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What is KJR Studios?
KJR Studios is a sprawling creative practice headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, with seasonal projects in Berlin, Johannesburg, and wherever else I am invited (hint hint: I would love to spend some time in Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Tokyo). Stewarded by me, learner Kameelah Janan Rasheed, KJR Studios is committed to exploring how we learn across species, disciplines, and states of living.
Learn more about KJR Studios here.
How is this newsletter organized?
I wonder how many changes readers will tolerate. I hope you’ll stick with me as I try to find a more sustainable rhythm.
a. 🕸️ Primitive Hypertext (after Octavia Estelle Butler)
Mondays: This is done in the same spirit — a list of five things I’ve read/seen/heard and want to share. I decided to switch the format to mirror Harper’s Findings.
b. ✍🏽 1,000 Words
Tuesdays: I am pushing myself to write 1,000 words a day. I will share some of it every month or so.
c. 🖼️ KJR Studios Updates
Wednesdays: Reminders about exhibitions, publications, and classes.
d. 🧕🏾 Jumu'ah Series
Fridays: I am unable to attend Jumu'ah, so instead of physically gathering, I will share a newsletter each Friday detailing a practice of gathering that does not include physical congregation. Read the full explanation here.
e. 👾 The Greedy Goblins
Second + Fourth Saturday of Each Month: Sometimes, I am completely overwhelmed with how to start a sentence when a bunch of greedy goblins (tangential thoughts) are volleying for my attention. I am returning to the list form to relieve myself of the pressure of narrativizing or “making a point.” And speaking of my tangent goblins — creatures that I picture as purple blobs with octopus-like suction cups covering their bodies and puppy dog eyes that weaken my resolve — here come two others:
I am reminded of The Odd Years, a book of to-lists Morgan Bassichis created every Monday in 2017 and 2019. From their 2021 special edition — “— REPRISE MY ROLE AS FAMILY KILLJOY”. I am thinking about Hsu Hsu’s 2020 New Yorker essay, My Year of Making Lists which connects the trauma of COVID to the illusory sense of control that a list implies. In addition to this angle, I was drawn to this:
and
I make lists because I have poor sensory gating which means I am often taking in a lot of stimuli and I need to place it … somewhere. There is also something about what Hsu Hsu calls “a desire to displace anxious energy into a nerdish ritual.”
How to cite this newsletter: Rasheed, K. (Year, Month Day). Newsletter Title. I Will (?) Figure This All Out Later. URL
