Member-only story
Two Quick Reads to Keep Our Freedom
We start by staying informed.
Fall is here. I want to curl up with heavy blankets and stacks of books in front of the fire and listen to the rain, one of life’s greatest seasonal luxuries. I want to reread Ross Gay’s “ The Book of Delights” and Michael Hogan’s “ Walking Each Other Home “ because they’re so uniquely beautiful. Beauty and joy aren’t just antidotes to outrage and despair. They can inoculate us against some of the ugliness and the evil in this world. Goodness is sustenance.
But access to information and education is also a luxury. And the current administration is disrupting both with alarming support and success.
This year’s Banned Books Week runs from October 5th to October 11th.
In “war-ravaged” Portland, Powell’s Books says, “Book bans aren’t about the books. They’re about the ideas inside — and the power stories have to expand minds, spark questions, and encourage critical thinking. At Powell’s, we’ve supported and celebrated independent thinking since our inception, which means continuing to stock and sell books others have labeled ‘offensive’ or ‘inappropriate.’ We will always fight for your right to read anything you want.”
Can’t we just disappear into labyrinthine novels and serene poetry?
