The month began with the promise of invigorating winter runs and pool friends and locker room encounters and lots of laps in the pool. And, with a new book discovered, a wonderful catastrophe. But, by 4 January, Trump had invaded Venezuela and was threatening to take Greenland and people (including Sara from 4 jan 2026) were wondering what his administration might do to “celebrate” the 5th anniversary of 6 jan. Here’s what I wrote at the end of my 4 jan entry:
note for future Sara: near the beginning of the video she mentions that some people are speculating Trump will do something big for the 5th anniversary of January 6th. Sara from 6 jan 2026, let us know what happens. Hopefully nothing.
note for future Sara: near the beginning of the video she mentions that some people are speculating Trump will do something big for the 5th anniversary of January 6th. Sara from 6 jan 2026, let us know what happens. Hopefully nothing.
Not nothing, something terrible and ongoing and happening most terrifyingly here in Minneapolis. After a citizen was executed by an ICE agent while peacefully and legally observing from inside her car, everything here shifted. For the rest of the month, each of my log entries was tagged, “get out ice,” and gave an increasing amount of attention to archiving ICE-related items.
I remember the moment I found out that Renee Good had been shot and murdered. I had been out with RJP all afternoon and had not checked my phone. We got home and Scott told me. I felt everything at once — grief, sorrow, anger, shock, and a sinking certainty that this was a bad turning point, and that Minneapolis would be at the center of whatever happened next.
On 18 January, I wrote the following, under the heading, “Keeping the Receipts”:
Speaking of neighborhood businesses, I’ve been struck by how powerful expressions of love and solidarity are in this moment, and how damning silence is. At the very least, I think a restaurant/business should express a concern for their own workers and acknowledge a need for the safety. This is not a political statement; it is a statement of concern and care for their workers and the community.
I began giving attention to how local businesses were practicing resistance-as-love and love–as-resistance through their social media posts about the no work/no shop/no school Day of Truth and Freedom. And then I started turning their words into cento and erasure love poems. The more I worked on it, the less interested I was in calling out businesses that weren’t speaking out (or about) what was happening. Instead, I wanted to give all of my time to celebrating and archiving the businesses that were offering their love. So far, I’ve written 12 love poems — 3 erasures, 9 centos. I think I’m done with the centos, and I’m not sure how many more erasures I’d like to do. Maybe I should try a cut-out? Or something with sound? I’d like to move away from visual-heavy poems.
I’m posting the love poems on Love, Minnesota-style, and Facebook and Instagram.