I Now Declare This To Be An Unlawful Assembly by Benjamin Walker for Scott Olsen An officer holding a megaphone calls it before the half-light breaks over Oakland. 500 policemen pummel the camp awake with batons, rubber bullets and tear … Continue reading
A Dissenter Breaks Protocol by Benjamin Walker October 23, 2011 It gets tense if the assembly’s wrists go limp. We let our hands dangle when we disapprove, wave when we’re willing to march in support, and form crosses along our … Continue reading
The Werther Effect by Benjamin Walker for Mohammed Bouazizi In the public square I search for you, Mohammed. Can a single degree matter? Can I ignore the signs asking for change and roll up my window, or turn slack, force … Continue reading
The Stars Say We Belong by James C. Henderson The stars are pinned in their places. Not a single one has been lost or added. Orion glitters in his belt of jewels. The Big Dipper spills her mouth of black … Continue reading
Why He Stands to One Side by David Rosenthal Despite the fact that escalators move, he found himself at some point walking up — as if he willed the movement of the crowd; as if his will had something left … Continue reading