I. Pre-
It’s been a few weeks—a blur of panic and anger and joy. I started a new job at Socrates Sculpture Park and at the same time finalized several projects that have been hovering in-progress. Still, the there’s a sinking feeling about our worsening reality.
The scale of death around us seems impossible to grasp, but I remain thankful for so much—for many generous collaborations and collaborators, for having space for poems and art, and for the breeze of a walk down the block with the dog, of a rooftop visit, or of an open window.
II. Postpone
A tired, tiring descriptor for too much for too long.
Yeah, we had to postpone it.
I’m not feeling well, let’s postpone?
First use: 15th century. Usual meaning.
From the Latin, combining “after” and “place.”
Place! How tenderly, gingerly; perhaps a linguistic counter to dislocation.
We can’t help but feel small delays like big mourning sometimes, or at least have one conjure the other. There are new cracks in our floor—on our footing—but for most, the deep instabilities are much older.
Like so much of our current/forever time scramble, I’m trying to find the ways our many re-arrangements result in more care, and normalize it in new ways. What moments of postponement are actually moments of needed pause? What space is made? Indeed, the space of no-work, no-production, no-motion can be the most lucid. What postponements are refusal of capitalist demands and pacing? There are enough real urgencies for us to fall into the trappings of constructed ones.
III. Re-Post
A big week of celebration, hope some of you can join in these festivities:
First, Connecticut Students for a Dream, an organization I’ve been involved in for almost 9 years (!) is turning 10 this year! To celebrate we’re hosting a Virtual Gala on Wednesday, December 16th at 6 pm, featuring Karla Cornejo Villavicencio and a certain DJ Queer Shoulders.
I’m so proud of my exhibition support structures, now on view through December 20th. Thank you to all who joined us for the opening walkthrough with Jeff Kasper last week (Transcript, Audio, and Video here, if you missed it!). Join us on Thursday, December 17th for our second program, Care Lab: A Workshop Lite/Care Space at 8 pm.
This week, we’re also celebrating the release of Volume 1 of already felt: poems in revolt & bounty (co-curated with my dearests Devyn Mañibo and Alexis Garcia Aceves) with a reading on Friday, December 18th featuring superstars Anaïs Duplan, Kemi Alabi, Kyle Carrero Lopez, Omotara James, and Yanyi at 8 PM EST. Thank you to everyone that has supported the project thus far, we can’t wait to share this gorgeous chapbook and set of broadsides with your all. Pre-orders will start shipping this month and a limited second run of our hand-bound chapbook is available on the Eventbrite link.
With light & care,
d