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FEB. 22-MAR. 1, 2023 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 8
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COVER PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH
READ THE STORY ON PAGE 4
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PAT HEALY
of graduate school living paycheck to paycheck, sometimes only narrowly making rent. They earn about $10,000 each semester for teaching information science classes at the University of Pittsburgh, and their contract prevents them from taking on a second job.
That wage simply does not stretch far enough, they say.
“If you don’t have a support structure coming into grad school, or don’t have some amount of money put away in savings,” Healy says, “you are going to be living in a very precarious position.
“This is essentially mandated poverty for an extended period of time,” they add.
Hoping to change this, Healy is part of an organizing committee seeking union representation for the university’s roughly 2,000 eligible graduate students. Topping their list of demands are calls for better pay, job security, and more input on how their programs are run.
In 2019, graduate students at Pitt attempted to unionize, but their election vote fell short of a majority. Organizers say the university administration relied on illegal worker intimidation to sway voters, prompting a legal challenge that stretched out two years. The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board ultimately upheld
the results — they found that Pitt did engage in unfair labor practices during the election, but not at a level that would
Now, students are beginning the process again, and they’re hopeful this time a resurgence in labor organizing that’s swept through the city will carry them along.
Since 2020, more than 300 employees at the Carnegie Library system have unionized and won contracts, as have contractors at Google, workers at the Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, and baristas at dozens of regional Starbucks shops. Other workers in fields ranging from media to medical marijuana have won union elections since 2020 and are now working on securing contracts.
Trevor Wilson, a Pitt graduate who helped lead the original organizing drive, tells Pittsburgh City Paper he sometimes feels they struck too soon.
“I sometimes wonder if we had done the vote maybe just two years later, it may have been different,” Wilson says. “I feel like the political atmosphere in the country was in a different place than it is right now.”
Mariana Padias, assistant director of organizing for the United Steelworkers, says opinion research points to a promising outlook for organized labor.
“This is essentially mandated poverty for an extended period of time.”
1971
COMMUNITY College of Allegheny County full-time faculty unionized with American Federation of Teachers
1974
ROBERT Morris University full-time faculty unionize with AFT
1991
PITT faculty votes against unionizing
1996
PITT faculty withdraws request for union election because they don’t think they will win
2004
POINT PARK full-time faculty unionizes with the NewsGuild
2012
DUQUESNE adjuncts votes to unionize with Adjunct Faculty Association — United Steel Workers, university argues they don’t have to recognize the union, according to the National Labor Relations Board because they are a religiously-affiliated school
2015
CCAC adjuncts unionize with American Federation of Teachers
PITT Faculty begin union drive RMU adjuncts unionize with AFA-USW
2017
NLRB determines Duquesne adjuncts do have the right to unionize, Duquesne appeals to federal court
PITT graduate student workers launch union drive
2020
FEDERAL court sides with Duquesne University in finding that their adjuncts do not have the legal right to unionize
2014
POINT PARK adjuncts unionize with AFA-USW
2016
CHATHAM adjuncts withdraw request for union election, claiming disinformation from administration
2019
PITT graduate students narrowly lose union vote, appeal to NLRB claiming university tried to coerce voters
2021
PITT faculty votes to unionize with USW
NLRB upholds Pitt grad students’ 2019 loss
“The polling that we’re seeing is showing that younger generations are more pro-union than previous ones. And we see that people are more concerned about the collective, and really see working together rather than individually as a way to resolve problems,” Padias says.
Despite these encouraging signs, graduate organizers face unique challenges in securing union representation.
Healy says the path to a union involves “10,000 conversations” — a task compounded by changing workplace conditions.
“We’re talking about a group of people that through the pandemic are largely fully remote to the point that if they don’t answer our emails, we can’t start a conversation,” Healy says. “And if we can’t start a conversation, we can’t do our work.”
Student organizers say the transient nature of the graduate student population is another barrier to unionizing. At Pitt, they say, most are only enrolled for five years or fewer, while some programs like the Creative Writing MFA typically last just three years.
As an organizer, Padias sees how this turnover can sap momentum.
“Every employee’s goal is to not be there, right?” Padias says. “There’s no
chance of longevity. And so it’s a challenge to figure out how to engage people on a regular basis, and then develop them, and then to be consistently developing a group of activists behind them to take their place, and to start the cycle over again.”
But Healy says the pressure to take on increasing teaching and research responsibilities, while low compensation remains, makes organizing the only tenable option.
In addition to teaching a class of 60 students, Healy also has research responsibilities that sometimes take them far outside of Oakland. But, they say, they take on these assignments to meet their department’s expectation that grad students frequently publish work in peerreviewed journals.
“I think a very obvious tension then arises whenever we are working 80 hours a week, but we are paid poorly for 20 hours of that work,” Healy says. “And I see that very visibly in my own department.”
Connor Chapman, a Ph.D. student in Pitt’s sociology department, points out that many graduate students are attempting to support families on their stipends.
“I can’t even imagine that extra dimension of having to support a dependent or spouse on our stipend,” he tells CP
“It’s not sustainable, really, for anybody, for graduate students [or] for faculty,” Chapman says of students’ increasing workload.
Healy says their department — information sciences — outsources a significant amount of teaching responsibility to adjunct faculty and grad student workers in a process they refer to as “the ‘adjunctification’ of academia.”
For example, Healy says they are currently teaching a class for which they have not passed a comprehensive exam.
“They made an exception for me … but also because they needed someone to teach,” Healy says. “The options were either let me teach or try to find an adjunct to teach, or increase the workload of existing faculty.”
Experts in higher education labor rights say this fits into a national trend that’s been underway for decades.
Between 2005 and 2015, grad student worker employment grew at triple the rate of tenure-track faculty at universities nationwide, according to William Herbert, director of Hunter College’s Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education.
“By 2017, graduate assistants and contingent faculty made up 73.2% of the entire academic workforce,” Herbert writes, “yet grad student employee compensation had fallen below the average cost of living in most major cities.”
While graduate organizing is uniquely challenging, the majority of area universities don’t have unions for faculty and adjuncts. In some cases, it’s not for lack of trying.
Efforts to organize adjunct teachers at Duquesne University were thwarted in 2020 by a federal judge who upheld the school’s argument that its status as a religious institution exempts it from national labor laws.
A few years earlier, an effort by faculty at Chatham University fell short of the necessary votes to unionize after the administration reportedly clamped down on the movement.
Lou Martin, a Chatham labor historian whose supervisory role prevented him from joining the union efforts, says antilabor policies permeate through college and university administrations.
“It seems like most higher ed institutions are committed to anti-union tactics
“10,000 CONVERSATIONS,” CONTINUES ON PG. 10
“The options were either let me teach or try to find an adjunct to teach or increase the workload of existing faculty.”
such as claiming that unions are 'outside agitators,' as well as hiring law firms that specialize in anti-union propaganda,” Martin tells CP in an email statement.
While faculty at Pitt now have union representation, administration fought back, spending, according to the Pitt News , nearly $3 million in legal fees between 2015 and 2021.
A Pitt spokesperson defended the administration’s course during the labor disputes.
“The United Steelworkers made a number of allegations that the University’s communications were improper and, ultimately, the PLRB rejected each claim that was made,”
a spokesperson tells CP in an email statement.
“The University did keep a voter list and, in doing so, followed PLRB regulations. To that end, the PLRB ruled in the University’s favor when the United Steelworkers tried to bring an appeal on that basis.”
Padias says the graduate and faculty organizing drives are treated as separate campaigns with“different interests and different goals.” But, Chapman says, students feel they’ve mostly been supported by faculty.
“A lot of my mentors now, and colleagues that I very much respect, are very supportive of our efforts, and
they’ve offered me lots of advice on how to proceed,” Chapman says.
Pitt’s faculty union did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
Padias says the United Steelworkers remains committed to extending the union’s reach to grad students at Pitt.
“Right now we’re engaged in ground conversations, which we think are the starting point, and the building block of any organizing campaign,” she says. “We remain committed to helping put together a plan to win for the graduate students at Pitt.”
Healy and Chapman say, whatever happens at Pitt, they believe their work feeds into a larger national movement.
“If you unionize one university’s grad students, those grads aren’t just staying there, they’re going everywhere else,” Healy says.
Looking back, Wilson, now a tenured Russian language professor, has no regrets of the time he invested in organizing at Pitt. It was, he says, always about something bigger than immediate individual gains.
“I was just so proud of everybody who did it,” says Wilson. “If that election would have won, I would not have seen that contract, my colleagues would not have seen that contract — but we did it for the others, and for the future of the programs.” •
“If you unionize one university’s grad students, those grads aren’t just staying there, they’re going everywhere else.”
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN has checked himself into the hospital to receive treatment for clinical depression.
A press release from Fetterman’s chief of staff says the senator from Braddock “has experienced depression off and on throughout his life,” which became severe in recent weeks.
Supporters have called Fetterman courageous for acknowledging the need to get help, while some Republican detractors argue clinical depression is disqualifying for high-level officials.
Fetterman suffered a major stroke
Lee celebrated her recent ascent to Congress during a ceremonial swearing-in reception at the Kelly Strayhorn Center during the third week of Black History Month.
Speakers, including 1Hood’s Jasiri X and Darrin Kelly of the AlleghenyFayette Central Labor Council, described how Lee’s election as Pennsylvania’s first Black woman in Congress played into a broader political movement.
Lee, in turn, nodded to the trailblazing of Ed Gainey and Austin Davis, Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor and Pennsylvania’s first Black lieutenant
right before winning the Democratic primary in May that left him with lasting difficulties processing speech. During the ensuing election campaign, Fetterman’s health struggles were frequently exploited by his opponent, Mehmet Oz.
Fetterman checked into Sir Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. on Feb. 15. The medical staff gave an upbeat prognosis, according to Jentleson.
“After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs, and will soon be back to himself.”
“When [Gainey] broke down barriers in the City of Pittsburgh, he paved the way for me and Austin to break barriers at the state level and the federal level, and we’re going to bring more people with us,” Lee said, according to reporting from Pennsylvania Capital-Star. •
The decision-making process for education can be difficult, whether it’s for your children or yourself. Luckily, southwestern Pennsylvania has a lot of great options when it comes to all levels of education from K-12 programs to Undergraduate to Masters programs.
The following pages include educational institutes and information that can help your decision-making process.
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Seton Hill University educates students to “think and act critically, creatively and ethically as productive members of society committed to transforming the world.” Seton Hill offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs through its Schools of Business, Education, Natural and Health Sciences, Humanities, and Visual and Performing Arts. Seton Hill provides top-ranked degree and certificate programs at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. Plus, some programs are available completely online. Seton Hill graduates consistently find careers or enter graduate school at higher than the national rate - Seton Hill’s current placement rate for graduates is 98%. Seton Hill keeps class sizes small and provides personalized academic assistance and financial aid. Located in Greensburg, Pa, Seton Hill University is a leading Catholic coeducational liberal arts university founded by the Sisters of Charity that embraces students of all faiths.
Recently, Seton Hill University received recognition from both Apple and the National Science Foundation.
Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple
technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in learning, teaching and the school environment, and have documented results of academic accomplishment.
Seton Hill University has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2022–2025 for its continuing innovation in providing its campus community with the tools they need to integrate technology into the academic environment. As part of its Mobile Learning at the Hill Program, Seton Hill provides all traditional full-time bachelor’s degree students, and many graduate students, with MacBook Air laptops.
In addition, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Seton Hill University a competitive grant of nearly $750,000 to support Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Forensic Science majors from under-resourced environments through scholarships as well as a mentorship network and career exploration program.
“The national need for well-educated professionals working in STEM fields is of paramount importance, and
Seton Hill has a long-standing commitment to educating students from diverse backgrounds in STEM fields,” said Seton Hill President Mary C. Finger. “We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation for Seton Hill’s efforts to provide scholarships and mentorship opportunities to high-achieving students from families from lower income environments in the Pittsburgh area. These initiatives will both break down barriers to higher education and provide important opportunities to students.”
Students who are recruited for the program will benefit from scholarship support and a combination of groupbased and one-on-one mentorship activities along with a social media connection. In addition, a career exploration and opportunities seminar will increase awareness about research and internship opportunities and about possible career pathways. Participants will create an individual development plan, which includes an assessment of each student’s unique skills, their short- and long-term goals, and action steps to achieve those goals.
Learn more about Seton Hill University at setonhill.edu.
PA Cyber’s teachers create customized learning paths that are unique to each student. As state-certified educators, they recognize the different developmental stages students typically follow while respecting the unique abilities of each child. This flexible-but-focused learning model allows our teachers to use a variety of teaching strategies and curriculum choices to create an education program that is deeply personal. Read on to learn about three of PA Cyber’s educators.
English teacher Peyton Baker’s mission as an English teacher at PA Cyber is to enable her students to experience a world that they may have not imagined possible for them. “Giving my students a variety of ways to engage with literature outside of a standard textbook, and hopefully helping them find a passion for it, has been something that makes my job all the more rewarding,” she said.
Outside of work, Baker helps make Pirates games memorable in her role on the Bucco Brigade. Between innings, she launches T-shirts into the crowd and gets fans dancing. Her favorite part of the gig is making people smile.
She finds similarities in teaching middle schoolers and entertaining baseball goers. “I have to make sure my students are engaged just as much as the fans at a Pirates game,” she said. “For both, I have to create a safe and friendly environment, allowing for open expression and being willing to listen to the needs of those I support. Everything is on a schedule and based on your audience’s tempo. I have to be flexible, understand the outcome is not always what I wished for, and walk away with a positive attitude knowing that a win is just around the corner.”
Director of Gifted and Talented Mike Hissam oversees the academic and enrichment opportunities available to students in PA Cyber’s gifted and STAR programs. (STAR is an academic incentive program for students not identified as gifted.) He manages a team of staff who ensure gifted and talented students are continually challenged and engaged in their academics and extracurriculars. He supports students in all grades.
Hissam oversees the Stock Market Challenge, the Battle of the Books program, Ever-Fi enrichment, weekly student discussions, Newzbrain, educational outings, and other activities and competitions. He initially joined PA Cyber in 2004 as an Instructional Supervisor (now known as Academic Advisor). Since then, he has held several positions before becoming the Director of Gifted and Talented in 2012.
As a virtual classroom teacher at PA Cyber, JoAnna Taylor teaches high school students American Sign Language as a second language. She has been in education as a teacher and coach for 15 years.
“Teaching has always been a huge part of my life and my identity. I believe students need positive connections to truly make learning meaningful, and I work to provide that connection for my students. We spend time in class not only on our content, but on each other—what’s new, what’s hard, what’s happening in everyone’s lives that they want to share. It really makes the students open up and feel comfortable making mistakes.”
Outside of the classroom, Taylor runs ASL Club, Maker Club, and DIY Agriculture Workshop, and she attends field trips and other school events. She has set up an ASL Workshop Series with some of PA Cyber’s regional offices so students in any grade can attend.
Outside of work, she is an ASL interpreter in the community. “This adds depth and experience that I can share with my students as I teach them ASL... Being connected with the current Deaf Community allows me to share the newest relevant information with students. It also allows me to give them better advice on ways they can use ASL professionally in the future if they wish.”
Taylor is mayor in the borough where she lives. She shares her experiences with her students to remind them that no matter what they choose to do, they can always decide to serve their communities by running for local government and making a lasting impact on the future.
As a public school, PA Cyber is open for enrollment to any school-age child residing in Pennsylvania. Students receive all the technology they need to get fully connected. To discover customized learning opportunities for your child, visit pacyber.org or call 724643-1180.
“I love working with my team to create new and exciting opportunities for students,” he says. “I also enjoy working with students and assisting them with their academics to nurture their education while at PA Cyber.”
Chatham University offers convenient online and on-campus graduate programs with an emphasis on experiential, multidisciplinary learning. Sample programs include:
SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
• Doctor Nursing Practice
• Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Entry-level
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Master of Physician Assistant Studies
• Master of Science in Athletic Training
• Master of Science in Counseling Psychology
• Master of Science in Nursing
FALK SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENT
• Master of Arts in Food Studies
• Master of Sustainability
• Dual-Degree MBA (with food studies or sustainability masters)
SCHOOL OF ARTS, SCIENCE & BUSINESS
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• Master of Interior Architecture
• Master of Arts in Biomedical Studies
• Master of Communication
To learn more about our programs, visit chatham.edu
DAYS BEFORE Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman checked himself into the hospital to get treated for clinical depression, a statewide report on public education found mental health concerns soaring above all other classroom needs.
This is the third straight year in which the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s State of Education report has flagged mental health as a top priority for public schools, and there’s no indication from the data that the problem is receding.
“More than eight out of 10 superintendents reported student mental health issues as being a challenge to educating students, making it by far the biggest instructional challenge facing schools,” says a release announcing the report.
While concerns around student mental health have risen in profile since 2020, educators saw it as a looming challenge long before the onset of COVID19. This is according to Brian Welles, assistant director of special education and pupil services for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
“Was it the pandemic that created the issue or did it just draw it out?” Welles asks while speaking with Pittsburgh City Paper “What we know now is we definitely are seeing more behavioral needs, more social-emotional needs in students.”
Right behind mental health, the PSBA report highlights rising staffing shortages as another major strain on the public education system. Those working on the front lines say the issues are connected.
“Together, it’s kind of like a cycle where they’re continuing to feed each other,” Welles says.
some cases reducing the need for special intervention. But, he adds, acute needs would still remain with a more rounded teaching approach.
“As a countywide agency, the AIU is constantly in conversations with school districts, superintendents, and special education directors … about what can be done,” Welles says.
Salaries that haven’t kept up with the cost of living and cuts to pension funds are also factoring into the exodus of teachers.
“We do have to raise the pay, we have to raise the prestige,” Esposito-Visgitis says. “In other countries it is a prestigious job. I don’t know why that’s not the case here.
Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Education shows the number of in-state teaching certifications has dropped from around 15,000 during 2010-11 to slightly more than 5,000 during 2020-21.
The shortages extend not just to teachers, but to the instructional aides, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and special education professionals who support teachers. According to the report, 92% of school districts reported various staffing shortages.
Welles says adopting new curricular approaches that work in elements of “social-emotional learning” and address “the whole child” can function akin to preventative health measures, in
Nina Esposito-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, tells City Paper the additional responsibility borne by teaching staff is pushing some out of the profession.
“[Teachers] have to be mental health experts, they have to be nurses,” EspositoVisgitis tells CP. “How can you be everything to everybody when your expertise is teaching? We have to do something to turn this around, or otherwise we’re not going to have teachers.”
Statewide funding shortages are, according to educators and school officials, contributing to deficiencies in both staffing and mental health programming. Esposito-Visgitis says, in Allegheny County, poorer districts are losing staff to wealthier suburban districts, which can afford better salaries and more support staff positions.
“I am seeing more and more [shortages] in our district and it’s very troubling to me,” says Esposito-Visgitis, who taught for 21 years at Pittsburgh Public before she began working for the union.
David Schaap, PSBA president and Brentwood District board member, tells CP that a recent release of grant funding is helping bridge some short-term gaps in staffing and mental health provisions, but notes these will dry up over
Mental health a top priority and biggest instructional challenge
Staffing shortages a major strain on the public education system
the coming years.
“There’s no short-term solutions that can last,” Schaap says.
A Commonwealth Court ruling on a lawsuit challenging school funding imbalances could eventually ease the situation for struggling districts. But an appeal from state lawmakers remains likely, and even if the ruling stands, its material impact on funding inequities won’t be clear for years to come.
Schaap says education costs continue to rise for districts across the state,
leading to unsustainable tax hikes even for middle-income communities like Brentwood.
“It’s especially unfair in Pennsylvania because so much of the funding relies on property taxes,” Schaap says, pointing to a 2020 study concluding an additional $4.6 billion is needed to bridge the gaps in the system.
“If we were to have that kind of funding, we wouldn’t have, first of all the inequity, but also the challenges we have with supporting all the students.” •
BY MATTHEW MONROY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
IT’S NOT HARD to picture a pirate: grizzled, peg-legged, maybe with Jack-Sparrow charm and wit. But could these motley crews from the 17th and 18th centuries mean something greater for our understanding of on-land politics? Marcus Rediker and David Lester’s new graphic novel, Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, moves beyond the stereotype to show how pirates’ lives provide a template for what democracy could be.
“What you’ve got among these pirates is a group of poor exploited, working people — in a time when there is no democracy for working people anywhere in the world — coming together to create a multiracial, democratic, social order,” Rediker, a history professor at the University of Pittsburgh, says. “And I find that just remarkable.”
Under the Banner of King Death: Pirates of the Atlantic, released Feb. 7 from
Beacon Press, was co-written by Marcus Rediker and David Lester, who also illustrated the book, and edited by Paul Buhle. It’s the second graphic novel collaboration between Rediker and Lester, who previously worked together in 2021 on Prophet Against Slavery, an adaptation of Rediker’s book on the Quaker abolitionist Benjamin Lay.
Under the Banner of King Death is based on Rediker’s 2004 book Villain of all Nations , a historical analysis of the “Golden Age” of piracy, a period from 1660-1730 in which pirates sailed the seas with the most influence, according to Rediker.
The book follows a trio of characters: Ruben Dekker, a seaman from Amsterdam; John Gwin, a Black fugitive from a South Carolina plantation; and Mark/Mary Read, a woman who disguised herself as a man to work on ships. Led by Gwin, the characters endure a set of
maritime exploits, from bondage on a slave ship to free pirates on “The Night Rambler” under the infamous skull-andcrossbones “Jolly Roger” flag.
For low-class seamen making their bread and butter on naval fleets, or slaves imprisoned on deep-sea ships, “turning pirate” was often the only reasonable option after a grueling life of back-breaking labor and high-risk living conditions. Piracy was no less of a dangerous profession — a common rallying cry was “a merry life and a short one” — but it was one of their own makings Rediker tells Pittsburgh City Paper.
“The pirate flag said ‘Fuck you,’” Rediker writes in the book’s foreword. “Rage and humor were key elements that characterized these outlaws of the seas: burning anger against the powerful, and the humor of men who chose freedom over servitude at any cost.”
On board a pirate ship, the hierarchy
was established through a democratic voting process, and resources were equally distributed amongst the crew, even to those unable to work, Rediker says.
“The pirate captains are all elected, and deposed, if the pirates don’t like what they’re doing,” Rediker says. “They elect the quartermaster to look after the interests of the crew and they divide up their loot equally. It turns out a very complex social experiment was going on at sea during this time.”
Throughout the book, Rediker and Lester emphasize the daily activities of pirates, from imbibing large amounts of “Kill Devil” (rum) to dancing a jig after overtaking a French ship. Don’t be fooled — these sailors aren’t afraid to send you to Davy Jones’s Locker (the bottom of the sea), but Lester’s drawings humanize the “scaly fish” (seamen) beyond their depictions in popular culture.
Lester chose to illustrate the book in harsh black and white, tinging the latenight tavern scenes and depictions of combat with gravity and aggression.
“[I’m] trying to give that visceral sense to the reader that they are somewhere else. They are not divorced from the history that they are reading because it’s not in color,” Lester tells City Paper. “It’s not gloss-ified in a certain way.”
of resistance, and also, where you can, to recover the voices of these people,” Rediker says.
The threat of the gallows looms large for the characters in the book, but these marauders remain defiantly transgressive till their last breath. As Gwin puts it in the book, sometimes the only remedy for tyranny is “rum . . . and gunpowder.”
Through its illustrations, Under the Banner of King Death captures a personal, and up-close view of pirates, an approach that Rediker calls “history from below.”
“The point is to get as close as you can to the historical subjects, to try to grasp their experience, try to grasp their consciousness, try to grasp their forms
“You know, we talk about Thomas Jefferson and the history of democracy — Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner. What we’re talking about in this book is real democracy from below,” Rediker tells CP. “And that can be inspiring to people present. You can take a look at this and say, yeah, maybe we can get some ideas for how to organize a better world.” •
“Rage and humor were key elements that characterized these outlaws of the seas. . .”
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Carl Villella
Carol Brackett
Carolyn Biglow
Carrie Roy
Cassia Priebe
Catherine Straka
Chloe Bark
Chris Flyer
Chris Gillotti
Chris Ivey
Chris Mueller
Chris Sichi
Chris Watts
Cindy Hogan
Cindy Hudson
Colby King
Constance Merola
Cynthia Hinck
Daniel Jacobowitz
Daniel M Crawford
Daniel Tasse
David Findlay
David Gerson
Eamon Geary
Edward Venator
Elise Lu
Elizabeth Collura
Elizabeth Engelhardt
Elizabeth Turner
Ellen Philips
Emilie Yonan
Emily Skopov
Eric Renkey
Erin Kelly
Evan DiBiase
Filomena Manns
Francis Garland
Frank B Tallarico
Geo Maroon
Georgann Jenkins
George Malt
Gillian Kratzer
Gina Vensel
Gretchen Swecker
G Ronald Ripper
Harley Nester
Henry Doherty
Ian Riggins
Jack Busch
James Heinrich
Janet Lunde
Jay Lasus
Jay Walker
Jeff Betten
Jeffrey Benzing
Jeffrey Bigham
Jennifer Holz
Jeremy Kimmel
Jeremy Watt
Jessica Bevan
Jessica Prucnal
John Berry
John Runco
Jonathan Tummons
Joshua Axelrod
Judith Hartung
Judith Lenz
Julia Scanlon
Juli Wright
Justin Lindsay
Justin Romano
INDIE BOOKSELLER SPOTLIGHT is a regular column listing new releases at Pittsburgh book shops. Support local businesses and find your next favorite read.
908 Galveston Ave., North Side. citybookspgh.com
Kara Holsopple
Katharine Kelleman
Katie Damico
Katie Vargo
Kay Brink
Kelly Hiser
Kim Potter
Kristen Ebert-Wagner
Kristin Komazec
Lara Putnam
Laura Dickey
Laura Everhart
Lauren Banka
Leah Hoechstetter
Leslie Harman
Linda Pearce
Liz Hrenda
Liz Reid
Lorie Milich
Lynn Cullen
Lynne Cherepko
Mackenzie Moylan
MaiShawna Fortune
Margaret Prescott
Marianne Donley
Mark Westbrook
Mary Muzzetta
Mary Russell
Matthew Buchholz
Matthew Griffin
Matthew Orphir Cartier
Max Garber
Megan Brady
Meredith Brenner
Micaela Corn
Michael Anderson
Michael Divine
Michael Donovan
Mike Beattie
Mike Weis
Mimi Forester
Moira Egler
Molly Kasperek
Molly Toth
Nathan Lutchansky
Nicole Egelhoff
Nicole Johnson
Norine Minion
Olie Bennett Guarino
Olivia Tucker
Patricia Mann
Patrick Kelley
Paul McGowan
Peter Mudge
Peter Reichl
Rachael Hopkins
Rachel Chapin-Paolone
Rachel Dalton
Rachel Tiche
Rachel Winner
Randy Sargent
Raymond Kozlowski
Raymond Pekich
Regina Connolly
Robert McKenney
Robert McKnight
Rosemary Mendel
Ruth Yahr
Samuel Boswell
Sam Wasserman
Sarah Peterson
Sarah Vernau
Sarah Wiggin
Sara Innamorato
Sean Mahan
Shanna Carrick
Sharon Hicks
Shelby Brewster
Sherri Suppa
Stacey Campbell
Stephen Wagner
Steve Felix
Steven Haines
Sue D’Nihm
Susan Speicher
Suzanne Kafantaris
Suz-Anne Kinney
Suzi Neft
Taia Pandolfi
Tara Zeigler
Tereneh Idia
Theodore McCauley
Thomas Bartnik
Timons Esaias
Todd Patterson
Toni Haraldsen
Tristan Lucchetti
Uwe Stender
Virginia Alvino Young
William MarucaI
Through a series of vignettes, this coming-of-age memoir details the author's struggle to survive his abusive upbringing. He escapes into pop culture, rising through the ranks as a Pokémon master.
by Nona Fernandez (Graywolf Press)
Graywolf Press describes this work from a prominent Chilean author as weaving “astronomy and astrology, neuroscience and memory, family history and national history” into a “brief but intensely imagined autobiographical essay.”
Releasing Tue., Feb. 28:
Black Earth Wisdom by Leah Penniman (HarperCollins)
From the author of Farming While Black comes a collection of insights on environmentalism from author Alice Walker, musician Toshi Reagon, and many others.
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages Through the Women Written Out of It by Janina Ramirez (HarperCollins)
The latest work from a Pulitzer Prize finalist follows a woman who must confront her traumatic past when she’s invited to teach at her old boarding school.
Take a feminist journey through the Middle Ages with a look at the era’s many incredible women who have been essentially erased from history books.
The Crane Husband by Kelly
Barnhill (Macmillan)This modern take on a Japanese folk tale finds its teen protagonist watching as her mother comes under the influence of a seemingly magical, six-foot-tall crane. •
@AWaltzCP
KIDS • DOWNTOWN
Danny Carmo’s Mathematical Mysteries. 7 p.m. Continues through Fri., Feb. 24. Byham Theater. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $12. trustarts.org/production
THEATER • DOWNTOWN
Disney’s Newsies 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 26. Pittsburgh Playhouse. 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown. $23-55. playhouse.pointpark.edu
•
Looking for something in the way of a new amethyst? As well as some new gutters or window treatments? Find these and more during the Home Show at The Block Northway. The weekend event will feature vendors selling a variety of products for homeowners, from hot tubs to shelving. Once you’re done looking at home improvement services, head to the corresponding Pittsburgh Gem Show, touted as the largest selection of rocks, crystals, minerals, fossils,
and gemstone jewelry in the area.
2-7 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 26. 8013 McKnight Road, Ross Township. Free for both shows. theblocknorthway.com
MUSIC • BLOOMFIELD
91.3 WYEP presents Honky-Tonk Jukebox
7-11 p.m. Bloomfield Liedertafel. 410 South Mathilda St., Bloomfield. $20. wyep.org
THEATER • LAWRENCEVILLE
Behind Ourself Concealed: Performances with Attack Theatre & Chamber Music Pittsburgh. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 26. Attack Theatre Studios. 212 45th St., Lawrenceville. $20-65. Virtual option available. attacktheatre.com
MUSIC • DOWNTOWN
Gil Shaham Beethoven Violin Concerto 8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Feb. 26. Heinz Hall. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $20-98. trustarts.org
DRAG • LAWRENCEVILLE
Orion Story of RuPaul’s Drag Race. 10 p.m. Brewer’s Bar. 3315 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville. $10. facebook.com/brewersbarpgh
VOLUNTEER • PENN HILLS
Become a Dumpbuster for a day when Allegheny Cleanways hosts a Tire Removal & Clean Up. The event invites volunteers to help remove thousands of old tires from a wooded site in Penn Hills. Protective clothing like long-sleeve shirts, pants, and closed-toe boots or shoes are recommended for this tough job. Work gloves and necessary tools and materials, as well as snacks, will be provided. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 217 Standard Ave., Penn Hills. Free. Registration required. alleghenycleanways.org
KIDS • EAST LIBERTY
Puppets for Pittsburgh presents World Folk Tales: Exploring Generosity 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-East Liberty. 130 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty. Free. carnegielibrary.org
MUSIC • UPTOWN
Carrie Underwood with special guest Jimmie Allen. 7:30 p.m. PPG Paints Arena. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. $53-266. ppgpaintsarena.com
COMEDY • DOWNTOWN
The Comedy Roast of Tyler Perry 8 p.m. Arcade Comedy Theater. 943 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $10-15. 16 and over. arcadecomedytheater.com/events
MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE
Larger Than Life (The Ultimate Boyband Tribute). 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh. 230 W. Station Square Drive, South Side. $15-120. 21 and over. hardrockcafe.com/location/pittsburgh
DANCE • DOWNTOWN
Dancing Peacock: Yanlai Dance Academy Performance 7 p.m. August Wilson African American Cultural Center. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $25-50. yanlaidanceacademy.com
COMEDY • ALLENTOWN
Former Daily Show writer and comedy festival regular Alington Mitra brings the laughs to Bottlerocket Social Hall on his Too Good Tour. Known for his “tight jokes, original thoughts, and affable presence” according to his website, Mitra’s stand-up routine earned him a place among the finalists on the competition show Last Comic Standing in
2014. His 6:30 p.m. show sold out, so make sure to grab tickets to the second performance before it’s too late. 8:30 p.m. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $25. bottlerocketpgh.com
FILM • OAKMONT
Mary Poppins Cinebrunch. 10 a.m.
The Oaks Theater. 310 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $15-20. theoakstheater.com
LIT • NORTH SIDE
Removing the Thorns of Human Suffering with Hiromi Itō & Jeffrey Angles
3-4:30 p.m. City of Asylum. 40 West North Ave., North Side. Free. cityofasylum.org/programs
FASHION • DOWNTOWN
Enjoy a night of four-legged fun during the Bark & Swagger Dog Fashion Show at the Benedum Center. Pooches (and their owners) will strut their stuff on the runway outfitted in skirts and bow ties provided by dog boutique One Haute Dog. Preceding the dogs will be a show featuring models sporting designs from boutiques such as Fresh Nostalgia, Larrimor’s, and Whimsical Wardrobe. Plus, 25% of ticket sales will go towards Animal Friends. 7 p.m. Doors at
6 p.m. 237 Seventh St., Downtown. $50-100. thinkingoutsidethecage.org
THEATER • DOWNTOWN
Lucy Loves Desi: A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Sitcom 7:30 p.m. Byham Theater. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $25-50. trustarts.org
MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE
Titus Andronicus with The Zells. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Thunderbird Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $20-30. 21 and over. thunderbirdmusichall.com
COMEDY • MUNHALL
Kevin James: The Irregardless Tour 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Carnegie Library of Homestead Music Hall. 510 East 10th Ave., Munhall. $50-99. librarymusichall.com
ART • GARFIELD
Undefined. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Pittsburgh Glass Center. 5472 Penn Ave., Friendship. Free. pittsburghglasscenter.org
MAGIC • DOWNTOWN
Noah Sonie in Trust No One 7:30 p.m. Liberty Magic. 811 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $40. trustarts.org
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E Carson St, Pittsburgh PA 15203 on March 1, 2023 at 12:15 PM. Unit 1096 Kandice Kyles, 165 Santino Angelo, 2183 Shaughnessea Richardson, 3017 Duriee Killings, 4070 Destiny Henry, 4198 Dawn Toboz. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Rd. Bridgeville, PA 15017, March 1, 2023 at 12:30 PM. Carla El 2075, Rachael Doven 3369. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh PA 15216, March 1, 2023 at 11:30 AM. Dan Simcox 3118, Jobbie Brown 5184, Kayla Johnson 8124. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at 110 Kisow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on March 1st, 2023 at 11:15 am. Christina Frazier 105. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on March 1, 2023 at 12:30pm.
1043 Cheyanne Couzzens. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with Cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse and bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd, Pittsburgh PA 15226 March 1, 2023, at 1:15 PM. 1007 Tonya Plows, 1129 Melinda Madison, 1141 Victoria Bittner, 3010 Lucienda Reardon, 3091 DeyKwane Cooper, 4070 Sean Lowry, 4224 Tyrone Williams.The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
DENTAL INSURANCE
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NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-000932, In re petition of Nichole Carter parent and legal guardian of Dominic Lutch for change of name to Dominic Joseph Carter.
To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 21st day of March 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for: John Foster, Attorney for Petitioner.
Address: 1207 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Phone: (412) 612-7310
Every Day. pghcitypaper.com
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on March 7, 2023, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
PGH. CAPA
• Replace EM Generator
• General and Electrical Primes
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on February 13, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project ManualDocuments is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.
1. Play to the gallery
4. Busy body?
10. Yellow Dog author Martin
14. It has contribution limits: Abbr.
15. Issues a technical 16. Boppa’s spouse 17. Our sun 18. Foil-wrapped chocolate candies
20. Maverick Dončić 22. Little songbird 23. Not at all 24. Curse word 26. King’s title 27. Have to have 28. Prepare, as some meats 32. Illinois city on the Fox River 34. Block party game?
35. Durable family vehicle, for short 36. About to be served 37. Longish time 38. Strava displays: Abbr. 39. Social reformer Dorothea
45. “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” songwriter Paul 46. Spanned across
Like stars
52. Tours agreement 53. It sells a lot of slices
54. 2012 Kathryn Bigelow film
57. 14th letters
58. River that flows through Orsk
59. Slimy distilled coal product
60. New Wave band that also recorded as The Dukes of Stratosphear
61. Tinseltown force
62. “My Cup Runneth Over” singer
63. Three of them are represented four different ways in this puzzle
1. Political divide
2. Cause of a child’s cough
3. Getting down to brass tacks
4. Degree a ways away
5. Threw
6. ___ badge
7. “Hey buddy!”
8. “What?”
9. Unfilled dates on the calendar
10. What goes here
11. Skirt to the floor
12. Listen Like Thieves band
13. House of ___
-Coburg and Gotha
19. ___ Linda, CA
21. Suffered humiliating defeat
25. She loves cocks
26. Nescafé rival
28. Hammer parts
29. Dirty media technique designed to cause maximum anger
30. One thing
31. Discounted by 32. Ceases to be
33. Character who says “I’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee”
34. Wednesday star Ortega
37. Burn the midnight
oil at the office
38. Big pharma div. 40. Testis, for one 41. Switch ancestor 43. Electronic musician Faltermeyer 44. Blue My Little Pony 46. Full of va-va-voom
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LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
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