artdirector@sfreporter.com
This is what a poet laureate looks like.
A/C, Feb. 16: “What is Anti- Racist Poetry?”
Unvarnished Accounts
As a non- poet who grew up in and lives in a white bubble, I am perhaps in the largest group of people who would be less likely to read such an article. Despite that, I’m increasingly aware of and repelled by the so many racist attributes of life in the US, historically and still ongoing today. Certainly, ubiquitous cellphone videos have made accurate reporting possible to a degree not imagined 20 years ago—thank God we can see unvarnished accounts rather than cover-ups. The Trump years have combined with the pandemic to accelerate the division and fear that are fuel to the fire on all sides. Many times I have had to just shake my head, wondering what I could do—but clueless as to how to respond.
With all the raw injustice being laid bare as a backdrop, you would have been forgiven for writing with rage. Yet you calmly—charitably, even—wrote in a way that attracted my attention and drew me in. Whether ironic or deliberate, you managed to empathize with where the reader was—this one, anyway—and help make me more open to the point that empathy is the starting point to understanding.
While I don’t aspire to write poetry, I do aspire to understand and to be able to argue for the value of all people everywhere. You have pointed out a helpful path which I can explore. Thank you!
Eric Janson, Boulder, Colorado
Letters, Feb. 16: “Guilt Tip”
Get them a sixer
Most people applaud it. But of course, there are always those few that oppose the kitchen gratuity. FYI, at Pranzo it IS optional. Also, ever seen the “buy the kitchen a six pack” option on the menu? That’s a given for me haha take my money!
Mandy Jackson, via Facebook
CORRECTION
A photo in last week’s cover story from Acequia Madre Elementary misidentified Silvan Yanda-Norris as a different student.
