In the Green Room
New at Zócalo
-
-
-
Essay
I’m Autistic and Scared of Your Dog
Some of My Favorite Summer Places Feel Perilous When People Flout Leash Laws
It’s a beautiful summer day in Venice, California, and everyone seems to be out enjoying the beach—except for me.
I am profoundly autistic. As a result, I may jump up and …
-
-
Connecting California
Who Will Defend Us From the Body Snatchers?
The Pod People Are Back. This Time, Our Overworked Local Officials Are Even Less Prepared to Protect Us
Maybe I’ve been watching too many old movies.
Or maybe the body snatchers are back.
We’ve seen them twice before in my home state of California. Both invasions—of pod aliens, who secretly …
-
Essay
Trust Me on the Sunscreen
From Soothing Burns With Crushed Strawberries to Base Tans to SPF 50, Our Move Toward a Sun-Safe Future
It’s April 2000. I’m 14 years old, lying on a beach in the Bahamas, a bottle of SPF 20 at my side. I periodically check to see how my suntan …
-
The Takeaway
What’s the DNA of an Effective Protest?
Scholars and Practitioners Discussed What It Takes to Create a Sustained, Successful Movement at Last Night’s Event “When Does Protest Make a Difference?”
With the new school year starting, universities across the country anticipate a new wave of protests around the war in Gaza, now in its 10th month. To offer broad perspective, …
-
-
Essay
Does ‘Slacktivism’ Deserve Its Bad Rap?
Lazy Forms of Protest—From Social Media Posts to Bumper Stickers—Can Also Help Effect Change
This essay was published in tandem with the event “When Does Protest Make a Difference?” on August 22. View the recorded discussions here.
Earlier this …
-
Connecting California
Is This the Most Dysfunctional City Council in California?
Santa Clara’s Conflicts Include Letterhead Battles, Midnight Meetings, and a Threatening Reading of a Picture Book
During a Santa Clara City Council meeting last year, Councilmember Kevin Park gestured to a local business owner in the audience and started reading aloud from the illustrated …
-
Essay
What It’s Like to Experience the U.S. Election From Prison
We Can’t Vote on Politicians’ Promises or Policies—Even Though They Will Shape Nearly Every Aspect of Our Realities
In a small conference room nestled inside a secure red-brick building, I met with 11 fellow staff members of the Nash News, a prison newspaper in North Carolina. It was …
-
In the Green Room
Agricultural Consultant James Nakahara
We Should All Be Engaged With Our Food Systems