A Brittle Flower Sliding Into Cold Water
A letter arrived saying I was needed. It said to come to the far side of the river at once. I wasted no time. I collected the few things I would require and opened the door, where another letter was waiting for me. The post A Brittle Flower Sliding Into Cold Water appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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America Has Lost the Plot on Diversity
As students return to colleges across the country, two are missing at Brown University: Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov. Dual victims of a campus shooting in December, they appeared to share little beyond a rigorous work ethic. Ella, a sophomore from Alabama, was vice president of the campus Republican club. MukhammadAziz, an Uzbek immigrant who grew up in Virginia, was an aspiring neurosurgeon. Both were studying in a lecture hall on a Saturday afternoon when a gunman entered and started firing. The post America Has Lost the Plot on Diversity appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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How Writers Redefined the War on Terror
Is a “new world order” emerging as the U.S. abdicates its global leadership, as a recent New York Times essay put it? Many analysts and scholars of global culture and world systems have argued, with increasing intensity, that U.S. superpowers are diminishing. The post How Writers Redefined the War on Terror appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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A Utopian World Order Is Possible
The bustle of contemporary politics does not leave much room for grand visions of alternative futures. People are too busy focusing on the current scandal, the next protest, or the immediate crisis to distract themselves with bold but distant utopian visions of better societies. The post A Utopian World Order Is Possible appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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Dumpster Diving Is Democracy’s Future
The future of democracy is in the trash. And that might be a very good thing. The essence of democracy is not elections—which tend to produce oligarchs and conflict—but rather self-government to solve community problems. And refuse, in all its forms, is now inspiring some of the most significant innovations in democratic governance around the […] The post Dumpster Diving Is Democracy’s Future appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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You tell a child hold it, and they do.
Today, the therapist talks about wisdom and grief, / I think about abstracts as bladders, / full and sloshing, sometimes warm, / almost always animal skin, / I envision my mother and I / inside of one of these, The post You tell a child <i>hold it</i>, and they do. appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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September Poetry Curator Leslie McIntosh
Leslie McIntosh lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. McIntosh’s debut full-length volume of poetry, within-group variance, was selected by Terrance Hayes for the 2025 Changes Book Prize. Zócalo’s guest curator for September, McIntosh chatted with us in the green room about what makes a moment poetic, pursuing poetry and psychology, and being ready to send […] The post September Poetry Curator Leslie McIntosh appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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Ban Adults from Social Media—Or Let Kids Vote
Save the children. And restore democracy. By banning everyone age 18 and older from social media. Yes, 18 and older. Effective immediately. We adults are having the wrong conversation about digital safety. Every week, more grave-faced politicians in more countries declare that we must ban teenagers from social media. The post Ban Adults from Social Media—Or Let Kids Vote appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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For Trying Times, Try Making Zines
Inauguration Day 2025 coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. My husband and I spoke in hushed tones and exchanged gallows humor about the former. We held a party in the park near our Bay Area home to celebrate the latter. I posted copies of historical artifacts from the Civil Rights Movement on pillars in the park’s picnic area, including essays, interviews, art, and a printout of a portion of a 1967 pamphlet compiled by SNCC research director Jack Minnis. The post For Trying Times, Try Making Zines appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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How Can Short Docs Make a Big Difference?
A free conversation on social impact documentary filmmaking, and the premiere of the 2026 Girls' Voices Now short docs, followed by a hosted reception. The post How Can Short Docs Make a Big Difference? appeared first on Zócalo Public Square.
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