Category: Politics

  • Politics at Tin House

    Tin House is putting together another interesting issue for this coming fall.  If you’ve got stories involving political trends, you might try them out there: Fall, 2008, the Tin House Political Issue We are now reading for forward-looking political writing. Emphasis on forward-thinking, projections of trends and counter trends (no utopias or dystopias). With nonfiction,…

  • I’m listening

    Ever wonder what some of our political representatives really think? Here’s Oklahoma representative Sally Kern, revealing her true beliefs about something she obviously knows nothing about. And, Sally, indoctrination has always been a part of public education. You’re just upset that some schools aren’t teaching your beliefs about the world any longer. And as for…

  • Who we think we are

    An interesting analysis of the racial divide in America at the NYT, and how what we’ve been taught to think about homogeneous rural people and people from diverse urban centers doesn’t turn out to be true, at least when it comes down to who they’re voting for: The assumption has always been that a black…

  • Making the news

    The reporter from the Chicago Tribune that interviewed me did indeed end up writing a story that made use of a quote from me. However, the version with me quoted in it appears in the Kansas City Star, rather than the version in the Chicago Tribune, where the editor must have clipped it out.

  • NYT in Youngstown

    As mentioned in a previous entry, the city is populated with politicians and reporters at the moment, which is both interesting and creepy.  On one hand, I think this region is deserving of more attention.  On the other hand, it seems late in the game.  But better late than never?  I dunno.  Maybe. Here’s an…

  • Caught in the middle

    Listen up, Midwesterners. This is all about your future.

  • Why are they running around Youngstown and NE Ohio?

    Why are Obama and Clinton running around Youngstown and its surrounding suburbs like it’s the newest thing since, well, whatever–you know that saying. It’s been so strange these recent days leading up to March 4th to see so much attention being paid to this area. Part of me, frankly, wants to give any of these…

  • Excerpt from a letter to a friend

    Something I wrote to a friend today: Like you said, Hilary is a strategist, and it is just so evident.  I agree with you on how the president sets the tone, too, a sort of narrative for the country.  But interestingly enough, yesterday I was listening to NPR and this English man living in America–a…

  • Poverty is Poison

    And telling stories can sometimes be part of the antidote.

  • Obama at YSU

    Obama came to Youngstown State University to speak to a crowd of 6000 today. I was down in the pit with a couple of friends, about ten feet from the stage, and had a good view of him. Took some pictures (and also some video, but I held the camera up and down instead of…