Rumpus Original
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Readers Report: The New Patriot
A collection of short pieces written by Rumpus readers pertaining to the subject of “The New Patriot.”
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On the Front Lines
When you pick up a pen instead of a rifle, you’re fighting an entirely different battle. This is my duty. This is my patriotism.
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Color Is a Language in Itself: Mahtem Shiferraw Discusses Fuchsia
Mahtem Shiferraw discusses her debut collection, Fuchsia, how she uses color to understand the world and to communicate, and why her work continually addresses displacement.
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Reclaiming Patriotism: Telling a New Story of America
America is a broken window pane—shards of glass, each reflecting a different light.
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The Last Greatest Show on Earth: Ringling vs. Reality
In other words, something’s wrong when you turn to acrobats and lion tamers to anchor yourself in a spinning world.
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Dispatches from the Swamp: The Absolute Necessity of Softball
And then one guy on his team yells, “You have to touch the bases, buddy! This is still America!” That is all it takes. For one guy on the other side to put country over party.
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How to Write About Your Disability
It’s like having the hiccups, you write instead. Everyone has had hiccups, after all. Accuracy is secondary to relatability, because you are tired, now, and twitchy, and the giant’s hands are pressing harder as you write.
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Beautiful Liar
I tell myself that all I need is practice and maybe much better shorts. I wonder: when did I become such a beautiful liar? Walk, walk, walk, and fly.



