A moving short piece from writer M. NourbeSe Philip that considers the present catastrophic moment relative to the catastrophes lived by her ancestors, by those living an enslaved life, as well as by refugees and immigrants. She wonders ‘if now we will have more compassion for those strangers who are now our kith and kin in catastrophe’.

In a ‘quarantine edition’ of her radio show, DJ Hodan Styrene offers an eclectic mix of spiritual jazz, bossa and neo-soul, punctuated by a ‘medley of voice notes meditations’ recorded while on a ‘government approved walk’. I rather enjoyed the affecting sound of blowing and birds chirping in the background.

This workshop is for trans and gender variant people exploring how to understand and work with their dysphoria. Through a series of exchanges and suggestions, the workshop gives language to experiences of dysphoria, shifting it from accounts of isolation into a more collective space. I found it really helpful as a toolkit against pathologisation and I really appreciated Clay and Rusti’s exchanges throughout, and the very calming sound editing by Kai Merke.

David Foster Wallace was one of the most gifted American novelists of his generation. ‘Fiction’s about what it is to be a fucking human being’, he once said, postulating on how good writing should help readers to ‘become less alone inside'. In 2005, three years prior to his suicide, he stepped onto the podium at Kenyon College to deliver this powerful speech, the only public talk he ever gave on his worldview.

While watching TV and movies on his laptop with the subtitles turned on, American artist Allan McCollum took a series of screenshots featuring scenes of seemingly comforting support: ‘Don’t worry, it’s gonna be all right,’ ‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ ‘We’re going to be fine,’ ‘You have nothing to worry about.’

Monster Chetwynd’s The Call of the Wild (2007), is screening until 15 April on Collective’s website. Devising a trip to the Isle of Lewis with women that Chetwynd met while staying in Edinburgh in 2006, this primal short film contrasts the two locations. A Zoom conversation will take place on 15 April at 3:30pm GMT.

A great friend of the ICA, Michael Stipe performs from home his new song ‘No Time For Love Like Now’ (co-written with Aaron Dessner) on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’.