This Week's Writing 2/17/25

Cats are all breathlessly waiting for links!

Before I do that though; I wanted to mention that the Chicago Reader is facing a crisis. Without enough donations they’re likely to close—so please consider contributing.

I’ve been writing for the Reader for more than 20 years; they’ve been a regular source of income as well as a great community. They are currently not commissioning work, which means less money for me. It’s not an existential disaster, but it’s not ideal either. So if you were thinking of becoming a paying subscriber to this newsletter, now would be a good time.

Okay! This is what I published this week!

Politics

How liberalism uses Jews, and why it shouldn’t do that. (Liberal Currents)

Trump uses disaster relief to threaten and bully people. (Public Notice)

Fascism is an American tradition; Ds find it appealing too. (EIH)

Cultural Criticism

Contra television, being a cop is not a dangerous job. (EIH)

Got to write about the poppy math rock of Maps and Atlases. (Chicago Reader)

QUEER and unreal desire. (EIH)

DAUGHTERS can’t quite criticize prison. (EIH)

STRANGE DARLING is clever…withing limits. (EIH)

Poetry

“Every Word That Comes Right Before An Exclamation Mark in Action Comics #1 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster” (Oddball Magazine)

A poem of me wallowing in my literary irrelevance. (Synchronized Chaos)

Bleak poem for the moment. (Five Fleas)

each day I wake up
and wish
we were not in hell

A saccharine pet poem. (Five Fleas)

A Sad Dog Story

I like to scritch you,
but I don’t want you to lick me.
You like to be scratched
but you want to lick me.
Every satisfaction is also an irritation.
Such are dogs and love.

And ICYMI, I shared the covers for my two upcoming poetry collections. (EIH)