Men of Stone (Episode 175)

The Leftscape

Co-hosts Robin Renée and Wendy Sheridan head back to the Blanket Fort this time to regroup, check in, and hide out. But there’s not much actual hiding to be had from the firehose of news and unrest. They catch up on the intentional ways they each are staying sane through the mayhem — painting, gardening, exercising, immersing in fiction, and curating the news for personal consumption among them. ICE raids, the National Guard, and the chaos stoked in Los Angeles can’t be ignored, nor can thinking about ways to protest in the streets and elsewhere, wishing for the least violence and the greatest impact. They think about the role of their creative works and consider writing some “political earworms.” Wendy might revive and complete one of her old songs, “Men of Stone.”

For the Timelime Cleanse that starts the show, Wendy is happy with her newly painted art storage box and Robin describes a jello mold drag relay race that was pure joy. The biggest Pièce de Résistance this time around is the upcoming No Kings Day on June 14th, while the Pope seems to have scheduled some counterprogramming of his own. Wendy reads from On Tyrrany followed by a discussion and Robin reads a new brief reflection/response piece, “Why So Much Pride?”

Things to do:

Join a June 14th No Kings Day protest: Indivisible, FiftyFifty.one/events.

Stay safe and know your rights.

Listen to Episode 172 for Anji Marth’s ideas for being prepared and helpful at protests.

Read On Tyrrany: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy D. Snyder.

Watch “LA protests LIVE: View from Los Angeles”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMcCbwLCAYc

Listen to the Saved By Zero show by Robin (DJ Andrew Genus) on Radio PVS and Mixcloud.

Check out Wendy’s stuff on Etsy.

Jam out to this internet classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuWVgVkMiHE