Recent Entries

• The Spots We Build and the Ghosts They Remember

  by Dez Fontaine May 12
  You ever notice how certain concrete corners hold stories? Not like in a metaphorical way necessarily, though yeah that too, but like actual energy. I'm talking about the spots where skaters gather, the ledges that got worn smooth by a thousand attempts, the manual pads that tell a whole genealogy o...

• The Thrift Store Aisle Where Nobodys Looking For Anything

  by Dez Fontaine May 12
  I went to this spot on Morrison last Tuesday morning, right when they open at ten, before the Instagram crowd rolls through looking for aesthetic pieces for their feed. Nobody there but me, this older lady sorting through jackets like she's performing surgery, and a dude who looked like he might've ...

• Clothes Don't Make You Cool, But The Story Behind Them Might

  by Dez Fontaine May 12
  I used to think thrift shopping was about getting cheap fits. Like I was stretching my budget and feeling lucky about it. But that whole thing flipped for me last month when I found this beat-up Carhartt jacket at a spot on the south side. Price tag said three dollars. When I put it on, I could feel...

• Freestyle Poetry Ain't About Being Good, It's About Being Honest

  by Dez Fontaine May 12
  I used to think freestyle poetry was for people who had their whole life figured out. Like you had to have some deep philosophical truth waiting to explode out of your mouth, fully formed and revolutionary. Turns out I was completely wrong about that.Last month I went to this open mic spot in the wa...

• Freestyle Without a Net: Why Speaking Your Truth Out Loud Changes Everything

  by Dez Fontaine May 12
  I never knew what freestyle was until I heard it wrong. Thought it meant just rapping whatever came to mind, no structure, no rules, pure chaos. That's partially true but also completely missing the point, you know? Real freestyle is controlled chaos. It's like you're building a bridge while walking...