Ursula K. LeGuin, 1929-2018.
Her name was Ursula LeGuin, born in Berkeley, California, October 21st, 1929, daughter of a noted anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. But her name is known by her novels, many in the field of science fiction, which weaved new worlds from the shards of this one. Her books are often thinly veiled commentaries on the evils of imperial war and the fevers of militarism.
Among her works, The Word for World is Forest, the 1969 allegorical work that took on the Vietnam War. Dispossessed, 1971, which imagined an anarchistic global resistance to the depredations of the rich. And there’s another 1971 work, The Lathe of Heaven, excerpt of which reveals its flavor. LeGuin writes: “He had grown up in a country run by politicians, sent the pilots to man the bums to kill the babies to make the world safer for children to grow up then.”
LeGuin’s work didn’t just thrill readers of science fiction. In the rare air of philosophy, her work appeared to probe questions about the deep nature of neoliberal society. In her book, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, LeGuin creates a world where all as well except for in a dark fetid closet where a little child suffers alone. But somehow her very torturous grants societal well-being to the residents of Omelas.
Philosopher Elizabeth Povinelli opens her book Economies of Abandonment with LeGuin’s harrowing vision as the basis of her opening introduction entitled “The Child in the Broom Closet” as an allegory of this modern west and neoliberalism which rests upon the invisible violence of capitalism. Ursula LeGuin won the coveted Hugo award for her science fiction influence.
From imprisoned nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
https://conta.cc/4ayDxlB](https://www.prisonradio.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)