downthefallfullpassagain

NB: contains reference to art depicting suicide and body mutilation. We are not only human. Some of know that fact consciously, perhaps surprised by some tidbit science news that suggests how much of our biomass is microbes – ten-to-one, nonhuman to human, last I heard. Rarely if ever does the NONhuman scream in capital letters and strike my subconscious or, to use a less violent metaphor, lodge into my core and make itself known. That I (a human) am not fully human. A strange feat of knowing: to believe that what you believe is not altogether true. My self-referential thoughts are never quite up to the task – language breaks – what to do?  A recent art encounter shocked me into keeping company with the nonhuman. Begin narration: you walk into a dark space and see a dappled hide on the concrete floor. Edging around piles of dead plant matter, the form sharpens and you see a human torso with a horse's body. The centaur is dead as if asleep, and her limp expression is noble. Her face...

I have been delighted to get to know people campaigning for a more livable future after only just a few months in Venice. Indeed, "livable" is the theme behind every single activism effort I've witnessed so far. Students are clamoring for affordable housing and devoted study spaces. Residents are divided over whether entry-tickets to Venice will actually help ease mass tourism (between my friends, we think it won't). And climate action – the big one – demands that we work now to avoid present and future suffering. I wholeheartedly join my voice with others through nonviolent action. First, a comparative look. Italy has a long history of student activism, and most universities have at least one "collettivo" devoted to open discussion among student members. The burden of leadership seems to be shared: one person may organize more than others, but it is generally assumed that any long-time member can step into a driving role. I am instantly struck by how this m...