shouting into the wind
Some writers talk about how writing fiction is itself a political act— the way we inhabit the life of someone else, how doing so fosters radical empathy and compassion. It’s lovely to think that’s what we’re doing when we’re making up people and putting them in terrible situations: we’re bringing a bit of love and kindness into the world, something the world desperately needs.
Obviously this is especially true right now. We don’t know if it’s appropriate to use this space to talk about what's going on in the world because that’s not what we typically write about. We see this as a space to uplift and encourage, to support writers, and hopefully spread some love and kindness while we’re at it.
And we want to show kindness to not only all the people suffering because of the conflict in Gaza, but to one of the authors we were lucky to feature. We ran our interview with Palestinian-American author Sahar Mustafah in April and want to again encourage you to check out her incredible novel, The Beauty of Your Face.
We asked Sahar to share resources for those who want to help and to learn more, and she suggested:
Institute for Middle East Understanding (news and commentators)
Noura Erakat, Human Rights attorney
Al Haq Defending Human Rights
Middle East Eye (news and commentators)
Defense for Palestinian Children (humanitarian aid)
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (humanitarian aid)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA (humanitarian aid)
Al Jazeera (news and commentators)
Jadilyya (news and commentators)
Rashid Khalidi, Department of History at Columbia University
Ilan Pappe, Israeli Historian
Interlink Books has a regular series called#readpalestine
And Publishers for Palestine is sponsoring a #ReadPalestine Week starting on Monday, 11/29. That day a reading list will go live, as well as free e-books for download.
We’re signing off with an essay by Rebecca Makkai called, “The World’s on Fire. Can We Still Talk About Books?” It’s from 2018, but sadly, still relevant, still evergreen. If you’re struggling to write amid such devastation, this essay is for you. (And even if you’re not, it’s still worth reading, and rereading.) As Rebecca says:
Write while you can. Paint while you can. Spread your art through the world. Not everyone is so lucky. Publish books and read books and teach books while you can. Take the art you love and blast it from your trumpet. Shout into the wind the names of the things you love.
This is us shouting into the wind: We love Sahar and her work. We love books, and writing, and this space. We love all of you.
Much love to the people of Gaza, Palestine.