Andrew Gaertner
Bio
I believe that to live in a world of peace and justice we must imagine it first. For this, we need artists and writers. I write to reach for the edges of what is possible for myself and for society.
Stories (14/0)
Taking the Beast to Meet Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter has been on my mind recently as he enters into hospice. I realize that even though he lost reelection by a landslide in 1980, his values have stood the test of time. He has become many people’s favorite ex-President. He was in favor of renewable energy, environmental conservation, and caring for people in times of need before any of it was cool. My thoughts go out to his family.
By Andrew Gaertnerabout a year ago in Fiction
The Scooter
Georgina walks right down the middle of what passes for a main street on Caye Caulker. On one side is a strip of small mom-and-pop hotels, beachwear stores, dive shops, restaurants, and bars. On the other side, it is palm trees and white sand, followed by the magnificent turquoise ocean that Belize is known for.
By Andrew Gaertnerabout a year ago in Fiction
Beatrice's Birthday Surprise
The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. Beatrice cannot wait to look out that window again. She visits her father on the top level exactly once a year, and tomorrow is her day.
By Andrew Gaertnerabout a year ago in Fiction
The Lost Dragon
As we herd the sheep to the barn, my heart is racing. Grandpa Peter's dragon, Precious, is missing and there is no trace of where she went. Grandpa and I went to the back pasture to find her, but she was gone and the sheep were all scared. Now we have to get them back to safety.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Fiction
Going Up
"Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say." KiKi has that line tattooed in big letters in the middle of her back. There are other smaller quotes from rebel leaders and writers all over her muscled body. I would ask her why that one is so big, but it is already awkward that I am naked with her. I'm suddenly aware that my newbie status must be as clear as my uninked flabby white skin. We are in a decontamination chamber being sprayed with god knows what before our journey up.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Fiction
The Kiss I Never Gave
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. I was out for a walk that night. I needed to get out of the house. We had been arguing and I didn’t want to say some of the things that were running through my head.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Fiction
Why I Want to Learn the Languages of my Ancestors
What languages did your ancestors speak? What languages do you speak? What languages do you want to learn? What is lost and what is gained when a family or person switches from their ancestral language to the dominant language of the nation where they live?
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Humans
- Top Story - June 2022
Using My Own "Pocahontas" Family Story to Search for TruthTop Story - June 2022
As a child, I was fascinated by our family story of Native American heritage. One of my goals as a genealogist is to distinguish (to quote mixed-race author Darnella Davis) “who we are” from “who we think we are.” I was told we were descended from a woman who was part of the "Cornplanter" tribe in Pennsylvania. Although I am pale white, my late brother, Peter, had darker skin and higher cheekbones, and he turned olive-brown in the summer. We assumed that was due to the presumed Native DNA. No. I have done a DNA test and it shows 0.0% Indigenous North American DNA. My story is not unusual.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Families
The Worst Summer Meal of My Life
It is a splash of bright orange in the middle of the dark summer forest. We have turned the corner of the trail and a beam of sunlight has entered the forest in front of us illuminating an oak stump that is studded with an orange shelf fungus that ladders its way up the wood. This is the mother lode, a chicken-of-the-woods mushroom bigger than any we have ever seen.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Confessions
Letting Go of My "Indian Princess" Ancestry Narrative
I'm an amateur genealogist, and I LOVE it. My family tree has over 10,000 people in it. I write about being a genealogist every month for our local newspaper. I help other people with their family trees. But as much as I love my hobby, I'm embarrassed about one of my reasons for getting into it. I wanted to confirm a family story that my grandpap was descended from a Native American woman. These "Indian Princess" narratives are common among white people in the USA, and we are susceptible to fetishizing our connection to the Native identity, without recognizing the role of our white ancestors in genocide and land theft. My journey into genealogy started out with a misplaced desire to distance myself from my white ancestors, but over time I learned to fully claim my European ancestry in all its complexity.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Families
Jaycee and Precious the Dragon
“There weren’t always dragons in the valley. In fact, when I was your age, I didn’t even believe dragons were real.” I tell this to my granddaughter Jaycee, who asked right away if I have always had a dragon. Jaycee has just been dropped off by her mother, who didn’t even get out of the car.
By Andrew Gaertner2 years ago in Fiction
