1 November 2021

Dear Everyone:

With apologies for those who closed out the US Latinx seminar on Friday because this will be repetitive, but this delights me so much, I want to share with all: did you know that bats scream incredibly loudly — like, at rock concert decibels loudly — but because they do so at such high frequencies, their sounds are out of range for humans? You know all the work people do through art and criticism and conversation and every manner of expression, to invoke and evoke the sense that the totality of the world is not apparent to us? that other worlds are indeed, in fact, possible and real? Bats so wonderfully give prompt us to figure out how to attune ourselves and sense the richness of the world not immediately available to us — so glad to be reminded in this (for me) unexpected way. There are so many ways we’re made to feel-believe the dominant present is all there is or can be, and endless ways the universe tells us otherwise – the reminder there is life happening loudly beyond the ordinarily perceptible is always very welcome, right?

My thanks to Joseph Caceres for offering such a beautiful response at the seminar on Friday, and to everyone who attended for your engagement and interest and entertaining my enjoyment of the bats! As ever, thanks to Nancy Silverman for making the seminars happen.

So, now that we’ve hit November, the end of the semester starts barreling toward us. Be extra kind to yourselves, your students, your teachers, your everyone — I think this is about when the exciting energies of the beginning of the year have worn off and the adrenaline that pushes us through the end hasn’t yet kicked in. Take deliberate care — drink water! rest! get outside! — as much as you can…

and maybe try listening for the bats…!

I’m traveling this week so will be (even) slower than usual to get to email — apologies, and all hopes that things will shift to allow for more regularized worklife soon.

abundant well wishes,
Kandice