Dan Sinker/now

I always have a lot going on, here's what I'm doing now:

I'm writing I HATE THOSE MASKED BASTARDS! for Haymarket Books …

while hosting and producing the weekly podcast Says Who …

and helping run the Civic Media Fellowships at USC …

and shipping the patches and stickers I made for you …

and also making stickers for the Says Who Sticker Club …

and OK that's enough.

My most recent blog posts

The Pugilist at Rest

It's been reported that Greg Bovino and 250 of his goons will be leaving Chicago. But it's also been reported that he'll be back. Chicago is a boxer, tired but unbowed. I wrote about how we'll be ready.

Posted on Nov 14, 2025

Ghosts in the Graveyard

I spent Halloween chasing ghosts. Not kids in costumes, or jumpscares in a haunted house. I spent Halloween chasing ghosts of a different kind: careening from one ICE spotting to another. I wrote an essay about it, and about other ghosts we're chasing.

Posted on Nov 5, 2025

Halloween a Hundred Years Ago

Everything is very hard right now, so travel back in time with me for a few minutes and look at how Halloween was advertised 100 years ago.

Posted on Oct 30, 2025

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My most recent notes

I write a lot of notes in shortform social apps like Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky. I also capture them on this site, so the platforms don't control my stuff. Here are a few. You can always look at my notes page for more.

Yoko Ono exhibit at the MCA Chicago was incredible and overwhelming.

A room and a boat are covered in overlapping blue scribbles and drawings, creating a chaotic and immersive art installation.

posted at 4:15PM on November 14, 2025

I spend a lot of time thinking about how to write about Chicago, especially right now, and the late, great Tony Fitzpatrick gave me a perfect metaphor: Chicago is a boxer. dansinker.com/posts/202…

posted at 11:48AM on November 14, 2025

It’s being reported that Greg Bovino and 250 of his goons will be leaving Chicago. But it’s also being reported that he’ll be back, in larger numbers. But Chicago is a boxer, tired but unbowed. I wrote about how we’ll be ready. dansinker.com/posts/202…

Everyone I know is exhausted from the last two months. Exhausted from rushing out on the ding of a Signal notification, exhausted from standing in front of schools keeping watch, exhausted from confronting heavily armed masked agents in tactical gear with nothing more than a whistle around your neck. Exhausted—so exhausted—from being witness to neighbors, friends, and family going missing. Over 3000 people, according to the goons' own count. One was too many. Everyone I know is exhausted. Everyone I know is ready to go another round.

posted at 8:57AM on November 14, 2025

Fuck em up Anish www.fox32chicago.com/news/chic…

CHICAGO - After Border Patrol agents gathered at Chicago’s "Cloud Gate" for a photo earlier this week, artist Anish Kapoor and a local parks group are calling for city action and possible legal consequences.&10;&10;What we know:&10;Kapoor told The Guardian he learned about the incident from a friend and is considering legal action, calling the scene representative of "fascist America."&10;&10;"Abducting street vendors, breaking doors, pulling people from cars, using teargas on residential streets. I mean, this is fascist America and just beyond belief," Kapoor reportedly said.&10;&10;When asked if he planned to take legal action, Kapoor said, "Of course, I'm going to do everything I can," according to The Guardian.

posted at 8:22PM on November 13, 2025

Got turned down on a piece about ICE in Chicago for an international news org because they believed I couldn’t be objective about my neighbors getting kidnapped. And well, guilty as charged I guess.

posted at 11:27AM on November 12, 2025

Read more notes at Mastodon or Bluesky, or check out my notes page.

Updated November 14, 2025. This page is inspired by @nownownow.