SEPT ISSUE OF THE RYDER
There’s lots to read in the new issue of The Ryder. You can pick up a copy in most locally owned shops and restaurants, and on the IU campus. But in the meantime, here is your personal copy (click on the cover).
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVER, by Laura Brikmanis “I reread The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman before I went to the 2004 March for Women’s Lives in D.C. The short story represents the constraints of patriarchal control and loss of autonomy through imagery of a woman trapped behind an oppressive wallpaper pattern. At the time, it seemed this short story (originally published in 1892) would be an example of the past—we were far on our way to overcoming and becoming equal! Or so I thought….
”When Roe v. Wade was recently overturned—130 years after The Yellow Wallpaper was published—the image of that woman behind the wallpaper jumped to my mind. I realized— despite all my optimism and hope that we had been evolving—that she has been trapped behind that wallpaper this whole time. And she is forever trying to climb through. But nobody could climb through that pattern, it strangles so.”
Laura Brikmanis is a visual artist specializing in oil paintings and murals, an IU graduate, and a proud Bloomington local since 1999. Facebook and Instagram: @brikmanisart
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE
YOUR GO-TO LOTUS FESTIVAL GUIDE It can be hard to pick which shows to attend at a festival jam-packed with talent from around the globe… But have no fear—we’ve got the scoop on this year’s line-up! By Adriane Pontecorvo
JACK KEROUAC TURNS 100 When Jack hit the road, he didn’t come back… He became the famed face of the Beats. We celebrate his centennial with a look back on his picaresque life of writing. By Joan Hawkins
UNDERGROUND FILM SERIES: LYNNE SACHS IU Cinema features a series curated by graduate students that is dedicated to avant-garde and experimental film. Lynne Sachs has two films (for free!) on display in September. By Richard Jermain
REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE:
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIFE
The Bible doesn’t even mention the word abortion. Pro-life billboards show pictures of beautiful mythical children. They do this while ignoring all the living children. By Charlotte Zietlow
THE THREATS OF DOBBS TO DEMOCRACY In the wake of abortion bans, the negative ramifications of Dobbs are numerous as democrocy backslides at home and abroad. By Shruti Rana
CITY OFFICIALS RALLY AROUND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE It’s frightening and alienating to live in a state that strips away the most fundamental freedoms. But losing hope is not an option. By Kaisa Goodman
NOW ON HOME VIDEO Bret Michaels searches for love. Hulu drops a prequel to Predator. The ex-pro wrestler “Rowdy” Piper in a slew of bad ‘90s action films. And our columnist delights (or doesn’t) in all! By Jesse Balzer
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