What I've Been Reading #1

Hey folks! Welcome to the first rendition of a new weekly project, a column where I’ll be talking about what I’ve been reading!

This’ll be about highlighting some interesting news stories I’ve been keeping tabs on, some new books I’m checking out, or just things I’m watching in my free time. Also, if there’s anything new I’ve been up to, I’ll make a note to mention it! This isn’t a supplement for Free Radical stories, those will still come out whenever they’re ready. I haven’t been putting out nearly as much as I’d like, so to make up for this, I wanted to start this project. That way you all get a little something while I’m working on bigger pieces for FR or TNN (if you haven’t checked out Trans News Network and my work there, you’re missing out)!

You can expect updates on this every Sunday!

I’ll mostly be featuring news stories I’ve been keeping tabs on. I’m making it a note to only share free news stories, and if they’re paywalled, send out a link to a free variant, i.e. on an archive. I’m also going to be prioritizing smaller, independent, and/or worker-owned outlets.

As for books, that’ll just be pretty general about anything I’m reading that I enjoy that I think you all should check out. I can’t guarantee this all will be free stuff, but I’ll do my best to provide links whenever possible. If I can’t provide one, my go-to advice will be to check out your local library, or look on Library Genesis or its variant sites.

If you have anything that you find interesting that you think should be shared in this, feel free to email me about it! Additionally, feel free to share any feedback you all have on this. You can reach me at miralazine@gmail.com :) That’s all for this introduction. Thank you all so much for reading this and supporting me through all this time. Looking forward to doing more in the next year!

What Have I Been Up To?

I’ve been hard at work publishing some new stories lately. For Trans News Network, I had the privilege of editing my colleague David Forbes’ amazing piece on transphobia from U.S. Catholics and how to fight back. I seriously recommend reading it, because it’s a real treat, done in her usual punchy style.

As for my own writings, I recently published the first part in a series debunking Erica Chenoweth’s popular book on nonviolence. This piece has been taking months of research, and part 2 is likewise taking an immense amount of research and time to finesse. It’s a long read, but in my view, it’s well worth it. And, as you all know, I also just published my scoop on ICE’s attempted deportation of Cincinnati, Ohio Imam Ayman Soliman. This was a powerful piece that honestly hits home for me, since I used to live in the city. Check it out if you haven’t already!

What News Have I Been Reading?

404 Media

Lots of good stuff has been out on the web lately. Over at 404 Media, Jason Koebler and colleagues have been working on an amazing series documenting the immense surveillance of Flock’s AI cameras, and the sheer dangers they pose. This series has been ongoing as new developments emerge, including ways to bypass the cameras, the legality of such, and the extent that people can access these cameras for free with minimal effort. This story in particular is a great deep dive into how the journalists were able to track themselves via Flock’s cameras. It’s horrifying and poignant, and I recommend checking their prior works on the subject as well.

The Intercept

Over at The Intercept, Alain Stephens published a great deep dive into Appalachian resistance against ICE’s growing persecution. I grew up in Appalachia, and can personally attest that there’s a strong history of community organizing there that gets slept on. Lots of good info, especially as it debunks the narrative that people don’t care about their immigrant neighbors.

A piece by Jessica Washington gives an interesting deep dive into Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign and her focus on directing funds for mutual aid efforts. You all know I’m no fan of electoral politics, and I’ve been publicly skeptical of Abughazaleh before, given that I’ve just come to innately distrust politicians and those who run for office. 

I’ll be frank though, this move impressed me. Washington’s piece does a really good job at showing how Abughazalehg's campaign is navigating both legal and logistical challenges while maintaining a commitment to get politico types to actually help their communities more. Worth a read, and I really hope other candidates take inspiration from her. Never going to be against more people doing the work that matters.

Al-Jazeera

Al-Jazeera has long been a source I’ve long trusted on coverage of Palestine, Sudan, and international politics. While their ties to the Qatari government make coverage of that nation a bit suspect, I haven’t noticed it to be more egregious than how, say, NPR covers American politics. As a whole, their work is good stuff, and their journalists do fantastic work.

For instance, a work from October by Justin Salhani covers the Darfuri genocide in Sudan, and specifically a new satellite analysis from Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab. Reveals some horrifying imagery, with blood and body pileups visible from their orbiting satellite. Sobering but quality work from both. (Also, see this thread of mine for info on how to help the victims of the genocide)

This week is also no exception. They just released some detailed coverage of the horrific winter facing Gaza. This has been something lacking in news coverage, since the world feels like it moved on from Palestine after phase one of the ceasefire went into effect, in spite of Israel still killing and wounding Palestinians.

With many Gazans living in tents right now, it’s becoming difficult to make ends meet. They’re dealing with flooding, have minimal internet access, and are trying to just survive. This piece does a great job at revealing that.

Also, while on the topic - check out the fundraisers of my friends Soad and Saed in Gaza. They’re all trying to keep afloat amidst this rainfall and raise enough to rebuild their lives. We’ve been able to help keep them afloat for a good while, but blockades have meant that they have incredibly expensive bills. I also recommend checking out Molly Shah on Bluesky for more folk to support.

Unicorn Riot

I love the work Unicorn Riot’s done. They’re one of the few leftist outlets that stands the test of time and consistently puts out quality stuff. They’ve been at it for years, and frankly they’re one of the first outlets I tell people to read when looking for news to support. A limitation of theirs is that they typically cover stuff in the Twin Cities, but I keep my eyes open for abroad stuff.

But even if you're not in Minnesota, a lot of their stuff gives good insight for how to organize. One story, written by Clint Combs, talks about a sit-in a Twin Cities tenant union organized in their building after immensely unethical actions on account of the property manager. It’s a detailed story that has some great interviews and information on what taking action with a tenants union is like, and how some tangible changes can be made by organizing one. It’s worth a read, and worth looking into tenants unions near you!

They also published a comprehensive interview by Dan Feidt talking about recent ICE raids in the Twin Cities. Feidt interviews two activists who were resisting ICE and helping out their neighbors, and provides some amazing photo coverage of some actions. Additionally, there’s a ton of information provided on how to help out people around you amidst ICE's growing crackdowns, even if you’re not in the Twin Cities. It is seriously worth a read.

Miscellaneous Reads

A couple miscellaneous reads I checked out that I thought worth sharing this week. Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, former CDC physician John Weiser talks about his experiences leaving the CDC after the Trump administration tried to push him to purge trans people from HIV resources. He makes a compelling case for why the only right move in these situations is to not comply, not compromise, and instead to fight back. It’s also a really insightful recount of his experiences – not something you'll see often from a guy in his position.

A separate story, by Mey Rude over at Out Magazine, talks about a boycott many cis and trans women are holding of a Dead By Daylight tournament after they banned trans women. It’s awesome to see, and Rude does fantastic reporting as she interviews a few people organizing the boycott, and the impacts they’re hoping to have. A prime example of how gamers can do some good organizing to protect marginalized people, and of what should be done going forward!

What Books Have I Been Reading?

Lately, I’ve been reading a few books that I think you all will enjoy.

Political

I cite this one in the Chenoweth piece, but I want to mention it here — Charles Cobb’s This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed. I read this first years ago, and gave it a light reread for the story. Now, I’m doing a more in depth reread as I’m working on research for part 2. It’s a great book that recounts the role violence and nonviolence played in the centuries-long battle for equal rights among Black folk. Cobb is a seasoned organizer, and someone who's no stranger to detailed, critical analyses of his own work and that of his friends and colleagues. It’s really, really good, and I keep finding something new to learn each time I go back through it. I implore you to read this.

In a similar vein, part of my research for part 2 has me reading Vicky Osterweil’s In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action. Vicky’s an acquaintance of mine and Bluesky mutual who I really respect. She’s done incredible work that gets glossed over way too much. This book continues that tradition, where she does a systematic analysis of the role looting has played in riots and revolts, and the good it’s brought to the world.

I find this to be an especially important topic given how not only is looting racialized and used to further marginalized Black & Indigenous people of color, but so too is it used to dismiss movements and divide people. You’ll see organizers talk about how their protesters weren’t “outside agitators” like those looting, and how people “should only loot what they need.” Vicky deconstructs why these are bad points that ultimately contradict a movement. Everything I’ve read so far is immaculate, and frankly just writing about it has me excited to get back to reading. Check it out!

General Nonfiction

Outside the world of politics, I’ve been enjoying Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things. A small hobby of mine has always been tinkering and building stuff, and this book gives great insight into the logic behind product design, engineering, and inventing.

Anyone whose an engineering major has no doubt read it front to back several times over, but myself being a college dropout, I haven’t gotten that chance yet. I saw it was at my local library, and immediately went to get it. I’m loving what I’m reading so far, and learning about the niche design philosophy behind things as simple as doors and mugs has given me a new appreciation for the things I use every day. It’s worth checking out!

Fiction

And finally, outside the world of nonfiction, I’ve been getting through my backlog of Ursula K Le Guin books. I just finished reading The Dispossessed, and really enjoyed it. It’s a work about a set of binary planets, where one’s a capitalist world much like ours, and the other is an isolationist anarchist society. It’s a great exploration into what a post-revolution world might look like, and how it would interact with the future development of human society. Gets heavy at some points, but god damn if it hasn’t stuck with me.

I’m currently reading through Left Hand of Darkness, one set in the same universe as Dispossessed. This book spotlights an alien society where gender isn’t really a thing, as members of the species swap their sexual organs at will. This was published in the 70’s, and K Le Guin’s cis, so this is just ahead of its time in so many ways. It’s more dense and lore jargony than Dispossessed, but if you don’t mind that, it’s a fantastic work.

Thanks for reading folks. Stay tuned for next week! Excited to share anything new I stumble across.

Best,

-Mira