In 2021 I had the honor of choosing the writer in residence for Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Gardens for that year, and I chose Ellyn Gaydos. As the residence was for a botanical garden, a general theme of nature was the intention.

The novel Gaydos submitted a portion of was impressive on its own-her writing is impeccable. Later I went on to research her prior publications, and I came across this hard-hitting piece in Logic(s): In the Shadow of Big Blue. When I think of nature, I don’t think of computer chips and abandoned IBM buildings. But of course these are very intertwined and relevant.

You may remember Logic(s) from their time with the Incite Institute, and their stance during the protests at Columbia University. They have published books such as What Tech Calls Thinking and Subprime Attention Crisis. When over half of Americans are getting their news from social media, these are important conversations.

From their site: The mission of Logic(s) is to draw in voices and perspectives that remain outside, underexplored, and essential to thinking critically about technology from below.

Who controls where our information is coming from? What is permitted to get through?