The New England Unsettler

Communique 012: The Carceral State of the Nation

Elias sits down with Dr. Christopher Petrella, a Lecturer in American Cultural Studies and Associate Director of Programs for the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and contributor to Boston Review and Black Perspectives (African American Intellectual Historical Society) to discuss his work on exploring and exposing the private prison industry, which has previously been featured in The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, The Nation, Boston Review, and The New Yorker, has appeared on ESPN and NPR, and has been debated in the U.S. House of Representatives. Strap in, Unsettlers, this is a good one! Talking points: Renown Scholar Forced to Discuss The Onion; a town with more prisons than stop lights; when private prisons become ubiquitous, are private prisons “normal”?; “mass incarceration” vs “the carceral state”; you don’t have to be in prison to be imprisoned--how are bodies criminalized?; immigration becomes a crime--crossing the Streamline; detainment as a "market"; bed quotas and minimum occupancy requirements for ICE and prisons; "if you build it, you will fill it"--empty prisons lead to uncomfortable questions; banks built the prisons; don't get it twisted--"state-funded" prisons aren't "better"; our previous "victories"; why stocks for private prison corporations surged after Trump's win; race and the state; weaponizing a census; "real estate companies who dabble in incarceration." For links to articles and more information, visit www.TheUnsettler.org

Communique 011: Human Tater Tots of the Alt-Right

Another bullshit week in suck city with Elias and Athena. Talking points: Starting on time is weird; maker space? I barely even know her space!; DIY stab vests; Athena enlists in the Pride military; the top of my nose; disingenuity; LAN party politics; Mother-Daughter Forklift Race 2017; National Mamas Bailout Day; FRIT ain’t SHIT; Wake Up the Earth; Reportback: Rally Boston to Stand Against Hate; the human tater tots of the alt-right; Comey sent homey; Spicer beats around the bush; once, twice, three times *totally not* under investigation; comrade Trump?!; community engagement; Rate! That! Praxis!; interesting reads; the return of Hoagy Carmichael.

Communique 010: Live from the Middle of the Muff

Athena and Elias discuss seizing the memes of production, and the week in absurd bullshit. Talking points: The one that went away; weld-done, Tungsten Notaro; professional segue derailer; soda pop-ulism; fruit goth; flavorblast the state; new musiiiiiic; indoor brocialists doin’ the dew; Pepe is dead/long live Pepe!; s/o to Matt Furie; Jay Babcock’s NEW’sletter; quis troll ipsos trolls; #BostonRally; the return of Hot Cops; Alton Sterling’s killers go free while a woman faces a year in prison for laughing at Jeff Sessions; I apologize (I don’t apologize); affordable housing struggles in JP/Rox and Somerville; Day of Deluge; more FKJ PhD/NEU crossover; what is late-stage capitalism?; a manual macaron; Democracy Now feat. Anthony Kiedis; everything is terrible. Special thanks to musicians Ross Ingram (Magic Landing), Thick Shakes, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, Dan Gonzales, Chris and Horsewind.