Insist on Joy

Hello friends,

This week, I posted a video short saying that I write because I need hope. I need witches, and magic, and justice, and love. I’ve started calling my work, “Hope punk books for witches.”

I read for the same reasons. In a world where human society feels harsh and precarious, I need the respite of other people’s words, too. And as I said here last week, hope is important. Hope is vital. Hope is key.

The oligarchs and kleptocrats would love to see us all ground down and dispirited. Part of our work is to fight back against injustice. The other part of our work is to kindle hope in one another, and to spread love as far and wide as we can.

Don’t let anyone steal your joy, however fleeting it may feel. And remember, feeling troubled is a sign that you are still in love with this world.

We can say “no” to genocide, concentration camps, economic injustice, and environmental devastation. Simultaneously, we can say “yes” to beauty, music, storytelling, baking bread, mutual aid, and love.

What are you doing lately, that gives you hope? What are you reading or listening to that lifts you up?

Best wishes — Thorn