They kettled… the police? University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne, I owe you an apology. I wasn’t familiar with your game.

Pen didn’t pay incarcerated writers. I know folx who left their positions there. Miss me w/ this banned books stuff. Single-issue organizing is one of the most annoying things abt the liberal faux-vanguard. Solve the large foundational issue, the individuals ones will follow.

Folks love to talk about the South as a hotbed of close-minded conservatism, but when the South is the one *leading* radical activist movements—crickets. Vandy’s been up for a calendar month now. Support them, amplify them, follow @vanderbiltdivestcoalition on Insta.

ATTN: Nonprofit Small Presses affected by SPD’s closure— as a current Poetry Foundation grantee, we were one of the presses mentioned in the announcement that received expedited support (it’s listed as an offline donation in our GoFundMe). Apply if you have unexpected costs!

With others, I salute #HelenVendler , her rare mind for poetry, esp. #JohnAshbery , & her good heart. I have story or two, but nothing to match this, from #RitaDove :

As public support swings to student protesters getting brutalized and arrested (support goes up when public sees state suppression), the ‘outside agitators’ narrative will get deployed across the country as it was at Columbia. The story will be ‘it’s not these college kids…’

The Rumpus is closing out this week in our National Poetry Month series with a breathtaking poem by Suzi F Garcia! In a quiet moment, sit with Suzi's 'On the Bus Ride from Arkansas to Michigan, the Window Frames Me' and be transported. Enjoy and share!
therumpus.net/2024/04/19/nat…

Week two of National Poetry Month 2024 is over! Read all of the poems we shared this week, with work by Anthony Cody, Siwar Masannat, KB Brookins, chrysanthemum 🌼, and Suzi F Garcia. And keep your eyes peeled for next week's Friday NPM roundup.

➡️therumpus.net/sections/blogs…

I have deep respect & reverence to my elders, especially my literary elders, and all who hold me close can attest to this. So the suggestion that somehow, at my behest, an elder was asked to participate in a protest LEST be shunned is a violent mischaracterization of my actions