Amy Woolard
@a-woo.bsky.social
Attorney & Chief Program Officer (Legal, Policy, Organizing)—@ACLU of Virginia. Poet—NECK OF THE WOODS, Alice James Books. Teaching Law & Lit—UVA Law. Legal aid alum. Former bartender. she/her. Words here = mine alone.
sincerely, poem. like, this could easily be a v. good James Tate poem.
The Onion@theonion.com · 2mo agoCommentary: I Work Very Hard, And I Would Like To Try Cake
One beautiful thing abt your current dogs is that they also carry all your past dogs inside of them & if you close your eyes & hug on them, you can feel all your ever dogs with you all at once.
You know you’re old when your former legal intern is the faculty speaker at your nephew’s law school graduation.
Healthcare in general—& especially critical research like this—is one of the v. best & primary purposes a (good) government can serve. Quality, affordability, accessibility, longevity & longterm investment in innovation. The market on its own can't/won't do it. Abuse of power like this is criminal.
The UnPopulist@theunpopulist.net · 4mo agoKennedy canceled $500 million in mRNA research and announced no new mRNA projects will ever be initiated—killing the technology that produced the fastest vaccine rollout in human history.
Today is my book's 6th birthday! It's on sale during NaPoMo at @alicejamesbooks.bsky.social, but also I've got 5 copies I'll mail out at no cost to anyone having a tough time, financial or otherwise, who wants a copy—first 5 ppl who send me a mailing address: www.alicejamesbooks.org/bookstore/ne...
Neck of the Woods — Alice James Books
Amy Woolard A finalist in the 2020 Julie Suk Award “This debut offers a troubled journey delivered by a voice the reader will want to keep listening to.” — Publishers Weekly April 20...
alicejamesbooks.org
HBD, Frank O'Hara (1926-1966) A beautiful recording of O'Hara reading "Having a Coke With You" in his NY flat from 1966: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDLw...
Frank O´Hara reads "Having a coke with you"
YouTube video by Modo de Usar
youtube.com
It's one of the most efficient & practical sorting mechanisms for existing out in the wild & requires low-to-no effort on my part.
Kim Kelly@kimkelly.bsky.social · 5mo agopeople do treat you differently once you cross the rubicon into being a Visibly Heavily Tattooed Individual but it also saves you a lot of time dealing with uptight jagoffs
Didn't realize it until it was too late, but I walked into the 4th Circuit today with a handful of dog training treats in my jacket pocket that I hadn't yet taken out from True's puppy day school yesterday. Security: Do you have anything in your pockets ma'am? Me: uhhhhh yes?
In actual good news: Bret Anthony Johnston—an immeasureably talented writer & also my friend—has a new book out TODAY!—a beautiful story collection called Encounters with Unexpected Animals. It's brilliant, as is Bret, & you should check it out. www.austinchronicle.com/arts/bret-an...
Acclaimed Author Bret Anthony Johnston Flips the Page • The Austin Chronicle
On the hard, flat cement of Corpus Christi, Bret Anthony Johnston got his first unconventional lessons in what it takes to be a writer. “As a skateboarder, you spend a lot of time on the ground. You a...
austinchronicle.com
I always tell people the skills I use most in my Legal/Policy career come from bartending, not law school.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez@aoc.bsky.social · 5mo agoReading people. Body language. Knowing how to connect with people totally unlike you and with different backgrounds and beliefs. Defusing tense situations. Gaining trust. High endurance, pain tolerance, and work ethic. Reaction time. Prioritizing order of execution. Anticipating people’s needs. Tons
ok who had money down on "nbd just f'ing around with killer lasers" as the reason for the El Paso shutdown
CNN@cnn.com · 6mo agoJUST IN: A Pentagon plan to use a high-energy, counter-drone laser without having coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration about potential risks to civilian flights prompted an unprecedented airspace shutdown over El Paso, Texas, multiple sources say. https://cnn.it/4a9x8Qg
Legislation is working its way through the 2026 Va. General Assembly session right now that would end similar *local* 287(g) agreements & other ICE entanglements here. Virginians, make sure you tell your state reps you have their back in support of these bills! See acluva.org for more details.
Taniel@taniel.bsky.social · 6mo agoNEW: Abigail Spanberger this afternoon ordered that all state agencies leave ICE's 287(g) program. This means that the state police (and some other agencies) will no longer be empowered to detain and arrest people for ICE. Big, big move by the governor within weeks of coming into office.
this reminds me of the way i’ve seen susan bro speak about her daughter, heather heyer. when a fascist murders your child, you aren’t allowed to just grieve. you have to defend their memory, even their very grave.
Jeff Rueter@jeffrueter.bsky.social · 6mo agoKare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti. "Please get the truth out about our son."
I could not be more proud of my colleagues at ACLU of MN & their co-counsel for fighting this fight. The courts alone will not save us, we know this, but it's important to take this terror to task in every field we can. These witnesses are so brave & true.
Josh Gerstein@joshgerstein.bsky.social · 6mo agoJUST IN: Lawyers file declaration in federal court from first-hand witness to immigration agents' shooting of a US citizen onlookers today. Minneapolis Mayor Frey said details would be used to bolster case for ousting ICE from city. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
I'm honestly just sick. If you can stomach watching any of this footage & still let the words "more training" escape your mouth, I cannot ever forgive you. These are state-sanctioned street executions. This is the training.
If you need a way to remember good fights are winnable in these dark times, we've (ACLU of Virginia) got you. Yday WE WON on summary judgement a historic case that will restore voting rights to tens & potentially hundreds of thousands of Virginians with felony records. www.acluva.org/press-releas...
Federal judge restores thousands of Virginians' voting rights in historic ruling - ACLU of Virginia
“Virginia’s government has blatantly broken the law for more than a century by disenfranchising everyone with a felony conviction, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown Virginians,” said ACLU-V...
acluva.org
Is anyone making a line of anti-ICE dog onesies? I've been taking Selma the Whippet (who's from Puerto Rico) to some protests & she'd really like to do her part. I would buy the heck out of someone's dog protest outfit line.
If you need a way to remember good fights are winnable in these dark times, we've (ACLU of Virginia) got you. Yday WE WON on summary judgement a historic case that will restore voting rights to tens & potentially hundreds of thousands of Virginians with felony records. www.acluva.org/press-releas...
Federal judge restores thousands of Virginians' voting rights in historic ruling - ACLU of Virginia
“Virginia’s government has blatantly broken the law for more than a century by disenfranchising everyone with a felony conviction, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown Virginians,” said ACLU-V...
acluva.org
so apparently there will be a winter storm this weekend & here in Charlottesville we will officially get anywhere from 1"-27" of snow
i found some great places to donate using the list put together by @ziibiing.com don't give your money to consultants for some vague promise, give it to people who will go out right now, today, and buy a car full of groceries for a family that's too afraid to leave their home.
Stand With Minnesota
A directory of places to give to as Minnesota defends itself from ICE occupation
standwithminnesota.com
Despite much of immigration law/policy sitting at the fed level, there are actually a lot of meaningful things state law & gov can/shld do to protect immigrant communities: from disentangling local LE from ICE, to preventing data-sharing, to keeping courthouses from being warrantless arrest traps.
Goad (Legal Expert)@goad.bsky.social · 7mo agoHappening now: ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Mary Bauer pushes for new legislation that will end Virginia 287 (G) agreements with ICE and local law enforcement.
