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Eythana Miller

Reports, narratives, and prose of interest

Arts

www.dailycal.org •

An Amish novel flattened my community into fiction

I was perusing a list of recently published books when I saw a title with the word “Amish” in it. Right … this was a thing I never thought about. I wondered what Amish fiction spinners were getting up to and searched Google simply for “the genre of Amish fiction.” It took me a few links before I found the article, “Amish Fiction: Does it portray the Amish accurately?” by someone named Kelly Irvin. I scanned the page and read,  “I do my research and then I let my imagination run wild … my husband...
www.dailycal.org •

The fastest growing American language you’ve never heard of

"Ich bin mied" (“I’m tired”) feels like being tired. "Ich bin müde" (“I’m tired”) feels like remembering the right word, molding my mouth to fit around the odd shape of this slight change to the adjective describing my exhaustion. Reorienting syllables to fit the conventions of the language that lies over my existing vocabulary is an iterative, familiar process for me. I speak Pennsylvania Dutch and I’m learning Standard German, the linguistic ancestor of my language.
www.dailycal.org •

The sweet velvet of familiar places

As an adventure-seeking 6-year-old, I was enthralled by the experience of visiting our Nubian goats who lived in the barn. This expedition required slogging through 18 inches of snow, which is proportionately a lot at hardly four feet tall. Goats must be milked twice a day while they’re lactating, which made the trek a regular obligation for several members of the family. I was glad to be exempt from this chore because of my young age, but was also content with holding Dad’s hand and venturing i...
www.dailycal.org •

Stepping into an urban kaleidoscope: Seattle’s University District

The diffuse, hardly tangible but ever-present thrum touches my awareness. Traffic fills each lane and the pedestrians are indifferent. The smells of curry, Szechuan chicken and Starbucks mix with wet concrete and autumnal sharpness. Coming from rural Montana, I instantly loved Seattle when I first visited four years ago. But what drew me in over the time that followed was the University District. The University of Washington is a few streets away from me now and everything here is vigorously sen...

Politics and Local Issues

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From JFK to Oakland: A repealed tariff policy’s effect on overconsumption

More than one million international mail parcels piled up at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City in early February 2025, as the customs requirements for processing them suddenly became gargantuan. President Donald Trump had announced a dramatic adjustment to what kinds of incoming packages would need inspection by revoking the de minimis exemption, which had been in effect with varying thresholds since 1938. The exemption allowed packages valued at $800 or less (up from $1 at...
www.dailycal.org •

Unpacking the U.S.’s biggest financial institution: A conversation with professor Trevor Jackson

Inflation and unemployment are words that often float around in the news, and they’ve received plenty of air time since the pandemic. Outlets sometimes present the issue of elevated inflation as an unintended consequence of stimulus efforts or high unemployment as a challenge to endure until the economy recovers from a period of recession. This framing disembodies material outcomes from the institutions that shape them — especially the United States’ central bank: the Federal Reserve, or the Fed...
Berkeley Political Review •

Why Student Debt Forgiveness Isn’t a Solution

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness announcement is top of mind right now. The motion promises to erase $10,000 for borrowers of federal and private loans, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. As college students, we’re expected to celebrate this policy as a win for many who, like some of us, are struggling to pay off the debt incurred in pursuit of an education. While the intention may have been good, unfortunately, student loan forgiveness is unhelpful to a majority of college-goers.

Local Food and Community