Hello friends and comrades,

September is a bit of the calm before the storm as I get back into the fall semester, but there are a couple of highlights, including a panel discussion/performance on the intersection of class, race and art in the Asian diaspora community at the Asian American Arts Alliance with Che Chen, Leo Chang, Ravish Momin and Council Member Shahana Hanif Wednesday, September 3rd and a very special duo with the master musician Cooper Moore at InGardens presented by Arts for Art on September 20th (FREE)!

August saw the release of Episode 1 of my new podcast Outernational, which explores how to build solidarity in our intersecting global struggles, understanding how our fates are intertwined. You can check out the first episode with Angel Bat Dawid on her education work with Black youth in Chicago and her unfiltered calls to action from the stage here on Substack, on Apple Podcasts or YouTube. You can also find the full, raw and unedited version of the episode here on YouTube. Don’t forget to like, follow, subscribe and review on all platforms and stay tuned for Episode 2 later this month with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof!

On that same theme, I just got back from an incredibly inspiring and much needed trip in Mexico. I don’t think I even realized how heavy the weight has been of living in America over these last several months, in the heart of the imperial core which is wrecking havoc internally and externally on the most vulnerable people. I played two improvised concerts in CDMX with phenomenal musicians. The first at Venas Rotas, a fantastic record store in Roma Norte with the vocal wizard Rodrigo Ambriz and power string section of Aleida Perez and Alex Motta, with a second night at the legendary free improv venue Jazzorca, a 33 year old labor of love run by musician and elder German Bringas. German invited me to arrange us into various combinations with my favorite new noise duo Corpres + Colpit (Carles Medina and Joan Torne Palau) from Barcelona and mi amiga, No Land, a surprise guest poet visiting from NYC.

Before the set, I spoke about the absurdity of the relations between our countries — the situation for Mexican and Latin American immigrants in the United States, the forever imperialist and anti-Democratic plunder and meddling in their affairs and now the hopefully empty threat of sending troops to combat “terrorist” cartels. All the while, it’s unclear which Latin and Central America leaders will stand up and who will take the neoliberal route of capitulation (looking at you Claudia). At this time, it’s more important than ever to build solidarity across the border, outside of our governments and among the people. Improvisation is a tool and a small gesture towards strengthening our communities beyond nation-state formations.

Last but not at all least, I want to highlight a fundraiser for Pal Handmade happening as a pop-up shop at Figure 8 studios in Brooklyn, September 4-7. Our friend has brought crafts, tatreez and keffiyeh from the West Bank, which is in the process of illegal annexation, making it harder for people and goods to go in and out. He went through great lengths to get here and doesn’t know if he will even be able to go back. He shared with me that there is barely any food available in the markets even in the West Bank, with bags of flour (if you can find them) which cost as much as $70 USD. All money from this fundraiser will go directly to the families in the West Bank in the refugee camps where these crafts were made.

If you can’t be there in person, you can see the crafts, prices and payment here and they can be shipped directly to you.

Solidarity and love,

Amirtha