Running for office was never really something I thought of as possible. I’m too mercurial to speak sagely with people with whom I fundamentally disagree. I mean, I can nod and say, “hmm, that’s interesting,� without rolling my eyes too hard, but then I run away and call my friends who offer rehabilitative support. I do believe that most people are good and that we can meet in the middle most of the time, but there are some subjects I’m too entrenched in to be persuaded. But, I am good at supporting people who I believe do good work and compromise about issues without compromising their values.
Four years ago, when David Garcia ran for governor, I campaigned for him—my first time going door-to-door to try to persuade people to do something. I had thought this kind of work would be impossible for me too. I don’t like to answer my door or my phone, so the idea that I should be the one calling or knocking seemed antithetical to my being. But, here’s the trick about canvassing—very few people actually answer their door. You can leave literature for your candidates on their porch and then run way. After being ignored by so many, you actually get excited when someone answers, and you can talk to them about the upcoming election and make sure the door-answerers plan to vote. They always say they will. And I believe them.
My former student went to see the Subhumans in Phoenix late last fall. I’ve loved this punk rock band since I was twelve-years-old. Their dark point of view satisfied me. Their song “The Cradl… Read moreImpossible individualism: Us fish must swim together
I didn’t mean to fall in love with Brine Shrimp. In 2017, for my birthday, my friend Angie gave me an ecosphere—an egg-shaped glass enclosure in which three brine shrimp swam among oxygenating… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Brine shrimp
I have a confession to make. I adopted two new kittens. After Zane the cat got lost last April, I couldn’t stop missing him. Zane, half Maine Coon, half koala bear, was my person. He slept bet… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Impossible Hospitals
On June 30th, I took a trip with my friend Beya and our youngest boys to Clear Creek Reservoir to paddleboard. The wind was strong. The water was murky. The sun was hot. We managed to make it … Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Impossible College
I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. The nouns in that sentence define nearly all of my writing. My hometown, paradoxically named, shaped my aesthetic. I write from a first-person point of view… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: One and done
Newly elected governor Katie Hobbs, in her inauguration speech, vowed to repeal the universal vouchers, officially known as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) â€� double-speak for if you’re… Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: Boot Straps
It was precisely 97 minutes ago that we wrapped up Spring Semester 2022. By the time you’re reading this, it will be September 1 and Fall Semester 2022 will be well underway. They say there’s … Read moreNicole's Impossibly Possible Ideas: A wormhole summer
