by Joe Engel The streets were lit with the same soft hue as the malt liquor we drank after we swaggered through the night on skateboards, flaunted tricks formed through endless practice. We were good enough with the crack of wood and rumble of polyurethane wheels to cheer. On those nights, tricks were like birds…
Author: ArtRoot's Racine Writer-In-Residence
The Racine Writer-In-Residence (WIR) project is an initiative founded by ArtRoot, a collaboration of artists and arts advocates who are determined to reinvigorate Racine, WI through the arts. This project is supported by the Racine Literacy Council, and funded through a generous grant from the Osborne & Scekic Family Foundation. Since the pandemic shutdown in March 2020, the WIRs have completed their obligations from home.
This project seeks to spotlight Racine and Kenosha’s dynamic literary community while encouraging, supporting, and advocating on behalf of writers at all stages of their careers.
Watchers
Here is a story about meeting neighbors for the first time. By Joe Engel Even though the trees across the street were blooming, the smell of my landlords musk wafted through the windows on the first floor and smothered any other scent that might be in the air. It was Friday, and my divorce had…
Sounds From the Top
Politics and pandemic pried open the cellar door to our country and much of the world in 2020. Many of us were surprised at what we found, and many of us weren’t. This is one of my meditations on those early days when we didn’t know what to expect. All I hear are sirens and…
Middle Years
(I would like to say, quickly, that this is a poem I started at a little cafe in Kenosha called “Common Grounds.” It had a great location on Lake Michigan, and was perfect to sit and write. It recently closed and has quickly changed hands. This poem was prompted by what I saw there on…
Scattered Things
Before you read the poem, I would like to say hello to all the readers out there. I am honored to have this residency and to have the opportunity to share my work with you. I live in Kenosha, WI and have also lived in Madison, WI and La Crosse, WI. I was the Kenosha…
Thank You and Farewell, Jeanne Denney Reprise, Misc., Cover Tunes, Further Selections from Observations and Thinkings, Vol. wxyz
One mere time, welcome to the last Mark M Racine Writer-in-Residence “zine.” Farewell So, as indicated above, this is my last post as the Racine Writer in Residence — and perhaps some will be relieved! The posts of my immediate predecessor, Jeanne Arnold, inspired me to apply for the WiR position as did previous WiRs…
Ignoramia, “Bad Memories,” A Look at John McWhorter, Artist Nehemiah R. Edwards, More McWhorter, Justices “Unblinded,” U.S. and Treaties, Some U.S. Progress, Little Known, Misc.
Welcome to this week’s “zine,” the second-to-the last by Mark M Ignoramia: Mark M’s Compendium of Confusion (2000, 2011, 2022) To dumbassesEvery(w)here. Acknowledgment Thanks to Michaelis who thought of a number of these. If a little knowledge is dangerous, is still less even more dangerous? Dillinger – didn’t he die fighting the Nazis? I always…
How the English Language Worx, Volume 2, Etymology, Nakam and Not, Clean Your Plate, Facebook Rebellion, Quite the Thing, Goodbye Nancy, My Shrunken Musical Tastes, Misc.
Welcome to this week’s “zine.” by Mark M How the English Language Worx, Volume 2, Etymology (1997, 2004) by Mark M, N.o.P. etymology – the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from…
Fun-nee Muh-knee, Zervos, Selections from Observations and Thinkings, Vol. wxy&z, Tlaxcallan/Rail-workers/MICIMATT, Prison Correspondence, Soporific Reading Material, Lit Assertions
Welcome to this week’s “zine.” by Mark M No dollar bills were harmed in the making of these images. The origin of the idea, with a big nod to Mr. Warhol, was taking advantage of the play money and crayons of the young sons of a past girlfriend: In this post, I mentioned Salvador Dalí‘s…
Mark M’s Heavily-Abridged Dictionary, Widely Ignored, Little Known: Berlin Wall, PHEW! I say, True Story — Swear on the…, Racine Entry on Wikipedia, Terry Gross guest note +
Welcome to this week’s “zine.” by Mark M Well, I hope on Give Us Money Tuesday your e-mail inbox was not virtually bombed with appeals like mine was. “Mark M: I know you’ve been getting a lot of emails from Human Rights Watch today…” Sheesh! Mark M’s Heavily-Abridged Dictionary by Mark M, B.c.D.E. The M…
Racine Writer-In-Residence Project 