#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt Day Five #NaBloPoMo2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely. Describe one or more overlooked cultural […]

Black Trans Woman Alicia Simmons Found Dead in Her West Philadephia Home

Alicia Simmons, 37, of West Philadelphia was found dead in her apartment on November 3, 2019. Police are investigating the cause of death and have been careful to state there is no evidence of a suspicious cause.  Philly Gay News reports: Deja Alvarez, trans activist and co-chair of Philadelphia’s LGBT Police Liaison Committee, posted on […]

My Hometown: Living in Two Pittsburghs #NaBloPoMo2019 #NaBloPoMoPgh

Two Pittsburghs

The prompt – There’s a phrase often used describing us as living in “two Pittsburgh.” Pittsburgh has multiple legacies, from being named ‘Most Livable’ to the recent report from the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission describing the magnitude of racial inequality in our city. How do you relate to this dual nature of Pittsburgh? There are […]

#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt Day Four #NaBloPoMo2019

NaBloPoMo 2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely. There’s a phrase often used describing […]

Network Exhaustion

We’ve accomplished a lot together this year. We’ve rescued and raised six homeless kittens, along with taking care of a feral colony. Plus, we collected A LOT of cat food to help other folks caretaking colonies. We’ve redirect lots of items destined for the landfill to help cats – blankets, towels, beds, etc. We supported […]

Kids in Blackface Controversy in Armstrong County

White silence

Content Note: racism, racial justice, white complicity   Around Halloween, two 12-year-old girls allegedly decided to dress up in blackface for Halloween. They were spotted and photographed at a local Dunkin Donuts. The ensuing thread on Facebook, seemingly including the girls’ family members, is filled with threats and more racism and also resistance. While I […]

Yinzers and Jagoffs, Oh My #NaBloPoMo2019 #NaBloPoMoPgh

The Prompt – Do you identify as a ‘yinzer’ or ‘jagoff’ or some other Pittsburghese term altogether? How so? Is there anyone in your life that fits your perception of these terms? In my mind, jagoff is an insult and yinzer is a posture. I use both terms liberally, including variants like “a jag” and […]

#NaBloPoMoPgh Writing Prompt Three #NaBloPoMo2019

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely. Do you identify as a ‘yinzer’ […]

A History of My Friendship With Mayor Bill Peduto

One of the longest running relationships has been with Mayor Bill Peduto. Our friendship is a very loose use of the word; we aren’t personal friends and have rarely had a lot of face-to-face contact. What we’ve shared has been our investment in LGBTQ and other progressive issues, even though we haven’t always been on the exact same side every time.

Five Pieces of Pittsburgh History I Never Knew #NaBloPoMoPgh #NaBloPoMo2019

Westylvania

The Prompt: Summarize what you learned about Pittsburgh’s history in your school days? As an adult, did you learn anything new about Pittsburgh’s history that surprised you? What parts of local history would you like to learn about now? I attended a public school in a blue-collar suburb of Pittsburgh. To my recollection, we never […]