Books Are People Talking

David Dark’s We Become What We Normalize is essential reading right now. Beautiful writing combines with sharp discernment as Dark calls readers to reflect on our all-too-common fear and shame-based reactivity to change. In a rapidly shifting world Dark models for us all what it looks like to face our own demons with grace and rigor.

Lisa Sharon Harper, president and founder of Freedom Road and the author of several books including the critically acclaimed The Very Good Gospel and Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World--And How To Repair It All

Lisa Sharon Harper and I have only been in one another’s presence a time or two, but she’s one of those figures I look to to figure out how to process the world around me. I’ve watched her lovingly insist on what’s true in the presence of powerful people who seem to expect deference. She’s curious, kind, and inquisitive (but also firm) in the face of reactive people. She is this in person, but she also brings her healing game to God’s internet. I recommend her Instagram content for anyone trying to find their way past the disinformation industry in recent weeks. And today, I’m profoundly grateful she made time to endorse my work.

Speaking of which, today is the official release day for We Become What We Normalize. I welcome (I think) all publicity and personal signal flares. I’m headed to Columbus, OH at this very moment for an evening with Hanif Abdurraqib at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters. And then Mac’s Backs Books in Cleveland Heights on Friday. And then Novel in Memphis on Sunday. And then, on November 25th, a bookstore visit and a talk in Three Rivers with the Huss Project.

BREAKING NEWS: I’m also visiting Chicago on December 16th with an appearance at Barbara’s Bookstore.

I’ll have more images. But the one above was secured when Sarah and I visited Carmichael’s in Louisville the other night. The one up top is from Square Books in Oxford.

Here’s another one.

I’ll have a few from the Parnassus event over the next few days. Big thanks to everyone who’s venturing out for these things. As time and bandwidth permit, please consider reviewing the book over at Amazon as doing so will, I’m told, shift some algorithms toward my efforts.

I’m also going to share a few words I penned this morning for a newsletter at my place of employment:

I'm overjoyed that this particular work is now available in-print. My hope is that We Become What We Normalize will serve as a toolkit for those of us looking to overcome our reactivity and our proneness to conflict avoidance in our speaking and doing and trying to get by. It's also about the work of liberal arts (or liberating artfulness) as essential to being a whole person. There's a punchiness to it which I believe is also generative. I note, for instance, that an institution is a myth with a budget. This doesn't mean that the myth is a lie. It just means that institutional courage is made possible by a community of people choosing love over fear—again and again--in the minute particulars of their daily work. There are so many ways to be true.

And while I’m thinking of it…if you didn’t know…posting #WeBecomeWhatWeNormalize screen matter can go a long way in getting a lovely fire going. Richard Bailey did me this very solid just the other day. Behold his handiwork:

So anyway, if you’re reading this, I suspect you’re on my team. I thank you for helping get me this far.

We are a beginning.