This essay follows Black culture in the United States through the lens of gangsta rap. This musical art functions as a window into the hidden consciousness of post-industrial, working class, African American society. To listen to the legendary lyrics of individuals like Ice-T and Tupac Shakur is to tap in to an expansive network of […]

There is something special about being a new intern. It reminds me of being in a foreign country – everything a mystery, glistening with newness and awe. The unfamiliar faces and languages heighten a girl’s senses, enabling her to pick up on even the faintest of nuances. This state of careful observation, sparked by a […]

Day after day, chattering, basket-carrying, cart-pushing humans pass me by. Occasionally they stop to sniff my cherry-colored petals or grope one of my leaves, and then continue on. Life in the flower shop is simple, expected, routine. The owners feed me, water me, keep me clean and warm. They trim me every Tuesday and splash […]

This past quarter I was first exposed to the illogic of war. For weeks I felt a welling up of grief – an accumulation of pain, horror and sorrow growing out of my sudden introduction to necropolitics and the ruthless machine we call war. Like an insurgency no longer able to resist the humiliation of […]

In August 2013 I was arrested and detained at the border of Washington and Canada. My hands were held behind my lower back as a young officer locked me inside a steel, windowless room. Outside, while the older, higher ranking officer raided our car, stealing food, wine, tobacco and other possessions he saw as unfit […]

Two of human kind’s most innate motivations are death and sex. Yet the United States operates under a complex social system that systematically denies both. Mass denial of death hinders human thought and movement through the world, and the incessant refusal to acknowledge sexuality in its array of forms impedes healthy, respectful engagement between humans. […]

Why are we told to think positively and to look on the bright side of things? Can facing the dark side of things or embracing circumstances of loss and failure offer alternative perspectives, which in turn offer different rewards? Is there an alternative to naïve optimism that can help us gain a humble sense of […]

The sky was open and the smell of spring was hitching a ride upon the wind. Nature had gathered around my window as it does every morning, waiting patiently for my rise. I was eager to release my subconscious self and greet the redwood trees, but an unbearably bright light kept me from opening my eyes. […]

Science is dedicated to solving puzzles. When one piece is missing, we see its silhouette. We can visualize its size, shape, even color or pattern. Thus, scientific research does not produce novelty. While research does take both money and talent, it is often confirming what we already know or what we want to know. There […]