’The Trump Era is Here, and I Finally Feel at Home‘ – Sayed Kashua in Illinois

In early July 2014, the Israeli-Palestinian author Sayed Kashua declared in his popular Hebrew column in the Ha’aretz newspaper that he is done with Jerusalem, that he has moved to the United States for good and is never coming back. Despite this emotional statement and his decision to give up on Israel, Kashua continued to write his popular weekly column for over three years mostly from his new place of residence in the midwestern city of Champaign, in Illinois, a location vastly different from the Jerusalem he left behind. Using theories of migration and transnational writing to examine Kashua’s non-fictional Hebrew and English works during this period I argue that there is tension between the character Kashua assumes for his Israeli readership and the one he assumes when writing for an American audience. These fictional personae relate differently to the move to the US and the possibility of returning to Israel. Moreover, Kashuua’s Israeli persona continues to write from a minority position whereas his American counterpart, despite concerted efforts, cannot avoid identifying with white privilege. The article then traces the dissolution of Kashua’s dual personae to his decision in November 2017 to stop writing the weekly column.

Characterizing Tobacco and Marijuana Use Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in a Midwestern City

BackgroundCigarette smoking is three times more prevalent among youth experiencing homelessness compared with the general population. Co-use of tobacco and marijuana is also common. The aim of this study is to characterize tobacco and marijuana use among homeless young people in a Midwestern city.MethodsThis study included 96 youth and young adults (52% male, 39% female, 5% transgender/non-binary) attending a homeless drop-in center who had used at least one combustible tobacco product in the past week. We assessed past-month use of tobacco products and marijuana and other product use characteristics (e.g., frequency, brand and flavor).ResultsMost youth experiencing homelessness with past-week combustible tobacco use had used cigarettes (88.5%), cigars (92.7%), and marijuana (85.4%) in the past month. One-third used electronic vapor products, 19.8% smoked hookah, and 11.5% used smokeless tobacco. Most marijuana users co-administered with tobacco (69.8%). Daily combustible tobacco smoking was associated with having a child and smoking out of boredom/habit. Daily marijuana use was associated with using substances to cope with one’s housing situation. Newport and Black & Mild were the most popular brands of cigarettes and cigars. Most non-combustible tobacco users reported not having a usual brand. Cigar smokers reported the most varied selection of flavors.ConclusionsYoung combustible tobacco users experiencing homelessness engage in high-risk use patterns, including poly-tobacco use, co-use of tobacco with marijuana, and frequent combustible product use. Interventions that consider the full context of tobacco and marijuana use are needed to support cessation in this population.

Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) for Fatherhood: An Empowerment-Based Social Work Intervention

The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological self-sufficiency (PSS) process among low-income men participating in the Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) program and explore the implications of TIP as a fatherhood intervention. Sample from 324 men participating in a community-based fatherhood initiative and four local job training programs in a large Midwestern city was used to examine the group differences in PSS as it relates to economic self-sufficiency (ESS). Men in the fatherhood TIP program and those in the general TIP program had significantly greater relationships between PSS and ESS than those in the non-TIP comparison group. Results provide implications for social work practice with African American fathers in programs that address fatherhood. While traditional fatherhood programs approach mending fathers’ deficiencies, TIP allowed them to discover strengths from being broken and beaten up to authentically invest in their own lives and their children’s.

Humour and Antiquity in Film: Roman Scandals and Monty Python’s Life of Brian

Antiquity appears in films from the very beginning of cinema. As in other examples of reception, the presence of antiquity depends on the context of reception, the specificity of the medium which includes the relationship with the audience, as well as the personal mark of the author. The subject of this paper are two movies set in antiquity: Roman Scandals (1933) and The Life of Brian (1977). Both films are comedies, the plots of which are set in the ancient past, and both are satirical, meaning that they have a contemporary social sting. Also, both comedies belong to the genre of swords and sandals (if we take this as an umbrella term for all films related to antiquity, and not only the epic sagas of the mid-1950s and 1960s), revealing a similar, parodic attitude to the mentioned genre. The film Roman Scandals, a musical comedy with elements of burlesque, is set both in contemporary America (the midwestern city of West Rome) and ancient Rome, constructing the complex process of identification and differentiation with ancient Rome. All this has to do with the remarkable usage of Rome in American culture and history, especially since the time when America started to break ties with Britain. This is explicitly marked in the scene of the exhibition in the Museum of Rome, which, as it is emphasized, belongs to the period of the Roman invasion of Britain. Humorous twists are numerous, being constructed in language, in problems of adaptations and dialogues between cultures, and in the parody of the genre and its motifs. The Life of Brian also parodies the genre of swords and sandals and its subgenre – biblical and Christian movies. Although both films are set in antiquity, the humorous procedures construct the satirical tone, which always bears a contemporary social sting. The anachronisms, and overlapping of history and contemporariness are constructed differently in those two films. However, they both raise, among other things, a question crucial for the research field of classical reception (to which this paper belongs), and that is the way in which antiquity is used in the invention of tradition (Hobsbawm). The paper also gives attention to the genre of parody, which already appeared in antiquity, continuing its existence through the Middle Ages, especially regarding the sacred texts and forms which, according to Bakhtin, all had their parodic version. In view of the fact that both films construct humour in numerous ways, the paper focuses particularly on the humorous procedures set in the context of antiquity, which among other things, raises the question of the attitude towards antiquity that these films pose.

Envisioning a Circular Economy: The Journey of One Mid-Sized Midwestern City

The City of Ann Arbor has committed to a just and equitable transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. Our guiding plan, A2ZERO, outlines seven strategies and 44 actions that were chosen by the community to achieve this goal. One of the seven strategies is “Changing the Way We Use, Reuse, and Dispose of Materials”, including the action: “move toward a circular economy”. Many cities are trying to move towards a circular economy, tailoring policies, actions, and outreach towards their unique circumstances. Regardless of context, becoming circular requires an array of actions including collaboration and partnership, policy setting, program development, and education. This paper explores how the concept of the circular economy is discussed in the peer reviewed literature and in practitioner circles, exploring similarities and differences. Following this, we undertake a critical instance case study on the City of Ann Arbor’s materials management programs and efforts towards achieving a more circular local economy. We conclude by offering pathways that Ann Arbor and other cities across the U.S. can pursue to advance a circular economy.

Archives in Neighborhood Businesses: A Case Study on Presence and Characteristics

This article discusses the potential role archives play in supporting commercial activity in everyday non-institutional settings. It is based around an exploratory case study of archives’ presence and characteristics in neighborhood bars and restaurants in a large Midwestern city. Using unobtrusive field observations and incorporating concepts and frameworks from the business and marketing psychology fields related to authenticity and nostalgia, the study offers insight into the decision-making processes around the use and value of archives, history, and heritage as a business strategy. The findings, based on observations and data gathering at select business locations, indicate extensive use of archival materials in a wide variety of visually engaging formats. The archival materials contribute to a history-informed aesthetic that gives each subject location a distinctive character. This study lays the groundwork for continued inquiry into business utilization and value of archives and recommends further research into the perceptions of business owners and customers on the role of archives in public commercial spaces.

Burmese Refugee Women in the Midwest: Narratives of Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth

The goal of this qualitative study was to examine the strengths and posttraumatic growth experiences of a community of female refugees from Burma resettled in a Midwestern city of the United States. Based on data gathered from eleven participants, consensual qualitative research analysis yielded a thematic overview of two domains: (a) coping and resilience, and (b) experiences of posttraumatic growth. The results provided contextual evidence to the preresettlement and postresettlement stressors experienced by Burmese refugee women in resettlement. Findings also highlight the strengths, protective factors, and resources of Burmese refugee women, whose narratives of positive growth and change seem to coexist with memories and experiences of trauma, suffering, and hardship. Implications for research and clinical practice as well as future directions are discussed.