What can we do?

But: it still doesn’t feel like enough. (Oh, wait, there’s our VP breaking the tie to confirm Hegseth). Anyway. I asked my boyfriend maybe earlier today or maybe yesterday—to be honest I’ve been so immersed in the news that days are starting to blur together—what can I do? Apart from volunteering (for who? doing what?) his answer was pretty simple: “I think all we can do is try to do the right thing every day, try to be kind and help out.”

I think the trick is figuring out as an individual, what’s the best way I can be of help? So, how can I help out? What are the ways in which I can employ my talents and abilities to be in service of the world? Of course, I can, and do, vote in every election—national, local, major, and midterms. I’ve written to congresspeople and senators, signed petitions, donated money. Luckily, my job offers me daily opportunities to “help out”, to “try to be kind”. I teach art, which can sound inconsequential, but I’ve gotten pretty good at justifying my classes when unruly teens tell me they “don’t need art” and ask “how am I going to use art in my future?” (I’ll leave my answer[s] at the bottom, as they may not interest you). I’m glad I get to work with young people, to help them make beautiful things and feel proud of their efforts. But it still doesn’t feel like enough alongside the enormity of what could happen to our country.

So today, after proctoring the US History Regents, I stopped by my colleague’s classroom to talk—she’s an art teacher, like me. I asked her the same question I asked my boyfriend: what can I do? Her answer was also simple, to the point: “Keep making. Keep creating.” Yes, yes, I will! But… making what? I won’t stop writing and revising my personal essays—those feel like my lifeblood, but still, they don’t feel like quite enough. What does a collage-style essay about all the boys I’ve had crushes on do in the face of crumbling democracy? Nothing, likely, or maybe it gives a few people a laugh, maybe it gives me a sense of purpose, release, creative momentum, which is how I feel most alive.

But what I think I’ve always sought is a means to combine both pieces of advice: do the right thing/try to help out plus keep making, keep creating. Those two parts of my personality and values have always been somewhat separate: the helper part of me is a teacher, and the creative part of me is a writer. I’ve never figured out how to combine them, and at this point I feel compelled to find a way to take my abilities as an artist and writer and figure out how to make art that is somehow helpful. I have no clue what that looks like, or if it’s even possible, but simply having the task in front of me gives me a sense of purpose, something to in do the face a world that feels like its falling apart at the seams.

But I may well fail or never find a means to make “helpful art”. So I’ll continue to follow the advice I’ve recently received: keep making, creating, be kind, do the right thing, and try to help out when I can. I’m writing (making) this, which isn’t much, but isn’t nothing, either. And earlier today at Wegman’s, following my boyfriend’s advice, instead of minding my own business, I said to the elderly woman in front of me that her chosen Perry’s Ice Cream flavor (S’more Surprise!) looked delicious. “Doesn’t it sound good?” She asked me, her eyes sparkling, “I’ve never had it before!” I smiled back at her. I was glad for that little moment of connection over ice cream, I somehow felt more human, less alone. And, caught in that pause, I looked over her items on the checkout counter: several packaged desserts, pre-made meals, frozen food. I wondered, then, if she lived alone. Yes, sometimes I really do think: in our car-centric, screen-obsessed, hyper-busy, me-first culture, we can easily forget how to be humans, we forget that we’re a part of a society and not solo actors, that we’re connected, that we need each other. And that we can easily hurt others, or help them—that the choice is ours, and sometimes, it’s not easy.

My final means of helping (or, trying to) tonight will be sharing, which is something I love to do but I don’t think others always love to receive; sharing can feel intrusive sometimes. But maybe you’re someone who is confused about what’s going on in our country right now, and wonder where you can get good information. Or maybe you’re just looking to add some additional voices to your rotation. Since I’m varied in my views, I do like to read across the spectrum, or at least, the middle 50% of the spectrum, from center-left to center-right; I struggle to trust anything that feels more extreme/biased than that as reliable. Any publication or person that cannot criticize their own “side” or president is a hard no for me. I don’t read/listen to all of these everyday, but I have them in queues available to me on the days I need them. Here are some of my favorites (with political affiliation, paid/free, notes on each, etc):

Newsletters/websites:

• The Atlantic: center-left—>center-right; their writers span the political spectrum. Requires a subscription but the high quality of the writing makes it worth it. Superb, expansive writing covering a wide range of political issues in the US. Not afraid to criticize the democrats, nor Biden. Excellent global coverage, too.

• The Bulwark: center-right, mostly. The Bulwark formed in response to DJT taking over the Republican Party in 2016. The vast majority of its writers are never-Trumper conservatives/republicans, with a few independents. Many posts are free to read.

• Notes from the Middleground: center; the author (Damon Linker) is a former republican, now democrat. Very detailed criticism and analyses of whats going on in politics. Some posts are free. (I’m a paid subscriber, I love his articles).

• The Preamble (Sharon McMahon): center; she’s not registered to either party and tends to present “just the facts”, tho some commenters disagree and think she’s biased. Posts are mostly free.

• Letters from an American (Heather Cox Richardson): center; she also presents “just the facts”, but in a different format. Sometimes, there’s no writing, only an audio recording. Posts are free to read/listen to. Usually anchored in a historical context.

• Other good “standard news” sites: The BBC (I like to get an outside perspective on what’s happening in our country), NPR, AP, Politico. BBC is fairly centrist, the other three are more center-left. Most, if not all, articles are free to read.

Podcasts:

• WSJ: What’s News, and The Journal; center—>center-right. I can’t afford a WSJ subscription (like, NOT at all), but I like their coverage, so I listen to these podcasts sometimes, which are quick, summative, and engaging.

• The Ezra Klein Show; center-left. Sharp, detailed analyses of what’s going on in politics, the democratic party, or with Donald Trump. His shows are always multi-layered and engaging and bring in literature and philosophy in a way most political podcasts don’t, which I enjoy.

• The Bulwark with Tim Miller; center. He’s one of my favorites, but he can be a bummer sometimes, especially right now. Maybe don’t listen first thing in the morning or right before bed. But he’s still finny, though! He has regular visitors he converses with and guests—they’re all interesting and informative dialogues.

• On the Media with Brooke Gladstone; center. I’m a newer listened to this show, but I really enjoy it. Gladstone covers a wide range of topics and it doesn’t feel super biased or one-sided.

• The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle: center-right—>center-left, depending on who is on the show. Lots of opinions and voices discussing present matters with a business/economy bent.

• The Opinions: center-right—>center-left. This morning NYT Opinions podcasts is great. They bring in a variety of views and the presentation is engaging and each episode is succinct. Can be a good way to start the day, as this podcast tends to be more up-lifting.

• The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart: center-left. Informative AND comedic.

• The Glenn Show: right—>center-right. Glenn Loury is perhaps by favorite conservative writer; he’s recently moved further to the right in a way that confounds me, but he’s super smart and experienced and I still enjoy listening to him. My favorite episodes are those in which he brings in John McWhorter for debate (which is often).

• Up First: center-left; quick morning news from NPR! I often listen in my car driving to work!

• The Rest is History: Not politics, but history helps shape and broaden the context for our politics today. Sooo many fascinating episodes and great hosts with wonderful chemistry and humor.

(If you’re someone who is on the far-right in you’ve somehow made it this far, you’ll likely disagree with my assessment of political bias for all of the above publications and podcasts, likely labelling them all as left or far left. So be it. From my position in the center/center-left, these are my assessments.)

My answers to: “when am I ever gonna need art in my future?” —> I tell these students that they may indeed never make another piece of art after leaving my class, but that maybe they’ll utilize a creative thinking strategy they learned in art, or maybe the perseverance they learned from drawing something slow or difficult will come in handy when approaching another sticky problem, or maybe they’ll simply appreciate the world because they’ve learned a little bit about looking deeply at it. Maybe art will help them make better fashion choices thanks to their knowledge of color theory. Maybe art will teach them patience, or that most beautiful things are “ugly” first, or require numerous mistakes to be made so that they can exist. I also remind them that, every day we practice appropriate socializing, volume, focus, and self-control—skills well-suited to teach in art class because there is more opportunity for socializing with friends, moving around freely, chaos, and using (potentially) disastrously messy materials.

xo, Katie

PS: I was doing REALLY WELL with my bedtime resolution until this past week, inauguration forward. Will get things back under control by the end of this weekend :)