Brittney Cooper writes for Salon about the “mundane terror” of the school-to-prison pipeline in America: “What struck me and many others with whom I spoke on social media, was the quiet resolve of the young girl who was attacked, as she saw the officer escalating…. It is almost as if she knew his brutality was coming, almost as if she were steeling herself for the blow, almost as if she was no stranger to having somebody with power put his hands on her, almost as if she were sure that no one would stand up to protect her. If those were her calculations, she was right on every count.”
Over at English Kills Review, Roberto F. Santiago interviewed Weird Sister guest contributor Loma about their new chapbook, SAD GIRL POEMS (Sibling Rivalry Press, 1/30/16): “My intent was to harness an emotion ‘sadness.’ Thus, I distorted a lot of my experiences in the work (I lied) in order to find a smaller truth in the poem (that I was hurt and looking for a way to heal). I think the creation of this chapbook was on an individual level.”
Nicole Sealey interviewed Robin Coste Lewis, author of Voyage of the Sable Venus, as part of the PEN Ten series. Among many other things, she discusses obsessions and influences: “I’m influenced by writing and art that engages a certain kind of vulnerability (obsession) within the context of history. I’m compelled by projects that are, on the one hand, aware of the grander frame in which we all live, while simultaneously rooted very deeply in the specific.”
Also be sure and check out Tracy K. Smith and Gregory Pardlo in conversation about poetry, family, confessionalism, and stubbornness at Literary Hub.
Alice Bolin’s Teen Witch’s Guide to Staying Alive seamlessly interweaves Teen Witch (movie and book), the 90s, eating disorders, female identity, and survival: “Witch identity is something deeper, something touching the heart of loneliness.” Bonus: it includes this classic scene from Teen Witch.
Amina Cain also touches on the subjects of identity and self-policing in FULL STOP: “Is the self what we’ve lived through, what we’ve felt and thought? Is it what we’ve gone towards, or what we haven’t gone towards but have instead intensely imagined? Is it what we have written? I think the self is everything that flows through us — thoughts, impressions, emotions, states of being — that we are mediums for life, for experience, while we are here.”
Gilmore Girls is set to return to television (well, Netflix) with a brand-new 4-episode season. Over at Rookie, Upasna Barath reflects on her relationship with her mother and its strong resemblance to Lorelai and Rory’s.
Directors Rita Coburn Whack and Bob Hercules are working on the first-ever documentary about Dr. Maya Angelou’s life, which will air in 2016 on PBS. You can view a teaser video and help finance the movie at their Kickstarter page.
Do you live in LA? Today is the last day to visit Killjoy’s Kastle, a lesbian feminist haunted house in West Hollywood.
Do you live in New York? Don’t miss our WEIRD SISTER TURNS ONE Halloween party tonight!
What did we miss this week? Let us know in the comments! <3
