1/2 Friends: It is a tough time. But here is something lovely: words from kids who participate in activities of Kids Poetry Studio that we have started in Odesa, Ukraine last year. Despite nonstop air raid sirens and electricity outages, kids write poems— poemsnotbombs.org

“Do not surrender prematurely.” —Timothy Snyder, on resisting authoritarianism

“The body, bald, cancerous, but still / beautiful enough” — Katie Farris

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Two major parties have put out front runners. But only one of them is twice-impeached convicted felon who is “too old and mentally unstable” to be a president. Just facts, folks.

Just a reminder that this did happen, and the person responsible for it should not be in the public office again:

Ilya Kaminsky in YOU ARE HERE ❤️ Ilya Kaminsky

poemsnotbombs.org

6/31 STANDING IN THE FOREST OF BEING ALIVE by Katie Farris #sealeychallenge #sealeychallenge2024

Russia launched a missile at Odesa but it seems it was taken down. Lovely Sunday.

Zarina is a friend & one of the war-journalists I trust most. She has been reporting from Kherson, the city that's been previously occupied by Russia, liberated by Ukrainian army and yet still very heavily bombarded. It is one of those places no one really covers in Western news:

— Ilya Kaminsky, Dancing in Odessa

Why write love poetry in a burning world? To train myself, in the midst of a burning world, to offer poems of love to a burning world. (Katie Farris)

It is indeed surreal to be going from border crossings and military checkpoints in Ukraine directly to the Deaf Republic performance at the puppet theater in Maribor, Slovenia. But some days are kind: m.youtube.com/watch?v=dzEdRs…