The David Dark Situation

The only way to keep the space from imploding is to fill it, to prop up the walls: to claim all the room there still is for speaking, writing, publishing, protesting, voting. It’s what the people of Minnesota appear to be doing, and it’s something each of us needs to do — right now, while we still can.

That right there is M. Gessen speaking to us from within The New York Times. The space in danger of imploding is freedom. It is indeed fragile. Read up on Gessen’s experience and you’ll see that this insight and this urgent advice is hard-won. Securing and tending to spaces in which persons can mostly bank on freedom from bodily fear for themselves and others is a long, slow, steady work made up of myriad moves, “nuancy decisions” (William Stafford’s phrase) that add up to what can be called civil society, safe spaces cultivated by demonstrably safe people, art beating back empire.

The job, I think, is to know and feel your own power and act on it. Know your context. Be who you are when you are where you are. Be free.

It only recently occurred to me how easy it might be to film myself speaking freely about items of interest and curiosity and concern and publishing the footage.

I was so pleased that I did it again the next day.

Here’s a link to the poem and the essay. And you know what? I did it again.

And, growing accustomed to the situation, I went longer.

So…I suspect there will be more. I have not, up till now, been someone who subscribes to Youtube channels or bothers to “like” videos, but this might be one meaningful way to do my small part in claiming all the room there still is for being free and behaving freely together with others.

On that note, give this a look:

I’ll be standing and talking and reading to people in Louisville at Carmichael’s this week (Tuesday night). Know somebody who might enjoy being there? Tell them. Registration’s here.

And another thing, I’m going to be in Los Angeles as well with a bunch of other people. That’s this week.

You can sign up here.

And wait. There’s more.

Morgenstern Books is in Bloomington. You can sign up for that one here.

I’ll also be in Lexington on February 7th at Joseph-Beth. I appreciate their willingness to number me among their local authors. It’s at 1:00 in the PM.

One last thing. If you're like me, you have people you've known and even loved who are trying to pull you into a dark corner to insist that Renee Nicole Good tried to take Jonathan Ross out with a car. My advice: Don't give them your energy. There might be a day in the future when you can help them out of that dark corner, but my guess is...today and the next week or two isn't the time for that. Your energy, I suspect, is needed elsewhere. Amplify true testimonies where you find them. Protect those in need of your protection. Nurture spaces of candor, courage, and conscience. Stay safe.

Love is real.