On my way to Minneapolis. For a wedding, and conveniently timed to give me space to reflect.
The past several days have been filled with disorienting and powerful interactions that had just begun hinting at normalcy, and now I will jet from the familiar-unfamiliar to land in a soup of dichotomies: concrete and flesh, tears and […]

Here we are: orphans of truth in a society that continually casts meaning aside. We felt something inexplicable–a sense of purpose like a relic of childhood–a trailing cloud of glory that began fading long ago. Yet as we grew we could not ignore a sense of mystery shrouded beneath the rules and the routines. We […]

The next day is always rough, but I have never regretted staying up all night lost in conversation.

It was 10:30 PM, and we wanted pizza. We walked to the joint across the street. The door was locked. I thought they closed at 11? He opens the door. Oh, carryout ends at 10. We live right over there, so can we just bend the rules? What? A security issue? But you just opened […]

Last Friday I took part in Chicago’s Critical Mass. Rain was expected and it was the first Mass of the summer, so we numbered in the hundreds rather than thousands. Those who road found gorgeous weather, only light rain, and high spirits all around.
Hundreds of cyclists riding in unison tend to block traffic out of […]

The double-edged sword of overthinking is my favorite weapon. It lets me cut through the illusions with which society attacks while carving chunks of contentment from my life. The past few days have been fraught with existential turbulence. Social theory, emotions, and identity are all stirring in the brain cauldron, and I think the dish […]

…I’ve been in a Cloud Cult mood.

Capping a night filled with myriad events and intersecting cliques was a quick stop at a local bar. I got caught away from my group, and found myself in conversation with two 20-something women. One of them had an Obey pin on her cardigan. I asked her somewhat insidiously if she had attached it herself […]

It took me a long time to adjust to Chicago. I spent most the winter in a mild depression, learning about isolation and perseverance. I worked as a bike messenger for several months–begrudging the cold, sleeping harder than ever, and coming face to face with classism. Most of my energy was consumed by the daily […]

Hip hop was born under oppression. In its infancy, it was the voice of the voiceless. In adolescence, it connects strangers, challenges authority, and echoes from coast to coast. As it grows, however, it suffers acute memory loss. It breaks down during mid-life crisis, buys cars and jewelry, degrades women, and abandons its humble roots. […]