Greetings, Humans.

Wild times, huh? All this librarian can say is to use your free speech before you lose it. When censorship clouds over conversation, that’s a sign you need to be talking louder. That doesn’t mean sharing a bunch of shit posts on social media. It means calling your representatives and demanding that they honor and protect our rights imbued to us by the United States Constitution.

** Pro tip: When you call their offices and get an answer from an actual human (it does happen!), ask that human what the rep’s position is on ______. When they answer, that’s your opening to ask why they haven’t been standing up for what they believe in.

Example:

“What is Senator Hagerty’s stance on the release of the Epstein files?”
- “He believes in full transparency.”
”Then why did he vote to block their release?”
- listen for audible squirming

It’s easy, requires a back and forth conversation, and shows that you’re not confused about what they are doing and who they are really protecting. And it feels way better than doomscrolling.

If you need help knowing who to call and what to say, I recommend using the 5 calls app.

Now go make your voice heard. After that —-

Let’s gossip.

Must Read: “Russia has declared war on literature. Look at what’s happening and be warned” by Anna Aslanyan for The Guardian

If you’ve talked to me at any point about the current political landscape of America, you’ll know that I feel pretty firmly that the Trump administration and its wealthy enablers are using Putin’s brand of oligarchic authoritarianism as a blueprint. This piece by Aslanyan gives an interesting view of the publishing landscape in Russia right now, a landscape that is quickly becoming familiar terrain for us Americans.

But it’s not just the state wielding its own apparatus to further restrict freedom of expression. Ordinary readers also do their bit for law and order. Police are sometimes alerted to suspicious books by vigilantes who post offending passages on social media. The existence of informants is not surprising. I dislike a book, I complain about it, it gets banned; thus, my voice has been heard. In a country with no democratic mechanisms left, reporting something objectionable is the only way for an individual to participate in public life. Any community where people feel politically disengaged – as they increasingly do in the UK and across the world – risks descending into the same madness.

Oof, that bolded line really hits it, huh? The more we waste our energy and outrage on social media shitposting, the more we cede our democratic and public power to toothless tech companies with no loyalty to us and our democratic principles.

Paint the Town Read

I have a class coming up with the Porch! This one will take place in Nashville at the Porch HQ in Berry Hill.

The Alternative Guide to Publishing: Paths Beyond the Big 5

Saturday, October 11
10:00 - 1:00 PM Central

Porch HQ
2811 Dogwood Ave
$77 for Porch members / $90 for non-members

The traditional publishing world—dominated by the "Big 5" (the five largest publishing houses)—often involves securing a literary agent and following a specific path to publication. But there are many other ways to bring your book to life, whether it's a novel, memoir, short story collection, or poetry chapbook. This class explores alternatives to traditional publishing, including direct submissions to publishers without an agent (non-agented submissions), working with independent (indie) publishers, pursuing hybrid publishing models (a blend of traditional and self-publishing), partnering with non-profits or academic presses, and other creative options to get your work into print. Through an engaging presentation, you’ll gain a clear understanding of these paths, their advantages and challenges, and which might be right for you. Following the presentation, guided exercises will help you map out possible publishing routes for your manuscript. The session concludes with an open Q&A to address specific questions about your own project.

Sign up here.