\u201cI give birth to a son. I name him me.<\/p>\n
I want to touch the halo that encircles me, I want to snap the<\/p>\n
bones inside.<\/p>\n
No dagger can pierce him. I spread my legs and grab<\/p>\n
my son\u2019s head, drag him out, stretch him out big.\u201d<\/p>\n
-Ma Yan,\u00a0I Name Him Me<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n What does it mean to have a name \u2013 to give a name? Can we ever be in possession of any part of those we love, even our children? Are we not just stewards until such time as they can stand on their own? By naming them, do we lay claim to some small part that will forever be ours, no matter what geography and time may do? Or those with whom we choose to share our lives, whether or not we also share their names or they share ours \u2013 can we say that there is some little corner of their being that lies firmly in our grasp? Do we travel in tandem, or is there an unspoken agreement of shared possession?<\/p>\n Destiny Haven Trujillo<\/a> joined us to discuss her exhibition,\u00a0Devoraste<\/em><\/a>, running at Dimin Gallery until July 7. The title is Spanish slang, the literal translation of which is \u201cto devour.\u201d But the slang translation is equivalent to the phrase used within the queer community, \u201cyou ate that,\u201d which means to do something perfectly. The images in the show depict the daily life of friends within the queer community. To hear more, listen to the complete interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n Masako Miki<\/a> sat down with us to discuss\u00a0Empathy Lab<\/em><\/a>, her show running through June 30 at Ryan Lee Gallery. Titles are very important in Miki\u2019s work, and the title of this show speaks to a place where one might experiment in an effort to produce more empathy, something we could all benefit from. The show includes sculptures, paintings and installation work. To learn more, listen to the complete interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n A few words to keep in your pocket<\/p>\n How far does love go?<\/p>\n Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Books to Read<\/p>\n What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here<\/a>. Praxis user Ana de portela is reading Arthur Rimbaud Complete Works<\/a>.<\/p>\n Deadlines:<\/p>\n Innovate Grant<\/a> offers $1,800 quarterly grants to support artists and photographers. Check out their streamlined application process and see if this is a fit for you. For more information, visit the website<\/a>. Deadline for applications is\u00a0June 22<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n