Making Feminist Selves: Reflections on the Biopolitical Working of Misoprostol in Argentine Abortion Activism

This article interrogates the role of misoprostol, an abortifacient pharmaceutical, in recent Argentine abortion activism through the lens of biopolitics. For more than three decades, misoprostol has enabled activists to accompany and facilitate self-managed abortions safely in settings where access is restricted. In Argentina, where abortion was legalized in 2021, misoprostol has been harnessed by feminist activists not only as a pharmaceutical technology, but also, as I argue here, a biopolitical one fostering a distinctly feminist “biopolitics from below” (Biehl 2016). Building on an analysis of informative and narrative materials publicized by activist groups, I trace the affective mechanisms by which feminist activists contest hegemonic subjectivities. I focus on feminist knowledge productions about misoprostol and the affective paradigms made possible through them to suggest that its pharmaceutical properties have enabled activist practices that link the commanding of scientific knowledge to the production of political knowledges. Through these practices, feminist activists have turned misoprostol into a technology for shaping counter-hegemonic subjectivities as embodied, affective, and relational

Wiinaadmowing Etchi Piitzijig Enda’aat: Helping Elders Where They Live: An Anishinabek community-based participatory research approach to understand community-level supports during the COVID-19 pandemic

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic limited socializing and connecting, impacting the ability of Elders to pass on guidance and leadership through culturally specific ways. Community-level supports are vital for older adults living in First Nation communities, particularly supports that are inclusive, accessible, private, and confidential, and those that promote visiting, connecting, and culture, offer opportunities for outings, and use many avenues for awareness. Using an Anishinabek research methodology to inform decision-making among the Health and Community Wellness Committee, this community-based participatory action research study used the Gaataa’aabing visual research method to answer the research question: what are the perceptions of “community” adults over 50 years of age who have multiple chronic conditions about community-level supports during the COVID-19 pandemic? We recruited two participants who participated in three learning circles and contributed seven photos. We followed an adapted version of the collective consensual data analytic procedure to analyze over 400 coded segments, resulting in 15 themes organized into barriers to, thoughts and perceptions about, and strengths of community-level supports. We found that the importance of connecting through various means was heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic and community-level support aided in socialization through digital platforms. Although Elders enjoyed connecting with others through modern technology, they also felt that there is a need to return to the old ways, bringing back an Anishinabek way of life. Moving forward, service providers can use these findings to support the coordination of ‘friendly visiting’ via community-level volunteer programs to reduce the impacts of social isolation

The Perfect Language

A short story about experiments to develop a \u27Perfect Language\u27 that do not go as planned

Reviews of BW Powe’s Collection of Poetry: Mysteria: The following 12 reviews focus on BW’s Mysteria which can be purchased at Amazon.ca or Amazon.com

Reviews of BW Powe’s Collection of Poetry: MysteriaThe following 12 reviews focus on BW’s Mysteria which can be purchased at Amazon.ca or Amazon.co

Letter From Allen Allen, film-blogger, February 25th, 2025

Letter From Allen Allen, film-blogger, February 25th, 202

Moving Threads: The Post-Custodial Archive Model Preserving Syrian Clothing Heritage

This project uses the post-custodial model to archive a collection of nearly two hundred privately owned Syrian garments. The collection features clothing and craft techniques displaced from diaspora and war. This project aims to identify workflows and best practices for cataloging an international garment collection in the U.S. using the post-custodial method This includes focusing on critical cataloguing, an emerging approach for dress collections. The goal is to transform the collection into a museum-quality, publicly accessible archive and share its content through a book, articles, and an exhibition for education and outreach. The primary focus has been database development around international artifacts with multiple titles and work types. Since 2018, fashion historians working in museums and academia have partnered with Syrian American collection owners, engaging MLIS database specialists, Arabic language translators, Syrian culture experts, and historians to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance awareness. The custodians provide context, storage, provenance, and terminology for inclusive descriptions and photography styling. Challenges with this approach include minimal funding for private collections, limited time and team member participation resulting in slow processing, and the potential for conflicting stakeholder goals. Benefits for the Syrian community include more accurate narratives, vocabulary, and representation that promote innovation than in some institutional collections. Benefits for fashion history and library science professions include establishing best practices for clothing complexities, diversifying cultural representation, and valuing material culture