It's About the Yearning

“It’s about the yearning, partner.” – Cowhand Jo, gazing into the twin moonrise beyond the herd.

You are a historian tasked with collecting the life histories of a dying breed: Martian cowhands. For years the work of herding cattle, horses, and other large animals across Mars’s desert surface has been a refuge for those ostracized from the gleaming white Martian cities. Queer and gender nonconforming cowhands are especially common, and without the work of historians like you their stories will be lost, crushed under the metal boot of urbanization and factory farming.

Included in this packet:

• Ten days of prompts based around short narratives.
• Questions to address to yourself and/or your research participants.
• Important social context including briefings on laws, systems, and what is already known of the Martian cowhand culture
• Space for your own reflection—journaling, notes and observations, and responses to information provided during interviews
• Your interview “schedule”—this Appendix lists the questions you are to ask of each cowhand. Return to this schedule when you don’t know what else to say

All you need to play is a way to record your thoughts.