Us in Flux

Us in Flux is a series of short stories and virtual gatherings that explore how we might reimagine and reorganize our communities in the face of transformative change.

In the summer of 2022, we’ll present a series of four stories and virtual events that envision civic experiments, considering possible collectives, systems, and activities to power the inclusive, thriving communities of the future.

The 2022 cycle of Us in Flux builds on our original series in 2020, when we published 11 stories and hosted 11 events amidst the initial wave of COVID-19 lockdowns. You can read those stories and watch those event videos here, and read analysis and commentary on Us in Flux in a special symposium section of the open-access journal SFRA Review.

To be notified about future Us in Flux stories and events, and to learn about other publications and opportunities from CSI, sign up for our mailing list.

The 2022 cycle of Us in Flux stories and events is made possible by generous support from John S. Martinson.

A collage art piece with the following text on the image: Image description Collage art piece, an aerial view of an island made up of paper stained green with descriptive text cut into short phrases printed from a typewriter onto parchment-like paper. The island is surrounded by multiple rings of ink on watercolor paper

A story about ability and disability, journalism, and creating adaptable communities.

A story by Suyi Davies Okungbowa about children, robots, and bureaucracy.

A paint and paper collage of a wrought iron fence over grass transitioning to tall sunflowers over rich brown soil.

A story by Phoebe Wagner about reimagining universities as radically open to their communities, and better attuned to addressing local challenges.

A story by Carter Meland about rock music, unexpected connections, and northern Minnesota forests.


Us In Flux 2020

A story about Aztlán, creative reuse, and making technology work for you.

A story about environmental health, technophilia, and transcendence.
Conversations—Ray Mwihaki and Christopher Rowe

A story about temporal anomalies, public spaces, and a new global consciousness.

A story about big data, emerging life forms, and a plea for coexistence.

A tale of unanticipated mail and the limits of self-reliance.

A tale of coded messages, clandestine drone deliveries, and surprising alliances.

Two portraits embroidered on a quilt. The portrait on the left is stitched with black thread on white linen and the portrait on the right is stitched with various colored thread on a dark denim patch.

A story about virtual reality, friendship, and the unexpected benefits of impersonation.

A couch in front of a window, but it is pieced from multiple fabrics and quilted. It is fragmented and multicolored.

A tale of quantum entanglement and self-care.

Fabric resist and dye piece depicting the moon over the ocean.

A utopian tale of historical memory, the dangers of forgetting…and vampires.

Green linen embroidered with the white outline of a squirrel, and five leaf shapes cut from multiple colors of fabric secured to the linen with cross stitches in various colors.

A short story about backyard ecology, interspecies communities, careful observation, and solitude without loneliness.

Illustrationdone in fabric, quilted landscape with small person looking over vast hills covered in crops.

A short story about food, monoculture, and communities that draw together the human and nonhuman.