The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2232 posts 224 comments

by Casey Patnode The Alberta tar sands, an industrial project that spans an area larger than the country of England, and its associated infrastructure are a massive public health and environmental justice threat. The pollution from this…

by P.D. Lesko Ariah Schugat is a 29-year-old trans woman who, in May 2021, submitted petition language to the Washtenaw County Election Board to recall Ann Arbor Council member Jeff Hayner (D-Ward 1). Schugat, formerly a resident of the…

by Sydney Hawkins Following a pandemic year in which visitors were asked to stay away, the nearly century-old peony garden in the University of Michigan’s Nichols Arboretum is open and getting ready to bloom. The garden, begun in…

by Jared Wadley An interview with Michael J. Steinberg, UM professor from practice and director of the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative at the University of Michigan Law School. Police reform efforts nationwide have sparked debate…

by Alvin Buyinza and Jamaal Abdul-Alim Beyond safety and survival, a paramount question throughout the pandemic has been: When will things get “back to normal”? But as the nation gradually gets vaccinated against COVID-19 and…

by Sherri Linden Returning to the Ethiopian city of her childhood, a first-time filmmaker creates an immersive portrait of the land and its people. When Jessica Beshir was a teen, her family fled the political unrest in Ethiopia for…

by Todd Heywood, Michigan Advance The normalization of antisemitism is continuing a “very, very troubling” upward trend in Michigan, despite a year of health restrictions and social distancing that often meant less human…

by Jenn McKee, Pulp The Goldilocks Principle, though not regularly cited in reference to storytelling, can nonetheless be maddening for those who build narratives. For how does a writer determine, in each scene, what’s too much…

by Martha Stult, Pulp In addition to the April 28 reading for National Poetry Month, other upcoming virtual events include a reading with poet Carolyne Wright on Wednesday, May 26, at 7 pm; author Kelly Fordon of Detroit will read…

by Ari Leveaux Art is good when it springs from necessity. This kind of origin is the guarantee of its value; there is no other ––Neal Cassidy In the middle of the night, partway through a cross-country drive, I unfolded myself from…