Namrata Poddar

BREAKING: Federal agents in plain clothes and unmarked cars tried to snatch 1st graders from LA elementary schools—told staff they had “parental consent.”

They lied. When pressed, they HID THEIR IDS. DHS admits they sent them. This wasn’t a welfare check. It was a test run for a police state.

What a time, Good Goddess.

And yet, the solidarity all around.

Morning walk today. The ancestors said, abundance is our natural state. But I was taught for much of my education to reject everything they said, even if mama Nature confirms otherwise.

And while this migrant knows Return is a fantasy, these days, I re-member, I reconsider, I reintegrate. 🪷🌳🤎

Thank you! And yep, Said’s is a bible for so many of us. 🙏🏽

The classroom and the page within our deeply violent, deeply unequal world are admittedly privileged spaces, but I would neither continue to write nor teach if I didn’t firmly believe in their potential for Change.

Here, a tired, content face after my last seminar, & *few books taught for the AY.

Rarely into social trends but sometimes I can’t entirely resist. And reiterate (via IG).

Rested weekend. 💫

What a loss for the literary world, and all of us decolonizing the mind.

Rest in power, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. 🖤🤎

A lil beauty from Rajasthan and the Thar Desert (with issues like any other place!) for whoever needs it. I’ll never not love my ancestral land’s colors, hospitality, and most of all, its stories within stories within stories.
From our Cali high desert to the Thar. 💞

Harvard Vs Trump: Court Stops Ban, Hundreds Of Indian Students In Crossfire - IndiaWest Journal News Harvard Vs Trump: Court Stops Ban, Hundreds Of Indian Students In Crossfire.

"The implications for Indian students are profound. With 788 Indian nationals currently enrolled at Harvard, many now face a precarious situation — risking deportation or being forced to transfer if the government’s actions are upheld."

indiawest.com/harvard-vs-t...

Cuz everyday is Earth Day. 🤎

NIH funding cuts put current and future cancer patients at risk Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Trump cut nearly $3 billion in the first 100 days.

Cancer is the #2 killer of people.

Anyway, MAGA.

www.axios.com/2025/05/19/n...

Focus on one or two things. Go hard on those.

happy for Khalil of course but i must say, "lawful permanent resident not charged with any crimes, imprisoned by president's stormtroopers for having forbidden opinions about US-abetted genocide, briefly allowed to touch his child" is a hell of a thing to find oneself feeling joy and relief about

Gaza's main hospital is overwhelmed with children in pain from malnutrition More than 9,000 children in the Gaza Strip have been treated for malnutrition this year, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, widely known as UNICEF.

"Mayar is among the more than 9,000 children in Gaza who have been treated for malnutrition this year..."

Israel starving Palestinians is a war crime.

www.latimes.com/world-nation...

So exciting! Can’t wait to read and huge congrats to Mushtaq and Bhasthi. ❤️💫

Among the many fierce mother figures I’m surrounded by, a *glimpse into this lineage too—cuz I’d be lost without its emotional inheritance. And working at repaying my debt. ✍🏽🌀

#MothersDay2025 #BookSky

PHEW ! So much to be resolved, but may now lead to a new road. 🙏🏽🤲🏽

#metta #ceasefire #IndiaPakistan

🤍🤍

A prose poem for you as Mother’s Day approaches. Published in 2020 @raisingmothers.bsky.social, only litmag I know on BIPOC parenting, and such a badass one! 🤎

And yet again: Repeating the cycle of colonial violence or using the “master’s tools” will never lead to a lasting peace and liberation. :(

This one student, Mohsen Madhawi, has more courage than the entire Republican Party, billionaires, media personalities, powerful law firms, and corporate institutions who all bent the knee to Trump.

A woman about to go live on TV via zoom, while a baby eats cheerios in a high chair and a dog begs for crumbs.

My phone just served me this picture, from a March 2021 CNBC hit, and I want to put it in a museum of pandemic times.

post-zoom selfie cuz first haircut in six months and silly joys.

❤️

Australian academics refuse to attend US conferences for fear of being detained ‘When academics fear travelling or partnering with US institutions, the impacts ripple through the entire global knowledge ecosystem,’ one says

I never thought that fear of detention or deportation would have been on the list of reasons for making conferences hybrid, but this seems compelling

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

To our universities: better late/now than never.

💕 to libs everywhere for #nationallibraryweek & all you do.
Easy access to public libraries is amg the first things I noticed abt U.S—their frequency still strikes to me as very “first world” & reminder on *staggering gap in global access to resources. Here, HB Central Library & recommend a visit!

Donate to Join Anna's fight for free speech in higher education!, organized by Illona Yosefov Hello friends, colleagues, and supporters. I am launching this … Illona Yosefov needs your support for Join Anna's fight for free speech in higher education!

Please donate and share! “Anna has filed a lawsuit against Emerson for her unlawful termination. We hope to support Anna with the legal fees associated with that lawsuit”
gofund.me/8f7c5c6a

Another edition of the popular class, "What the MFA Won't Teach," led by @namratapoddar.bsky.social starts tomorrow night! This class offers insider knowledge on building a sustainable writing career—whether or not you have an MFA. Register: at.pw.org/4hwHZEc