Do you see now how it was? Do you understand?

Today, some links.

1. Dean Grodzins on the importance of Toussaint Louverture. It's an excellent, timely essay. Some of it is indeed history I hadn't known. "For although Lafayette fought heroically in our War of Independence, and Toussaint never set foot in the United States, it was Toussaint who had the greater impact, direct and indirect, on American history—greater, in fact, than that of any other foreign leader. We exalt the glamorous white aristocrat and forget the brilliant black slave because we fundamentally and willfully misunderstand our own past."

2. Erin Eva Butcher of Maiden Phoenix Theatre Co. discusses her experience of directing and producing outdoor theater while all-female: it wasn't good. This was the incredible production of The Winter's Tale that derspatchel and I saw in Powderhouse Park in August; we saw the closing night's performance. Knowing now the frequency and intensity of harassment the cast and crew had been dealing with throughout the run just for being women in public unaccompanied by men, I am even more impressed with the strength of the show. That's a far cry from the best of all possible worlds. It's no less true for theater companies than for individual people: it should never be only the woman's responsibility to see that she stays safe.

3. I learned last night that there is an Iraqi food truck in Boston. We saw it outside of Rob's current residence. This is definitely something I want to visit.

I am off to run a bunch of errands and meet up with sairaali.