue Reading →
Yassin is a Palestinian writer living in Israel, and her poems are youthful, raw, and sincere. I've picked three that I particularly loved, and you can find more prose and poetry on her blog. No wonder we throw stones On the morning of 12th August,My house was razed to the groundIn Silwan, where I was... Continue Reading →
With the pressure to get all the many many tasks done and with most people writing on the side, on top of actual paid work, it can be very easy to slip into task mode as well while writing. We only have an hour or two and we want to get as much done as... Continue Reading →
resistance words 