Musings of a Bookworm

In an era of doublespeak, George Orwell’s 1984 has found new appeal for US readers. In response to White House alt-facts, readers have reportedly flocked to Orwell’s dystopic analysis of the perils of Stalinism, set in a parallel post-WWII Britain.

Orwell’s book certainly has wide appeal. Beyond its literary charms, it gives us a view on why people “like us” fall in line with a suffocating, autocratic system. Beyond 1984, a number of authors and book lovers have come up with more lists of what to read in an era of Trumpspeak. Yet most of the listed works about fascist futures, resistance reading, and Trumptopias have been made up of works by white writers.

The current turn towards militarist-laissez-faire nativism in the US surely borrows a good deal from the KKK and other anti-Reconstruction forces. America’s great black writers aren’t the only ones writing about these forces. But the seven books below are some of the greatest works grappling with a made-in-America doublefact. They aso show not just a catastropic collapse, but — in the cracks — other, better possibilities.

Stairs

Yasssss.

The library isn’t just a happy place (though it is definitely a happy place). The library is also a center for the free exchange of information, which is vital to our democracy. The library assists us beyond getting us copies of our favorite books; libraries contain job centers, meeting spaces, assisting with taxes or voter registration, homework help, and access to technology for people who might not have any. Libraries are known to create economic value by increasing literacy in populations, helping people apply for jobs, and providing research materials for small businesses.

In the coming weeks, months, and years, we will need to ensure that our libraries get the support that they need if and when politicians suggest that libraries be de-funded (which seems likely in a political climate that abhors information). Here are ways that you can start supporting your local library right now.