Erin Langner
@erinlangner.bsky.social
essayist. museum editor. playlister.
www.erinlangner.com
www.erinlangner.com
We’ve got this, #lambs. Mariah’s parallel status as Queen of Sadness shall go unrecognized no more.
March Sadness 90s Edition Bracket is Live: marchxness.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:31 PM
We’ve got this, #lambs. Mariah’s parallel status as Queen of Sadness shall go unrecognized no more.
Reposted by Erin Langner
“If at times such foundations seem to loom large, it is because in the United States, government support for health care, education, and the arts is far more limited than in nearly every other democratic nation.” —Aryeh Neier and Gara LaMarche on private philanthropy
Trump’s Attack on Philanthropy | Aryeh Neier, Gara LaMarche
Universities, law firms, and news media have already been targeted by the administration. As the Justice Department pushes to investigate the Open Society Foundations, it seems that philanthropies tha...
www.nybooks.com
February 1, 2026 at 12:23 AM
“If at times such foundations seem to loom large, it is because in the United States, government support for health care, education, and the arts is far more limited than in nearly every other democratic nation.” —Aryeh Neier and Gara LaMarche on private philanthropy
Reposted by Erin Langner
Across Georgia, thousands of students are making the same calculation. From Lakeside High to Kennesaw State, they’re deciding that a suspension is a small price to pay to draw attention to the actions of ICE and the recent tragic deaths in Minneapolis.
January 30, 2026 at 2:35 AM
Across Georgia, thousands of students are making the same calculation. From Lakeside High to Kennesaw State, they’re deciding that a suspension is a small price to pay to draw attention to the actions of ICE and the recent tragic deaths in Minneapolis.
Reposted by Erin Langner
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being. @theverge.com
I grew up with Alex Pretti
The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by ICE agents was my childhood best friend.
www.theverge.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:45 PM
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being. @theverge.com
Reposted by Erin Langner
I wrote the speech I *wish* Chuck Schumer would give tonight - as an actual opposition leader. Here it is:
"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."
1/14
"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."
1/14
Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.
January 25, 2026 at 2:06 AM
I wrote the speech I *wish* Chuck Schumer would give tonight - as an actual opposition leader. Here it is:
"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."
1/14
"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."
1/14
Reposted by Erin Langner
A petition to save the WPA murals inside the Wilbur J. Cohen Building in DC (which the GSA has put up for sale) now has almost 7,000 signatures.
Murals are by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, Seymour Fogel, Richmond Barthé, Ethel and Jenne Magafan, among others.
www.change.org/p/save-the-w...
Murals are by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, Seymour Fogel, Richmond Barthé, Ethel and Jenne Magafan, among others.
www.change.org/p/save-the-w...
Sign the Petition
Save the Wilbur J. Cohen Building — the “Sistine Chapel of the New Deal”
www.change.org
January 12, 2026 at 8:34 PM
A petition to save the WPA murals inside the Wilbur J. Cohen Building in DC (which the GSA has put up for sale) now has almost 7,000 signatures.
Murals are by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, Seymour Fogel, Richmond Barthé, Ethel and Jenne Magafan, among others.
www.change.org/p/save-the-w...
Murals are by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, Seymour Fogel, Richmond Barthé, Ethel and Jenne Magafan, among others.
www.change.org/p/save-the-w...
‘Your children, motherless, and the president says, “Good.”’ —Danez Smith
An Elegy for My Neighbor, Renee Nicole Good
Fellow poet Danez Smith memorializes the Minneapolis mother's call to witness
www.harpersbazaar.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:08 PM
‘Your children, motherless, and the president says, “Good.”’ —Danez Smith
This article says it all. The preemptive censorship. The country’s largest museum body cowering instead of leading. And the head of the Smithsonian deciding which hill he’ll choose to die on.
Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’
The long read: The president has vowed to kill off ‘woke’ in his second term in office, and the venerable cultural institution a few blocks from the White House is in his sights
www.theguardian.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:54 PM
This article says it all. The preemptive censorship. The country’s largest museum body cowering instead of leading. And the head of the Smithsonian deciding which hill he’ll choose to die on.
Reposted by Erin Langner
"So if the violence of the deportations, and the crackdowns, and the cuts, and the raids, and the air strikes, haven’t been enough for you, let something so simple and evil as the daytime execution of a poet move you to action." Thank you, @literaryhub.bsky.social 💥
January 8, 2026 at 4:16 AM
"So if the violence of the deportations, and the crackdowns, and the cuts, and the raids, and the air strikes, haven’t been enough for you, let something so simple and evil as the daytime execution of a poet move you to action." Thank you, @literaryhub.bsky.social 💥
Reposted by Erin Langner
This review by Erin is a delight -- insightful literary analysis without loss of context. (In addition, I am a huge fan of thinking while riding the bus, which this review also has)
I reviewed Damion Searls’s great novella on navigating the present + making nostalgia meaningful for Zona Motel open.substack.com/pub/zonamote...
REVIEW: Analog Days by Damion Searls
Damion Searls's new novella shows us that the surrounding noise, innocuous as it might seem at times, is valuable; that the foreground and background are both essential to meaning.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:40 PM
This review by Erin is a delight -- insightful literary analysis without loss of context. (In addition, I am a huge fan of thinking while riding the bus, which this review also has)
I reviewed Damion Searls’s great novella on navigating the present + making nostalgia meaningful for Zona Motel open.substack.com/pub/zonamote...
REVIEW: Analog Days by Damion Searls
Damion Searls's new novella shows us that the surrounding noise, innocuous as it might seem at times, is valuable; that the foreground and background are both essential to meaning.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I reviewed Damion Searls’s great novella on navigating the present + making nostalgia meaningful for Zona Motel open.substack.com/pub/zonamote...
Reposted by Erin Langner
In the official photo provided by Bongino, the faces are blurred out.
That's ... not how any of this works.
That's ... not how any of this works.
'The Bean' artist, Chicago nonprofit respond to Border Patrol photo op: report
www.fox32chicago.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:09 AM
In the official photo provided by Bongino, the faces are blurred out.
That's ... not how any of this works.
That's ... not how any of this works.
Reposted by Erin Langner
“Dozens of prominent artists and cultural organizations will participate in a series of artistic demonstrations to protest what authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration.
The protests, known as Fall of Freedom, will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21...”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/a...
The protests, known as Fall of Freedom, will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21...”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/a...
Artists Plan Nationwide Protests Against ‘Authoritarian Forces’
www.nytimes.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:35 AM
“Dozens of prominent artists and cultural organizations will participate in a series of artistic demonstrations to protest what authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration.
The protests, known as Fall of Freedom, will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21...”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/a...
The protests, known as Fall of Freedom, will take place on the weekend of Nov. 21...”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/a...
Reposted by Erin Langner
My review of Taylor’s new album is that when Beyoncé turned 35 she made LEMONADE.
October 6, 2025 at 10:25 PM
My review of Taylor’s new album is that when Beyoncé turned 35 she made LEMONADE.
Reposted by Erin Langner
Jack Straw Writers Alumni Reading
Friday, October 10, 7pm
Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE
FREE
#JackStrawWriters #RecordingStudio #Seattle
Friday, October 10, 7pm
Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE
FREE
#JackStrawWriters #RecordingStudio #Seattle
October 6, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Jack Straw Writers Alumni Reading
Friday, October 10, 7pm
Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE
FREE
#JackStrawWriters #RecordingStudio #Seattle
Friday, October 10, 7pm
Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE
FREE
#JackStrawWriters #RecordingStudio #Seattle
Reposted by Erin Langner
Let's reminder that Disney arguably started this wave of media capitulation by settling Trump's lawsuit against ABC last December. And now here we are...
September 18, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Let's reminder that Disney arguably started this wave of media capitulation by settling Trump's lawsuit against ABC last December. And now here we are...
Reposted by Erin Langner
"...weakening public discourse at a moment when open debate is urgently needed. Journalists should not have to fear losing their jobs simply for offering analysis or asking tough questions on matters of public concern." pen.org/press-releas...
Warning of a Chilling Effect on the Free Press After Journalists Fired or Suspended in Wake of Charlie Kirk Shooting
PEN America: “The firing and suspension of multiple journalists after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk should alarm anyone who cares about free speech and a free press. Taken together, these measure...
pen.org
September 15, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"...weakening public discourse at a moment when open debate is urgently needed. Journalists should not have to fear losing their jobs simply for offering analysis or asking tough questions on matters of public concern." pen.org/press-releas...
Reposted by Erin Langner
🚨 Today is the LAST DAY you can leave a public comment for the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, which meets Sep 18.
Reports suggest they may falsely link vaccines to child deaths and restrict vaccines to ages 75 and up.
You can submit a written comment here:
www.regulations.gov/document/CDC...
Reports suggest they may falsely link vaccines to child deaths and restrict vaccines to ages 75 and up.
You can submit a written comment here:
www.regulations.gov/document/CDC...
September 13, 2025 at 4:18 PM
🚨 Today is the LAST DAY you can leave a public comment for the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, which meets Sep 18.
Reports suggest they may falsely link vaccines to child deaths and restrict vaccines to ages 75 and up.
You can submit a written comment here:
www.regulations.gov/document/CDC...
Reports suggest they may falsely link vaccines to child deaths and restrict vaccines to ages 75 and up.
You can submit a written comment here:
www.regulations.gov/document/CDC...
Reposted by Erin Langner
Today Melania Trump met with execs in support of AI in education. It's part of a big push by tech companies and the Trump Administration to get AI products into schools fast. If there's an American child you care about, pls read my recent article about what's happening. Let's be informed.
How Chatbots and AI Are Already Transforming Kids' Classrooms
Educators across the country are bringing chatbots into their lesson plans. Will it help kids learn or is it just another doomed ed-tech fad?
www.bloomberg.com
September 4, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Today Melania Trump met with execs in support of AI in education. It's part of a big push by tech companies and the Trump Administration to get AI products into schools fast. If there's an American child you care about, pls read my recent article about what's happening. Let's be informed.
Reposted by Erin Langner
Also, a show about Latino youth movements being replaced with one about salsa music.
hyperallergic.com/1037811/smit...
hyperallergic.com/1037811/smit...
Smithsonian Latino Gallery Quietly Closes for Nine Months
As Trump goes after the institution, a temporary space for the National Museum of the American Latino closed ahead of schedule in preparation for America’s 250th programming.
hyperallergic.com
August 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Also, a show about Latino youth movements being replaced with one about salsa music.
hyperallergic.com/1037811/smit...
hyperallergic.com/1037811/smit...
Reposted by Erin Langner
If Democratic politicians do not fight this because it's a "distraction," it will simply happen. They need to get in front of every mic and say that we will not allow Trump to destroy American history. He wants a culture war? GIVE HIM ONE. There are no distractions. Have every fight.
August 19, 2025 at 8:46 PM
If Democratic politicians do not fight this because it's a "distraction," it will simply happen. They need to get in front of every mic and say that we will not allow Trump to destroy American history. He wants a culture war? GIVE HIM ONE. There are no distractions. Have every fight.
Reposted by Erin Langner
Real talk (reel talk?):
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
Subscribe - Bright Wall/Dark Room
Subscribe for $29 a year Subscribe now to receive immediate access to each new essay we publish, plus our entire 135+ issue archive. Bright Wall/Dark Room is 100% independent, runs no ads, and strongl...
brightwalldarkroom.com
August 17, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Real talk (reel talk?):
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.
Reposted by Erin Langner
Military "showing force" at the very same site where Japanese Americans were rounded up for incarceration during WWII.
Border Patrol agents assembled outside a Los Angeles museum where Gov. Gavin Newsom was holding a rally and news conference on congressional redistricting. Local elected officials expressed outrage that the agents decided to stand there in a brazen show of force. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/u...
August 14, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Military "showing force" at the very same site where Japanese Americans were rounded up for incarceration during WWII.
Reposted by Erin Langner
In light of Vanity Fair's recent idiotic decision, WaPo's offering its veteran critic a buyout, the NYT's "reassigning" three arts writers critics, etc., a lot of us are talking about the public's (and thus publications') lack of interest in criticism. It's part of a larger pattern of a war...
August 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
In light of Vanity Fair's recent idiotic decision, WaPo's offering its veteran critic a buyout, the NYT's "reassigning" three arts writers critics, etc., a lot of us are talking about the public's (and thus publications') lack of interest in criticism. It's part of a larger pattern of a war...
Reposted by Erin Langner
RFK Jr. backs down all the time when he gets push back, so if anyone wants to call, here's the HHS number 1-877-696-6775.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he will cancel $500 million in vaccine development projects.
August 5, 2025 at 11:00 PM
RFK Jr. backs down all the time when he gets push back, so if anyone wants to call, here's the HHS number 1-877-696-6775.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.