22 22 22 H i .

E v e r y o n e d o i n g o k a y ?

R u t h B a d e r G i n s b u r g p a s s e d a w a y a w e e k o r s o b a c k .

I w o u l d b e d u m b t o s a y t h a t I w a s s u r p r i s e d b y t h e d e a t h o f a n 8 7 - y e a r o l d h u m a n b e i n g w h o ' d d e a l t w i t h t h e m e d i c a l i s s u e s R u t h B a d e r G i n s b u r g h a d i n t h e l a s t f e w y e a r s o f h e r l i f e .

B u t w o w , w h a t a g u t p u n c h .

I h a d c o n v i n c e d m y s e l f a l o n g t i m e a g o t h a t R B G w a s n ' t g o i n g t o d i e . N o t t h a t s h e w a s i m m o r t a l , b u t t h a t s h e ' d s o m e h o w c o n v i n c e d D e a t h t o l e a v e h e r b e f o r a w h i l e u n t i l e v e r y t h i n g w a s n ' t s o d i r e . I ' d a l l o w e d m y s e l f a g l i m m e r o f h o p e t h a t t h i s y e a r - t h i s y e a r - w o u l d j u s t h o l d o f f o n o n e m o r e k n e e t o o u r c o l l e c t i v e g r o i n s .

C l e a r l y i t d i d n ' t .

A n d t h o u g h R B G ' s p a s s i n g m a k e s m e s t o p i n t h e m i d s t o f d a i l y a c t i v i t y t o j u s t h o l d m y e y e s t i g h t a n d t r y a n d h o l d m y a n x i e t y a t b a y , h e r p a s s i n g i s n ' t w h a t m a k e s m e t r u l y s a d a n d t r u l y a n g r y .

I t ' s t h e t h o u g h t t h a t i n o u r n a t i o n ' s c a p i t a l , a g r o u p o f m e n a n d w o m e n s p e n t t h e l a s t f e w y e a r s p e r c h e d o v e r t h e i r n e w s f e e d s , w a i t i n g f o r t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t t h a t a t i t a n o f p r o g r e s s i v e l a w - a w o m a n w h o h e l p e d t o c h a n g e m o r e f o r o t h e r w o m e n i n A m e r i c a t h a n j u s t a b o u t a n y o n e e l s e t h i s c e n t u r y - h a d p a s s e d .

W h e n s h e d i d , w h e n R u t h B a d e r G i n s b u r g s l i p p e d o f f t h e m o r t a l c o i l , t h e y c l a s p e d h a n d s a n d c h e e r e d . T h e y c e l e b r a t e d h e r d e a t h .

P o l i t i c s i s a d i r t y , h o r r i b l e p r o f e s s i o n . I g e t i t . B u t t h e t h o u g h t o f M i t c h M c C o n n e l l s q u e a l i n g t o h i m s e l f i n t h e h a l l s o f C o n g r e s s w h e n h e l e a r n e d o f h e r p a s s i n g i s e n o u g h t o m a k e m e s i c k .

I a m s a d , a n d a n g r y , b e c a u s e a t r u e l e g e n d l i k e R B G i s g o n e a n d w e a r e l e f t w i t h r a w , u n c h e c k e d s e l f i s h n e s s i n h e r p l a c e .

W e a r e l e f t w i t h a g r o u p o f p e o p l e i n p o w e r w h o w a n t n o t h i n g m o r e t h a n t o r e p l a c e h e r l e g a c y w i t h w h a t e v e r f o o t h o l d t o t h e i r b a c k w a r d - t h i n k i n g a g e n d a s t h e y c a n m u s t e r .

I w i s h I h a d a g r i m l y p o s i t i v e n o t e t o l e a v e y o u w i t h .

B u t t o d a y , t o d a y I ' m j u s t s a d a n d a n g r y a t w h e r e w e ' v e e n d e d u p .

' T i l l n e x t t i m e .

- N o a h S a n d e r s , T h e R a c k e t The Racket stands against police brutality, racism and violence perpetuated towards BIPOC communities in all forms.

DONATE:

BLACK LIVES MATTER https://blacklivesmatter.com/

LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY BAIL FUND https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising /louisville-community-bail-fund/

THE LOVELAND FOUNDATION https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

Breona Taylor's Murderers Are Still Free: https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice- for-breonna-taylor T H E R A C K E T : Q U A R A N T I N E J O U R N A L , V o l . 2 , N O . 2 2

C o p y r i g h t 2 0 2 0 T h e R a c k e t

C o v e r I m a g e : A n n a R o t t y T i t l e : R B G

A n n a R o t t y a n d Z a c h C l a r k h a v e c o l l a b o r a t e d o n a l i m i t e d e d i t i o n o f r i s o g r a p h p r i n t o f t h i s p i e c e , a v a i l a b l e a t w w w . a n n a r o t t y . c o m o r w w w . n a t i o n a l m o n u m e n t p r e s s . c o m

C r e d i t : © A n n a R o t t y

W e b s i t e : h t t p s : / / w w w . a n n a r o t t y . c o m / I G : @ a n n a r o t t y

P r o m o t i o n a l r i g h t s o n l y .

T h i s b o o k , o r p a r t s t h e r e o f , m a y n o t b e r e p r o d u c e d i n a n y f o r m w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n f r o m i n d i v i d u a l a u t h o r s .

T h e s c a n n i n g , u p l o a d i n g a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n o f t h i s d o c u m e n t v i a t h e i n t e r n e t o r a n y o t h e r m e a n s w i t h o u t t h e p e r m i s s i o n o f t h e a u t h o r ( s ) i s i l l e g a l .

C o d e r e d i s b a d . I ' m s t i l l f i g u r i n g o u t c o d e p u r p l e .

W W W . T H E R A C K E T S F . C O M W E H A V E A P A T R E O N

W e a r e n ' t i n t h i s f o r t h e m o n e y .

T h a t s a i d : t h e r e a r e c o s t s i n d o i n g w h a t w e d o .

A n y h e l p w i t h t h o s e c o s t s ( a n d w i t h t h e c o s t s o f f u t u r e e n d e a v o r s ) w o u l d b e g r e a t l y a p p r e c i a t e d .

I f n o t , w e g e t i t a n d w e s t i l l a p p r e c i a t e y o u .

I f s o , w e ' v e g o t w e e k l y m i c r o - p l a y l i s t s , s p e c i a l r e c o m m e n d e m a i l a n d m u c h , m u c h m o r e . T H A N K Y O U T O T H E S E F O L K S

C A T H Y & J O H N S A N D E R S D A N I E L L E T R U P P I H A L L I E Y O U N G R U T H I E W A G M O R E J A M I E E N G E L M A N N R A N D Y W O R K M A N C A S E Y B E N N E T T E L I Z A B E T H B E R N S T E I N L I L I A N C A Y L E E S A S H A B E R N S T E I N J A N E D I C K E R S O N K E V I N D U B L I N L A U R E N C . J O H N S O N Y A L I T Z A F E R R E R A S A N G I E M C D O N A L D A L E X M A C E D A Q U Y N H - A N P H A N T O M A S M O N I Z S P E N C E R T I E R N E Y N I C K O ' B R I E N J U S T I N & S A R A H S A N D E R S K R I S T A P O S E L L D A V I D S A N D E R S D A N I E L S C H W A R T Z B A U M S A R A M A N D A S W I G A R T K U R T W A L L A C E J U D Y W E I L

O U R P A T R E O N : w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / t h e r a c k e t r e a d i n g s e r i e s S U B M I T Y O U R W O R K

p o e t r y p r o s e a r t

7 5 0 w o r d s o r l e s s

S e n d t o : t h e r a c k e t r e a d i n g s e r i e s @ g m a i l . c o m C O N T E N T S

B R E T T A M O R Y S e l f - I n - P l a c e , 4 8 1 S T E V E N G R A Y Close, But No Guitar 2 J E S S I C A K I M F a m i l y P o r t r a i t 3 I n C l o s u r e C A R L O S V A L E N C I A U n t i t l e d ( S n a k e ) 5 L A U R E N P A R K E R Suntanned, 6 Windblown A M Y N A T H A N C o c k s c o m b 8 K U S H A L P O D D A R Childhood 9 C A R L O S V A L E N C I A U n t i t l e d 1 0 ( D e a d E n d ) C H E R Y L D U S M E N I L C a r v e 1 1 B R E T T A M O R Y S e l f - I n - P l a c e , 3 4 1 3

T H E B A C K P A G E B Y L a u r a J a y e C r a m e r

C U R A T E D B Y : N o a h S a n d e r s 22 S e l f - I n - P l a c e , 4 8 B r e t t A m o r y 2 0 2 0 C l o s e , B u t N o G u i t a r S T E V E N G R A Y

Having the generic genitals of someone from my generation I’m depending on the generosity of women.

The opposing forces are a generator.

Existence is a gender-bender with genetic side-effects, a rancid side-show with some kind of genius.

Doing time, intuiting the present with the antennae of an anti-social show-off.

He was careless in expanding his awareness, though it landed him in Paris with a melodramatic heiress where he felt like a photographer in love with a statue of limitation.

2- F a m i l y P o r t r a i t I n C l o s u r e J E S S I C A K I M

There they sit, in that photo. Father with his back bent over newspapers in monochrome, squinting at frazzled alphabets. His loafers dangling from the armchair. Forgetting to wash the dishes after dinner and from the kitchen, mother spouts admonitions at him. Her apron smeared with chili sauce and old age. Tonight, her receding hairline braids itself onto the beads of perspiration that rain down her cheeks. The children munch down peaches in quietude and the plate sits empty on the coffee table. They straggle upstairs like inquisitive visitors and there is no one left in the foreground. Only a lone window, shapeshifting into winter, then spring, summer. Someday they will all

3- return as if to wake up from their slumber on an ordinary morning and wonder why the house is stagnant, framed into a picture.

4- U n t i t l e d ( S n a k e ) C a r l o s V a l e n c i a 2 0 1 5 S u n t a n n e d , W i n d b l o w n L A U R E N P A R K E R

To remove the skin of a rabbit, you cut a hole In the back and tear, working your fingers under The fur and out like you’re ripping open a package Of taffies at the shore, the salty sea air making your Hair curl, be quick, quick as the thing, the hard part is always the head

To remove the skin of a deer, you have to go slowly Technique is important, keep your eye on the knife not on the iron hooks hanging from the ceiling Don’t let the clink of chains fill your head Start at the back leg, follow the tendons Learn the release of skin separating from muscle From fat, split it, like the back of the leg Is coated in the most erotic of stockings.

A bear is a bit like a human, you start at the wrist The curl of the paw outstretched, handshake Split the fur like parting a sea, seam on seam on seam Meet at the throat, jaw, snout, highways of the body.

The meat will glisten too, pink and white Soft angelic like Easter lilies. You’ll be surprised

6- At how the meat is stored, the legs mostly bone Cut knuckles, snap tibia, the symmetry will rock you to sleep.

When you cut off your own skin, you won’t be able To just tear open and out, snap a leg bone after Gliding through tendons, careful to avoid the rump meat It doesn’t begin with the knife, it begins in the car, day Four, two more than the map said because you’re lost So incredibly lost, and your car is a classic Chevelle Not built for long trips, and the crook of the neck Of the girl you love is louder than the radio

You pull and tug at your exterior in the hotel rooms, at the sites Where she runs out and says take my picture And you pretend that the camera is the eye you See her through, the concave glass lens the thing sees her the most, stark, arms out, shadow among cacti She can feel everything, her sides pushed in from The world, and you stand with your camera And your skin worked off with a knife, limp in your Hands, limp in the heat, praying she’ll eat you or wear you.

-7 C o c k s c o m b A m y N a t h a n i m a g e c o u r t e s y o f t h e a r t i s t a n d C U L T | A i m e e F r i b e r g E x h i b i t i o n s 2 0 2 0 C h i l d h o o d K U S H A L P O D D A R

A bar. The red in Tim's mother's glass disappears. Hit me again. She says. A bar. Tim shall look after himself.

A blur. The tire swing replaced every summer wets the muddy ground with its rain soaked shadow. Tim blurs away in his eyes. I am late. I should be there with those underaged beers I promised.

We have toy revolvers that look like a heady mix of black and clotted blood.

9- U n t i t l e d ( D e a d E n d ) C a r l o s V a l e n c i a 2 0 1 7 C a r v e C H E R Y L D U M E S N I L

The doctor has removed my femur and carried it

to a table across the room. I am awake, but not in pain.

The doctor is a white coat turned away from me.

I hear a sound not unlike the buzz of a tattoo gun.

Above me hang the usual flood lights encased in steel.

In the curved reflection my leg is a coin purse

snapped open, a gaping mouth crayoned red.

The doctor returns holding my bone like a majorette's

1-1 baton, rotating it to reveal the image she's carved: the girl I was, sitting beside Emily Dickinson's grave. There's the checkered wool coat I wore all year, my scuffed black boots. There's the acorn I left on her tombstone, the prayer I whispered to the leaves.

A casket latch is the sound my bone makes, clicked back in place. Yes, was the answer on my lips then: yes and always and please.

- 1 2 S e l f - I n - P l a c e , 3 4 B r e t t A m o r y 2 0 2 0 T H E B A C K P A G E B Y L A U R A J A Y E C R A M E R T H E W E E K L Y M U M B L E W O R D S T U F F

U n s c r a m b l e e a c h M u m b l e t o f o r m f i v e o r d i n a r y w o r d s . T h e n , a r r a n g e t h e g r e e n l e t t e r s i n t h e h i g h l i g h t e d s p a c e s t o c o m p l e t e t h e p u n c h l i n e . HGLTI

TAMUG

At any given time WETNI the urge to sing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is just... BLWEOB

YRAAR

.

( A n s w e r s n e x t w e e k . )

L a s t w e e k ' s a n s w e r s :

E X E R T , D W A R F P E R K Y , B I S E C T , B U S H E L I w i s h I w a s w e r e I w a s w h e n I w i s h e d I w a s h e r e . B O N G G L E

S e t a t i m e r f o r t h r e e m i n u t e s ( h o n o r s y s t e m ! ) t o f i n d a s m a n y w o r d s a s p o s s i b l e w i t h i n t h e g r i d b y c o n n e c t i n g l e t t e r s h o r i z o n t a l l y , v e r t i c a l l y , o r d i a g o n a l l y .

Y o u k n o w , l i k e B o g g l e .

T G J F

E H M V

U D F J

I J S M

S C O R I N G ( b y w o r d ) :

t h r e e / f o u r l e t t e r - 1 p t . f i v e l e t t e r - 2 p t . s i x l e t t e r - 3 p t . s e v e n l e t t e r - 4 p t .

S e n d y o u r l i s t o f w o r d s a n d y o u r s c o r e t o : t h e r a c k e t r e a d i n g s e r i e s @ g m a i l . c o m H i g h s c o r e g e t s a s h o u t o u t i n t h e n e x t i s s u e ! B O N G G L E

L A S T W E E K S W O R D S

b y s c o g c o t c o x c o z d i g d i t d i t z d u d d u d d y d u d s d u g d u i d u i t d z o g i d g i d d y g i t g o t g o x g u i d g u y g u y s k i d k i d d y k i t t i d t i d d y t i g t o c t o g u d s y u g

L A S T W E E K S W I N N E R : L e o n a r d B o i s e

Y O U C A N B E A W I N N E R T O O C O N T R I B U T O R S

B R E T T A M O R Y C H E R Y L D U M E S N I L S T E V E N G R A Y J E S S I C A K I M A M Y N A T H A N L A U R E N P A R K E R K U S H A L P O D D A R A N N A R O T T Y C A R L O S V A L E N C I A W E E K L Y

TRY TO KEEP CALM + J A C Q U E L I N E S U S K I N M I A H J E F F R A M I C H E A L F O U L K J U L I A H A L P R I N J A C K S O N M A T T F O W L E R T H U R S . 1 0 / 1 7 P M / Z O O M P A T R E O N w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / t h e r a c k e t r e a d i n g s e r i e s W E B S I T E w w w . t h e r a c k e t s f . c o m N E W S L E T T E R w w w . t h e r a c k e t s f . c o m / n e w s l e t t e r I N S T A G R A M @ T H E R A C K E T R E A D I N G S E R I E S

S U B M I T Y O U R W O R K :

t h e r a c k e t r e a d i n g s e r i e s @ g m a i l . c o m RUTH BADER GINSBURG 1933-2020