Table of contents
Erasure I and Erasure VI

In two erasure poems, a poet-anthropologist imagines alternative futures using text from the 1846 Treaty of Amritsar, through which the…

Broken Sonnets for the Anthropocene

The speaker in this broken sonnet form utters disobedience for structures that extract care in the Anthropocene. “Broken Sonnets for…

David Graeber’s Lasting Influence on Anthropology and Activism

When activist and anthropologist Graeber died unexpectedly in 2020, scholars gathered to mourn him. Contributors to a resulting volume, As…

How a Megadam Disrupts the Flow of Water—and Money

In Northeast India, a controversial hydropower dam moves toward completion—causing great uncertainty for downstream dwellers whose livelihoods depend on the…

Unwrapping Operation Christmas Drop

An anthropologist takes a critical eye to a long-running holiday tradition: a U.S. military mission that drops toys and supplies…

The Land of Dreams

In a dystopian short story, an anthropologist imagines an alternate world in which Kashmiris are forbidden to dream. Republished by…

Inside Amazon’s Union-Busting Tactics

An anthropologist reports on the impediments to labor organizing—and why it’s still worth trying. ✽ In the notoriously anti-union U.S.…

The Shortcomings of Height in Politics

Why is height a focal point for some politicians? An anthropologist explores the significance of height—explaining how cultural perceptions influence…

Inside Russia’s Campaign to Steal and Indoctrinate Ukrainian Children

An anthropologist investigates an insidious side of Russia’s genocide against Ukrainians meant to shatter families: snatching children and occupying their…

A Call for Anthropological Poems of Resistance, Refusal, and Wayfinding

SAPIENS is seeking poetry submissions for a curated collection that will publish next year. Deadline: September 1, 2024. ✽ SAPIENS…