Category: Poiesis

by jad

Nuclear History is in the Present Tense

In “By the Bomb’s Early Light,” Paul Boyer writes about the ebbs and flows of nuclear criticism as atomic dreams and radioactive nightmares danced across this nation’s psyche throughout the Cold War. He wrote his book during such a peak and prefaced his second edition with a question about the next peak to come, as the Cold War had been called off by then. In the intervening years, there have been blips of renewed interest, especially around the time of the radioactive catastrophe at Fukushima, but with rising geopolitical tensions and increased climate emergency, it seems like we’re re-entering another … Continue reading “Nuclear History is in the Present Tense” →

by jad

(NON)INCONJUNCT

For those of you who’ve been following for a while, you might have noticed that we’ve finally called it quits on @inconjunct. The project came together without warning and fizzled out just as spectacularly, which is cool and sad and not atypical: I make myself available to the universe, come what may. Thanks to everyone who supported us while it lasted. Done, done, on to the next one.

by jad

Light Again

I’m thinking about light because it struck me the other day how I seem to be turning more and more towards words as my mood has darkened, less able or willing or interested in reaching for my camera as well. It’s like my field of vision has narrowed along with the aperture of my heart, my eyes fixated on a single point directly in front of me. Making an effort to look around me has been an exercise in self-care. I’ve been seeking out the light; the camera helps with that. Despite everything the world might be saying right now, … Continue reading “Light Again” →

by jad

The Dream of Palestine

I shared yesterday how I’m seeing more people talking about Palestine for the first time, and I thought about posting those thoughts in a way that might facilitate further sharing. But as I was thinking about doing that, I started reflecting on how I started talking about Palestine myself. About the people I met along the way, the voices I’ve centered, and the faces I’ve left outside the frame. I’m still going to share what I intended, but I want you to read the rest of this with that interior eye wide open: how did you come to think what … Continue reading “The Dream of Palestine” →

by jad

Nuclear Specters

It struck me as morbid irony to read about justifications in diplomatic circles of the current carnage in Gaza that apparently make reference to the atomic bomb. Apparently, these references have shocked the sensibilities of the American interlocuters who leaked those conversations. Apparently, they’d forgotten who unleashed this moral stain on the history of mankind in the first place. A shocking reference point and a mirror to blink back at. We are still living in the long shadow of WWII. These claims of self-preservation; this righteous indignation; these dying and dead — they are a legacy of that monstrous era. … Continue reading “Nuclear Specters” →

by jad

Gaza & Holga Week

I find it poignant that the shots that barely survived my Holga malfunction were taken just before the awful end to Holga Week, when many of us woke up to news of a new wave of violence in Palestine. I’d been jolted awake for some reason at 2:00 or 3:00 am that Saturday and spent the rest of the morning glued to my phone, scrolling through the news until it was time for morning prayers at the retreat I’d been begrudgingly signed up for — it was one of those work-related things I was technically allowed to say no to … Continue reading “Gaza & Holga Week” →

by jad

The Compass Still Points to Palestine

Have you heard of Handala? He’s a little cartoon boy with his back turned and his hands clasped behind his back, a posture I find myself instinctually taking at protests like these. Handala turned his back to the audience in 1973 and became a symbol of refusal and more – in the words of the man who drew him, Handala was “the arrow of the compass, pointing steadily towards Palestine. Not just Palestine in geographical terms, but Palestine in its humanitarian sense—the symbol of a just cause, whether it is located in Egypt, Vietnam or South Africa.” I say “was” … Continue reading “The Compass Still Points to Palestine” →

by jad

In the Shadow of Hiroshima…

In the shadow of Hiroshima, Günther Anders argued for a renaissance of the imagination over mere perception: “Not only has imagination ceased to live up to production, but feeling has ceased to live up to responsibility. It may still be possible to imagine or to repent the murdering of one fellow man, or even to shoulder responsibility for it; but to picture the liquidation of one hundred thousand fellow men definitely surpasses our power of imagination. The greater the possible effect of our actions, the less are we able to visualize it, to repent of it or to feel responsible … Continue reading “In the Shadow of Hiroshima…” →

by jad

Seattle’s Nuclear History: James Acord

“Art and science are parallel paths to truth and understanding.” This is a quote that a Seattle artist I just connected with shared with me. It’s something James Acord said and believed. It’s something I believe in as well. Acord’s faith in the “transmuting” power of art was relentless, giving him the stamina to pursue his life’s work for decades. This is how he became the only private individual in history with a radioactive materials handling license: WN-10407-1, a number he tattooed on the back of his neck. His pursuit cost him dearly, not unlike Will Navidson in Mark Z. … Continue reading “Seattle’s Nuclear History: James Acord” →