The Log Heads to Memphis

Lots New This Week, 5/22-5/28

Greetings Everyone and Welcome New Subscribers!

As promised, I’ve put a lot of new posts up this week. I’ve had time to write and digest the first leg of our journey. This week’s posts leave us on the road between Texarkana and Memphis. If you’re new to The Thinking Log, consider checking out this post to learn more about the project and what your subscription is funding.

I’ve also debuted a special feature for paid subscriptions — poetry! I’ll post at least one poem a month. I’d offer more, but poetry is hard and I get embarrassed easy.

Below are the links for this week. Click on the titles to go to the post.

From the Pillars of Salt sequence:

Bubbles

I consider our vaccinated bubbles and the political communities we craft for ourselves.

Smoked Meat and Cigars

Good friends, a fire, what more could you need? I reflect on my own sad image and return to the theme of Lot’s wife.

Gradual Roadsides

I consider the changing landscape and the films of North Texas, how easily we slide between domesticity and murder. We begin digging more deeply into regional histories with a close look at the Texarkana Moonlight Murders and the film they inspired, The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

Labor Disputes, Bombs, and the Fair

One of the most ambitious posts of the sequence yet! A wild tour through the labor history of Texarkana. Strikes, conspiracies, car bombs, and the King of Rock ‘n Roll all emerge from a simple stop at a park off route 30.

And finally, special for paid subscribers — a poem!

Cast Iron

I’m really excited to be nearing Appalachia and diving into its histories and my own associations there. I’ve had a few meetings with local organizers, including the NAACP, Cumberland Pride, the owner of an independent bookstore, and more to come.

Your support has meant a lot to me on this trip — things only get more interesting from here!