I have to acknowledge how incredibly lucky I am to work at Birchbark. It’s the kind of job I remember fantasizing about my senior of high school when I would make a few trips a year. It’s definitely the kind of place I craved a year after when, as an 18-soon-to-be-19 year old, I would go well out of my way to attend readings at the deli next door (which sadly is no more) and to puruse the shelves of the bookstore owned by beloved Ojibwe author, Louise Erdrich. And now, my fifth year as a PhD student, I go to this space 2-3 times a week to work. I am so grateful I get to have this space. I am so grateful to have a bit of non-academic separation in the form of my community with my coworkers. I won’t say having a third (almost 4th) job is self-care, but sometimes it certainly feels that way. ( Yesterday's program from Talking Volumes with Sherman Alexie ) #minneapolis #minnestagram #midwestisbest #birchbarkbooks #independentbookstore #indigenousstudent #gradschool #shermanalexie #louiseerdrich #nativewriters #nativespaces #ndnland