Against the Grain

Against the Grain – August 3, 2004

Analyzing Therapy. While psychotherapy can transform people’s lives, what are its limits — and what are the limits of the conventional view that sees therapy as a science? Pychotherapist, sociologist and writer Lillian Rubin has practiced therapy for the past thirty years and talks about the shortcomings, as well as high points, of therapy.


Against the Grain

Against the Grain – July 21, 2004

Toxics in the East Bay. The Bay Area boasts tremendous natural beauty, but the environmental health picture is far from rosy. How much pollution are we exposed to, and how does it affect human health? Azibuike Akaba of the Environmental Indicators Project and toxics management specialist Drew Lerer describe the dangers and suggest precautions.


Against the Grain

Against the Grain – July 19, 2004

Lost in all the hype around the upcoming Olympic Games are the conditions in which garment workers make Olympic apparel for companies like Fila, Reebok, ASICS and Nike. Hee Wan Khym from the Union of Needletrades, Textiles and Industrial Employees/Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (UNITE HERE) and Alejandra Domenzain of Sweatshop Watch in … Continued


Against the Grain

Against the Grain – July 13, 2004

Twenty-five years after the Sandanistas took power, poet/translator Clifton Ross reports on his recent month-long visit to Nicaragua. His trip was part of a bigger project: to learn about, and apply in today’s context, popular literacy campaigns like the dramatically successful one instituted by the Sandanistas. Ben Clarke spearheads the fledgling project, entitled American Encounters.