News

I swing between art and activism, and can only remain sane through contact with others also trying to improve our world. I read and listen to many different news sources. In recent years, the exponential increase in wars and everyday militarism, racist xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination has put me at a loss for how best to respond to sinister developments.

What's on my mind

To start, housing/living in Berlin, which is becoming denatured by gentrification. It's not just that mostly luxury condominiums have been built in recent years but also all kinds of neighborhood services and sociocultural venues have been hit by exorbitant rent increases that have forced them to move or close. Fortunately, there's active resistance!

Here are links to my long reads on the subject, with the most recent at the top. To understand the history, start with the first – at the bottom!

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What's caught my eye...

I love apples

A simple – homely – apple. So tempting!

The namesake

I'd been surprised to learn how many Hispanophone women are named "Nancy."

Then, a store window in Spain revealed that she's their answer to Barbie:

driving a sports car, clowning around, styling hair and make-up, making her first communion – and lots more.

Odesa

On my trip to Lviv, Kyiv, and Odesa in September 2019, I met friendly and interesting people, explored fascinating cities and traveled through beautiful countryside, admired wonderful fine and folk art.

Albanian shopkeeepers

Walking through Tirana, Albania, I came upon Rruga Ferit Xhajko, a street lined with small specialty stores. On that warm and lovely fall day, the shopkeepers were mostly seated or standing by their wares. Most agreed to be photographed. Despite not sharing a spoken language, this was a pleasant moment in that wonderful city... that I later relived with three women at their shops in Vlorë.

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Fair share for women artists!

This photo (c) by Michael Schultze shows one of the slogans women made during the International Women's Day 2023 action highlighting discrimination suffered by women artists.