mid east best west
after Muhammed died I did the only logical thing I went to the cemetery for black Civil War soldiers now mostly desecrated with ball fields and dog shit I came to this cemetery of the not properly appreciated the voices not heeded did not feel listened to covered over, plotted in … Continue reading Remembering Muhammed Hansrod
Silifke [Greek: Σελεύκεια, Seleukeia, Latin: Seleucia ad Calycadnum] both a municipality and town in Mersin Province which is home to some fabulous sites of antiquity, many of which can be explored freely on foot, or observed passing by on newly paved highways and village roads. The quality and variety of objects on display at Silifke's city museum is thus … Continue reading Silifke Museum
Last summer I visited Uzuncaburç, an ancient settlement with a handful of local inhabitants located in Silifke distict of Mersin province four kilometers from the larger ancient regional capitol of Olba. A Hellensitic settlement which served as a place of worship within the Olba territory, what I found compelling visiting this place was the vivid … Continue reading Uzuncaburç
As I was walking through my new neighborhood in Ankara I turned on my voice memos and got something down that I've splashed together with some field images and put up on Medium. Hoping for an audio file to follow. Enjoy! https://medium.com/@tesswaggoner/the-streets-3402fb379d2d
"Oppression greets us from all angles. Oppression wails from the soldiers radio and floats through tear gas clouds in the air. Oppression explodes with every sound bomb and sinks deeper into the heart of the mother who has lost her son. But resistance is nestled in the cracks in the wall, resistance flows from … Continue reading “The Resistance”
My friends over at AMERICAblog ran a series delineating the many ways John Kasich's record doesn't match up with the moderate image he has tried to project throughout the Republican presidential primary. As a born-and-bred Ohioan, I hopped on the chance to contribute. You can check out an except below, and head on over to … Continue reading John Kasich is No Moderate
Today I am not at the office in observance of a United States national holiday that I do not recognize, a day commemorating that in which I recognize my complicity yet nonetheless reject; the project of settler-colonial domination and the creation and perpetuation of myths of nation which oppress. Across the North American continent to … Continue reading ‘A National Holiday That I Do Not Recognize’– Reflections on Columbus Day 2015
Syrian Americans have been part of the rich fabric of American life for over a century. Syrian Americans include members of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Syrian Americans have contributed and elevated American politics, sports, popular and high culture, academia, industry, and civic life for generations. If Paula was your favorite judge on American Idol … Continue reading Syrian American Contributions
I’ve been writing this for a long time. I remember sitting and sobbing on my balcony in Southwest So scared Sure, I was excited Today I’d call it heycanli But fear of the unknown Of non comprehension Of safety Clouded my eyes “What am I going to do?” I implored to sometimes roommate, sometimes guru, … Continue reading Sitting on a Balcony / Refractions / You Can’t Go Home Again
I was given the opportunity to speak at a symposium organized by the International Relations Department Student Organization at my host university two weeks ago. Though very excited for the chance to talk about women's status, I was more than a little intimidated at the prospect of doing so in Turkish. I wrote an original … Continue reading Ortadoğu Kadınlardaki Statüsü: Gözlemler ve Engeller
