Margaux Lopez > Recent Status Updates

Really cool to read more about the unemployment councils of the Great Depression and that their main focus was on eviction prevention. There was an emphasis on the limits of the "self-relief" model, aka - mutual aid. However, there were a lot of victories in preventing eviction and this does get my gears turning around the potential for a housing centered mass org to build on the lessons of these councils.

I inherited all of the Leaphorn & Chee novels so now I have to read them. Hillerman is an interesting dude - apparently accurate & respectful in his depiction of indigenous (mostly dine) culture but. . . he was a white guy. It sounds like most older natives love this series, because it was all they had at the time representation wise - but younger folks are more rightfully skeptical and advocate native authors.

Navigating the process of alienating the relationship of "friend" from that of "comrade" is an especially tricky thing to do - but essential for one to participate in comradeship. I like that Jodi Dean says here "Collectivity replaces the singularity of friendship" and reminds us that "comrade" is a utopian idea we strive for, and a single misstep does not unmake a comrade, but can actually give them room to grow.

All communities are affected by sexual violence - it is key for us to build structures that account for the safety of the victim, rehabilitation of the offender and to address community harm. This restorative approach feels like the correct path forward in a society beyond capitalism and in any organizations that want to get there.

The concept that our comradeship is based in shared struggle - across the divides of identity leaves room for us to both acknowledge that as comrades we must do better to fight internal prejudice - as well as the need for us to forgive each other when we wrong one another. Our experiences both as victims and offenders are shaped by our conditions.

The first third of this book was meh. Transitioning over into the darker stuff like using bodily fluids and animal parts in spell craft things got more interesting. I do think that because of the HEAVY influence of Wicca in the witchcraft/metaphysical/neo-pagan world it isn't super often that you run into these discussions, which is rather unfortunate because of the potency of these objects and their symbolism.

It is STRIKE -ing that there was so much red baiting during the strike wave of 1919 but I guess it makes sense considering the Russian Revolution happened 2 years prior. I am also taken aback by the amount of union leaders that disagreed with their workers and actually ended up pushing folks out of unions because they opposed strikes. The level of radicalism within the ranks of workers is badass.

Jodi Dean's framing of allyship firmly within identity politics, and thus within a context of individualism really makes me understand identity politics in a new dimension. Her argument for comradeship over allyship and the importance of not only a shared political vision, but a shared responsibility towards political education is compelling.

"witness the walkout last week of women workers on feathers and artificial flowers, who want a forty-four-hour week and the abolition of home work Even the scrub-women employed in a downtown building struck and put strikebreakers to rout with their mop handles."

Girly pops beating scabs with mop handles is peak labor history

Seattle strike of 1919 is the GOAT

This book is so dreamy and wonderful

Wow this is already a banger. Tanith Lee can world-build. Also I am a suckered for the soft lit glow of the 80s future lol.

My second sci-fi book about dreams this year!!!