“Last month, before the hostage exchange and subsequent resumption of the daily MASSACRES in Gaza, we were invited to contribute to a collective art installation organized by a coalition of Knoxville action groups [listed above]. Together, we collected some 1500 articles of children’s clothing and strung them on a clothesline, which we then wrapped around market square in downtown knoxville. Palestinian youth and elders as well as Jewish voices told stories, shared information, recited poetry, and spoke truth about the ongoing occupation and genocide of the Palestinian people.

What a gift these activists and artists give to provide a space and opportunity to plug in and connect ourselves to the issue and to each other. And another gift that Vic suggested we print images of the martyred children and stitch them onto some precious items Nora used to wear. We used a technique they developed to mourn their own sibling. I say gift, because this project gave me something to do with my hands and some way to humanize and immortalize these children in my psyche. It was prayerful.

I do not consider myself religious or spiritual. I don’t pray. But I do understand the importance of internal work — giving yourself reminders of what’s important, what you value, and then committing your time, attention, and body to defend them.

One of the incredible parts of participating in the clothesline was the collaboration and communication it necessitated to even just unravel the thing. And then, as we all held on to the line, almost nobody knew what the plan was or what the final result ought to look like. We got tugged and pulled, and followed the flow. We stretched it out, we zigzagged, we brought it together. We felt the weight of 1500 clothes on our arms, and the weight that it wasn’t even half the number of children who got buried under their own collapsed homes. We hope the imagery made it difficult to look away”

- troy spindler, instagram post, December 4, 2023.