On February 25, 2024, Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire as a protest against the war on Gaza. His act, along with other self-immolations that were less covered by the news, was shattering. I wrote about it a few days after his death and wanted to share it with you again today.

I’ll be reading a shortened version of this essay when "machinemachine, a critique on the trauma of labor under capitalism," hosts an opening reception at the Red Floor Gallery (41 W Southern Ave, Tempe) on Saturday, February 22 from 6-10p. If you’re local, I hope you can make it.

In the essay I share a quote from Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History by Sidney Mintz that I’ll leave you with: “One cannot simply assume that everyone has an infinite desire for sweetness, any more than one can assume the same about a desire for comfort or wealth or power.”

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