When the latest conflict broke out in Sudan in April, I was heading to Paris to attend a seminar series called “Urban Life at the Extensions.” I was going to present my own research looking at how the way we relate to and use sand can help us make sense of the pressing challenges facing society. I was looking forward to hearing other scholars, artists, activists, and writers talk about their research and projects in cities around the world. Meanwhile, Khartoum, the city of my birth, was burning.
After I boarded the plane in Toronto, where I live, I paid for inflight Wi-Fi and drifted in and out of a fitful sleep as I checked WhatsApp repeatedly for updates from my family. In Paris, I spent a stimulating week among my peers while simultaneously trying hard—and often failing—to manage the cognitive dissonance as I contended with the urbicide of Khartoum and the real and deadly threats my loved ones faced.
