On Freedom by Timothy Snyder

 

  If there is only one book you are going to read this year, make sure you choose On Freedom by Timothy Snyder.

  His book should be used in high schools to learn the concept of freedom; the meaning of the word has been misused to empower tyrants, so this book is an invaluable resource to bring clarity to the topic.

   Tim Snyder delves deeply into the meaning of freedom. As a historian he offers an introspective outlook with information and facts. Unlike The Sixth Extinction, this book is hard to put down because it is concise. It does not ramble.

  The meaning of freedom in America has been distorted. Snyder analyses this carefully. “In American English it came to mean little more than the privilege of a few wealthy Americans not to pay taxes, the power of a few oligarchs to shape the discourse, and the unequal application of criminal law.”

   Snyder emphasizes the distinction between negative freedom and positive freedom.

   The concept of what he refers to as negative freedom is about the need to remove something that does not allow freedom to materialize, and positive freedom is about the right to thrive. In order to thrive, a healthy environment, education, health, critical thinking skills and respect for human rights are necessary. Freedom requires solidarity, social commitment, communication and introspection.

     We need to look into the past to understand the present. I think this has been the message of My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration. I agree with Timothy Snyder.

 I will share this statement by Mr. Snyder: “Knowledge of the past is a reservoir of power and self-liberation. The future might flow down many channels, but its sources are in the past. Many things are possible. When we know nothing about the past, we think anything is possible but are quickly disillusioned. When we know something about the past, we know about some things that might be possible, and we have a chance at realizing them, a chance at freedom.”

  As a keen historian, he anticipates what the future possibilities may look like; understanding the past well sometimes helps him to make predictions. For example, he predicted that Russian forces would invade Ukraine. He provides the facts that led him to believe so. For example, Tim Snyder was aware of the fact that tyrant Vladimir Putin used Russian television to promote coordinated propaganda against Ukraine, force-feeding people the idea that Ukraine did not really exist and that Russians and Ukrainians were one people. Tim Snyder predicted more than this, but I will let you read the book to find out more…

    Knowledge, intuition and observation combined with introspection can be helpful to predict something. It is important to remember and integrate information, but it is also necessary to pay attention. Attention has become elusive to too many people, and the outcome of this situation is not a positive one. There is a reflection on this that I wrote down to share with you:

    “We lose time by not focusing, by not encoding moments from the flux. Simone Weil thought ‘the quantity of creative genius of an epoch was measured by attention span. By her measure we are becoming stupider. The twenty-first century is, let’s face it, very dumb.’”

    Timothy Snyder awakens us to the fact that in America there is a need for an equal right to vote for all citizens. However, this is not what happens:

   “Citizens who happen to live in Washington, D.C., which is more populous than Wyoming or Vermont, are not allowed to elect representatives to Congress. Citizens who live in Puerto Rico, which is more populous than twenty-one of the fifty states, cannot vote for president. They elect a resident commissioner to Congress, but that official has no vote. Americans should not be denied representation by the accident of where they were born, or where they find a job, or where they fall in love.”

 When we look at the past, we learn that women were excluded from the vote in the United States until the 1920s, and Black people in the South until the 1960s.  

“Today American laws allow the richest to avoid paying taxes and to influence elections (and then policy) by spending money. Such laws disenfranchise all nonbillionaires by granting to the few electoral power not enjoyed by the many. A country with oligarchical elections and voter suppression is not a land of the free.”

 On page 370 he makes a bold statement that helps me to understand the underpinnings of this regime:

 “Americans lose about 1 trillion dollars every year to tax fraud and evasion by the very wealthy. Offshore tax evaders should be given a year to come onshore or be prosecuted. Known practices that serve oligarchical escapism should be banned. These include mirror trades, anonymous real estate transactions, and limited partnerships that hide true owners and beneficiaries.”

  

 Senators are afraid to exercise their freedom in America

 How is freedom possible when you have senators stating clearly that they are afraid to oppose the president’s orders? If you don’t believe me, listen to Republican senator Lisa Murkowski expressing that“we are all afraid.” 

  If she is afraid, why did she vote for him? Minions and sycophants will not make America great. Hatred, cruelty and oppression will not make America free.

 How can you call America the land of the free when not even the senators are free to disagree? 

  On June 14 two lawmakers and their spouses were shot. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot to death, so how can we expect to be safe, when not even our Representatives are safe to live their lives under the current regime? Besides, nobody is safe when innocent people get abducted by strangers wearing masks.

  We need to stay alert. If a tyrant in power persecutes and imprisons dissidents the way Putin does it in Russia, then their votes will not be counted. 

  It is disheartening to see that seventy-five million voters supported a man who follows Putin’s playbook. They voted for a man who thinks that he can take away somebody’s citizenship because he or she disagrees with him. This is not freedom. This is fascism. They voted for a man who promised to be a dictator on day one. There is no patriotism in this cowardly act.

   I am not going to delve into the concept of freedom here because that is the role of Tim Snyder’s insightful book, but I can offer a very simple clue that anybody should be able to understand. There is no freedom when the Constitution is treated like toilet paper, or when a person who is the closest friend of a sexual trafficker becomes president. Yet there are forces that run deep in America to enable such a person to become powerful. I noticed that sexism and social misogyny are not under Snyder’s radar the way racism is. We need to expand the book. Mr. Snyder is concerned about the increasing number of men incarcerated in prisons but he does not say enough about gender violence and the need to address it.

    I admit that I felt frustrated when he mentioned that Ancient Greece was a “democracy”. A democracy does not have slaves. A democracy does not suppress women’s votes, Mr. Snyder, but if we keep repeating this lie, we will end up believing it, so, no, ancient Greece was not a democracy.

  I highly recommend On Freedom by Timothy Snyder. It can be a suitable choice for book-clubs.

  I appreciate how Timothy Snyder integrates science and history to explain basic concepts. Hopefully, his words will inspire people to choose courage and solidarity amid the fear and uncertainty incited by the forces of fascism, because the greatest treasure of a country is in the bravery of the people standing up for justice and freedom; it is in the bravery of the people standing up to the bullies, and I know that there are people who are doing that, but we need to keep our voices alive in every way we can.  

  On Freedom offers the guidance and knowledge to choose that kind of path. It sheds light on the confusion and the falsehoods spread by the manipulation of the truth. On Freedom reminds us that we are not isolated, that we are interconnected in multiple ways and that there is no freedom without solidarity. Read it, share it; let’s keep the discussions alive.

Here's an interview about freedom with Tim Snyder:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVxuFLBOpvM

 

Last but not least, keep yourself informed. Knowledge empowers us to become better citizens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Ww--fKH5g

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNQo6BqD7hA

 

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

 

    Reading a book can be an opportunity to “travel” to different time periods and regions of the world. The Sixth Extinction is a non-fiction book that offers that kind of opportunity.  For example, it goes back 300 million years ago, to the Permian period, and to the Cretaceous period, 100 million years ago. The book also visits the recent past and examines the present by exploring various regions such as the fragmented Amazon rainforest, a fast-warming slope in the Andes and the outer reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

    Elizabeth Kolbert’s book tracks the extinction of some species and examines the decline of others.

   To put everything in context, let’s focus for a moment on the Homo sapiens species, which is our own species. Homo sapiens emerged around two hundred thousand years ago, and it has done to the planet what no other species has done: “Having discovered subterranean reserves of energy, humans began to change the composition of the atmosphere. This alters the climate and the chemistry of the oceans. Some animals and plants adjust by moving, but thousands of species succumb gradually and become extinct as a consequence of human actions.”

  I happened to be reading this book when I learned that hundreds of dolphins,seabirds and sea lions were washing up dead on the West Coast of the UnitedStates of America.

  The Vancouver Sun report revealed that the dolphins, seabirds and sea lions appeared sick or dead on the shore due to a neurotoxin called domoic acid. The toxin is produced by algae blooms proliferating in excess due to climate change and global warming. The neurotoxin is present in the fish they feed on, causing the massive number of deaths.

    Since the start of the industrial Revolution humans have burned through enough fossil fuels—coal, oil and natural gas—to add 365 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere. Deforestation has contributed another 180 billion tons.   Each year we throw up another nine billion tons or so, an amount that has been increasing six percent annually.

 “By burning through coal and oil deposits humans are putting carbon back into the air that has been sequestered for millions of years.”

  One third of the carbon dioxide that humans have pumped into the air gets absorbed by the oceans causing ocean acidification. The rapidity at which the carbon dioxide is released by human actions does not give the system time to adapt and the speed is happening at unprecedented levels.

  Ocean acidification 

  I don't understand why ocean acidification is constantly ignored. I appreciate how Elizabeth Kolbert's highlights this issue. 

  Ocean acidification has been referred to as global warming’s “equally evil twin.” It has multiple effects; one of the effects is that it compromises the integrity of coral reefs. The survival of millions of marine animals depends on coral reefs, so if coral reefs are affected, millions of marine animals are affected too.

 According to Dr. Ken Caldeira, if carbon dioxide emission trends continue at this rate, corals will not survive this century.

 The only quibble I have about Elizabeth Kolbert’s Sixth Extinction is that her writing style is convoluted at times and some of her ramblings dilute the important facts she shares. On the other hand, she offers metaphors to facilitate the understanding of complex concepts for people who lack training in science. I think some of those metaphors may  be useful to make the book more accessible to people who have no clue, although I doubt that her writing style will appeal to such people. The fact that seventy-five million voters in the United States of America chose a climate denier over a competent person indicates that too many people have no clue, and the United States of America is positioned in second place in terms of carbon emissions.

 Favorite parts

  My favorite parts of The Sixth Extinction are the chapters on the following topics:

 - the golden frogs in Panama

-Ocean acidification

-Neanderthal extinction

  Conclusion

   I highly recommend The Sixth Extinction. I hope the book will be integrated into the school curricula. I think it should be used as an invitation to watch what is happening around us. Educating citizens on the need to vote for politicians who take climate change seriously is an important step, but it is not the only one, so let’s raise awareness on the need to understand the topic and to address it in every way we can. 

 Our survival depends on it.

 

Relevant links:

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/09/can-the-economy-afford-not-to-fight-climate-change/

 

https://usa.oceana.org/effects-ocean-acidification-corals/

https://vancouversun.com/news/dfo-monitoring-toxic-algae-bc-waters-as-hundreds-of-dolphins-sea-lions-dead-california

https://davidsuzuki.org/story/ignoring-climate-change-is-just-too-expensive/

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/29/us/alligator-alcatraz-protests-immigration-florida-hnk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94m-c_c885E

 

 Feel free to check my writing on the following books as well:

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson

 

 The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl

The Permaculture Transition Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Resilient Living

 

   Due to the high prices of groceries one of my goals is to optimize the production of food in my backyard.

  Think about the benefits of enjoying fresh, locally grown food while supporting the earth and helping to maintain the water and air clean. What is not to like about this? To accomplish this goal, I rely on the principles of permaculture.

   The Permaculture Transition Manual by Ross Mars is a good resource to work toward the goal of producing more nutrient-dense food in less space while supporting the health of the planet. In doing so, we collaborate to sustain the ecosystems that support life, the production of healthy food and the supply of clean water.

  You don’t even need to own a garden to do so. You can join a community garden and work to apply permaculture principles there. Another option is to support a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that you trust. The options do not exclude each other, which means that you can choose all of them.

   Supporting initiatives and policies that encourage the development and promotion of permaculture principles is a path of health, balance and harmony with one another and with the earth. It creates the setting for an environment that is better able to respond to the challenges posed by climate change. Furthermore, it helps to reduce carbon emissions which contribute to worsening climate change, and it avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that poison our water, air and soil.

 

Food sovereignty and food security. What do they mean?

 The first chapter of the book is a clear introduction to the topic. It also explains the difference between food sovereignty and food security.

 Food sovereignty has to do with the control we have over the food we eat. Having food sovereignty means that we have more responsibility and are more involved over the policies that apply to food production.

Food security is about access to sufficient food that is safe and nutritious. There are four components of food security: availability, access, use and stability.

  Access can be compromised when people cannot afford to buy the food they need to stay healthy. The use of food can also be affected when certain foods are not safe to be consumed. There are multiple aspects of food security and food sovereignty that are threatened and affected by the current regime in the United States of America. You can read about this here, and I encourage you to share this information extensively with your networks:

   Irrespective of your political party affiliation, you will be appalled to learn that the Trump regime is taking away the subsidies that supply fresh, healthy food to school children and, in doing so, it hurts local farmers who count on that income to support and sustain their farms.

  I do not understand why any person in his or her right mind would vote to take food away from children while compromising the farmers who supply the food. It makes no sense.

 

Permaculture goes beyond food production

 While it is true that permaculture is about growing enough food and having a lifestyle that will enable you to become self-reliant—not self-sufficient-- and less dependent on the marketplace and agencies outside of our control, permaculture is also a way of life in which we choose to live more sustainably. It is about how we deal with water, energy, soil and other living beings in sustainable ways. I like how Ross Mars summarizes it through this powerful statement:

                                           “Permaculture is fundamentally a vocation, a way of life. It is about taking responsibility for your life and doing the things you feel are important for your own well-being and for the wellbeing of others and to help the environment.”

 

    Unfortunately, the American regime is under the control of politicians who do not believe in sustainability. Donald Trump’s executive orders have the intention to ditch the policies that curb carbon emissions. This assault will worsen the quality of the air we all breathe, irrespective of one’s political affilitation. What kind of “president” gets rid of regulations that help citizens protect the quality of the air they breathe?

 Air pollution is one of the biggest killers across the world.

  Donald Trump’s executive orders  and his big ugly bill will help to kill more people. Why? His priority is to serve the interests of the fossil fuel corporations that help fund his political campaigns.  Yet everybody needs clean air and water. It does not matter what political party they belong to. 

  The fossil fuel corporations may satisfy his interests because they may provide funding for his political campaigns, but polluting the air and worsening climate change do not make America great, so let’s make sure we share the links in this post to help people understand the consequences of the senseless executive orders and the big ugly bill.

   In the meantime, you can also read Ross Mars’ didactic book. It contains several suggestions, advice and information to apply permaculture principles to your garden and lifestyle.

 

 Supplementary links:

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/06/04/trumps-big-ugly-bill-budget-reconciliation/

 

https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/05/19/trump-says-he-loves-farmers-hes-dismantling-the-agency-helping-their-communities-survive/

https://apnews.com/article/school-lunch-usda-trump-c1485f824573913fe9a734bbf1273e26

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/12/trump-canned-food-price-metal-tariffs

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/12/climate/trump-ev-power-plant-rollbacks#openweb-convo

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/18/climate/food-crops-heat-rain#:~:text=Rising%20global%20temperatures%20are%20set,to%20a%20sweeping%20new%20analysis.

https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/deaths-air-pollution-data-hope/#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20estimates,from%20burning%20wood%20and%20charcoal.

 

Other blog posts you may enjoy:

 Sweet in Tooth and Claw: stories of generosity and cooperation in the natural world by Kristin Ohlson. 

What a Bee Knows, by Stephen Buchmann

Addendum: I attended the peaceful No Kings Protest yesterday (June 14). I took photos of some of the signs to share them here:

The Echo Machine by David Pakman

 

 In researching topics related to the books I read, I came across David Pakman’s analysis. His careful analysis based on facts exposes with clarity the cognitive dissonance of the discourse of Republican politicians who are loyal to Trump’s irrationality.

  David Pakman’s visionary power and introspective outlook inspired me to read his book: The Echo Machine. I decided to borrow it from the library.

  How do we end up with the normalization of situations that are abnormal and dangerous?

 Why did seventy-five million people vote for a man who has praised Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine?

 How can anybody vote for a man who promises to be a dictator on day one? 

  Praising Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine should have been more than enough of a red alert for voters with ethical principles, but for these people kidnapping Ukrainian children and causing a massacre that continues to this day appears to be part of the deal of putting a fascist dictator in power. Let’s remind everyone that they voted for a man who has blamed Zelensky for the war in Ukraine. Why? Because he shares Putin’s imperialist and fascist ideas.

  It is difficult for me to understand how those who voted for a criminal can be at peace with their conscience—assuming they have one.

 Why did seventy-five million people think it is okay to vote for fascism and to throw American democracy under the bus? How did this happen?

    For decades, right-wing extremists have been promoting falsehoods, conspiracy theories and distortions of reality, and the 2024 election was clearly the result of this.

    First of all, it is necessary to remember that the citizens of any healthy democracy need to understand the difference between opinions and facts. To comprehend the difference between the two, critical thinking skills and a basic understanding of scientific concepts are required. If this can’t be done, then we are caught up in a situation that resembles what happened in the Middle Ages…

  During the Middle Ages, religious dogma took precedence over empirical evidence. As a result of this, facts were censored and rejected to maintain religious beliefs that were considered acceptable and even mandatory. People whose opinions were in disagreement with irrational beliefs could be detained and even executed.

   The dismissal of facts at the expense of conspiracy theories or the repetition of falsehoods is not new. This has happened in different places at different times in history. Under Hitler’s regime, for example, this was done consistently to persecute groups of people, sow hate and divisiveness and to encourage violence while demanding blind loyalty to a dictator. The study of history offers examples of how fascism takes over a country.

  Those who are not horrified by the fact that Donald Trump has threatened to suspend habeas corpus lack basic knowledge of history. Suspending habeas corpus is something that was done under right-wing dictatorships in Argentina during the 1970s. Getting rid of habeas corpus enabled the disappearance of thousands of people without due process. People were abducted by security forces. These people were subjected to torture and other forms of human rights abuses. Is this what Americans want for the United States of America? If the answer is no, then it is time to wake up and understand that this is serious.

  Dismantling agencies and firing workers that support the foundation of our democracy are actions that set the stage to unravel the forces of fascism. This jeopardizes everybody’s safety.  

How can anybody in his or her right mind support the detention of tourists for merely expressing disagreement with trump’s government in their social media? This is consistent with the actions of fascism.

 People overseas are actively opposing American fascism by cancelling their planned visits to the United States of America and they are boycotting American products across the world.

 We now watch with horror the persecution of groups of people and the disregard of the Rule of Law.

 Denigrating institutions and getting rid of policies that protect the health of our communities, the quality of air and water are actions  that are promoted as normal and necessary under the regime of a man who thinks he has the right to behave like a king. He has consistently shown a lack of interest in upholding the Constitution, so why is the mainstream media surprised?

  Innocent people are being abducted and thrown into prisons while MAGA criminals are pardoned. Pardoning criminals is something that Vladimir Putin also does in Russia. You can read Alexei Navalny's book to learn about this. 

  Yet truth is a peaceful weapon to stand up against the abuses of power of the Executive Branch, which counts on the support of those who have been conned for decades.  

  One of the strategies of the Republican Party in power is to repeat falsehoods consistently to convince people that the government is “strong” and doing something right to put America first. In the meantime, thousands of people are left without help after they lose their homes to natural disasters in various states. They do not receive the help they need,and dismantling FEMA will only make it worse.

 Perpetuating myths and gerrymandering have been some of their strategies to win elections without addressing the real problems. Spreading lies and slandering their opponents have helped them to gain power by winning the 2024 election.

  To counteract this, we need to resort to truth and facts.

 Let’s expose just some of the Republicans’ lies that David Pakman dissects in his book, to raise awareness on these issues.

 

 

Tax breaks for the wealthy and the corporations

  One myth that Republicans have consistently promoted for decades is that giving tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy will increase the number of jobs and boost the economy. Research has shown the opposite, and there is no evidence that doing this will trickle down to the working class or that it will boost the economy This is simply a myth promoted to enrich the wealthy and make the poor poorer.

 

The economy versus the environment myth

 Another popular myth widely spread in America is that subsidizing and expanding the fossil fuel industry will strengthen the economy and provide more jobs. This is not true. Many countries with healthy economies and communities are doing just the opposite. They create policies that promote the development of clean energy sources, and, in doing so, they boost the economy, create jobs and support the health of their communities as well as the quality of air and water.

 The book provides examples with detailed explanations of countries that do this. For example, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland are some of the countries that come to my mind. These social democracies have strong economies, promote entrepreneurship, and support their population with access to healthcare and policies that protect the environment.

 

Lies perpetuated during the COVID pandemic

  False statements promoted by right-wing extremists killed people during the COVID pandemic. For example, MAGA Republicans promoted the false idea that only people with underlying medical conditions could die from COVID. For this reason, they discouraged people from wearing masks and getting vaccinated. People lost their lives  as a result of this. Right-wing extremists even called the COVID virus a "hoax."

   Another trend among right-wing extremists is to label people as “communists” or "radical leftists" when they disagree with them, or for simply trying to share facts, which right-wing extremists dodge and ignore at all costs. Countries like China, Russia and Venezuela are under authoritarian regimes in which corruption is part of the everyday landscape. These are not countries that one would consider as examples to folllow. Yet the United States of America appears to be going in that direction.

 Last year, after the devastation that hurricanes Helene and Milton left in Florida Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Democrats of manipulating the weather to cause the hurricanes.

 How can anybody in his or her right mind support people who spew outrageous conspiracy theories?

  Due to global rising temperatures the number of severe weather events has been consistently increasing over the last decades. I am sharing this graph from Yale Climate Connections to show it. 

 Yet seventy-five million people in America voted for a man who has stated that climate change is a “hoax” and who blatantly ignores the advice of climate scientists.

   

  If you don’t have the time to read the whole book, make sure you read chapters 1, 2 and 5.

  Chapter five is crucial to understand how some countries are able to prosper within the capitalist system by investing in social programs and caring for the environment. I will share some facts from chapter 5 to elaborate on what I mentioned earlier in the post:

“Contrary to some right-wing misconceptions, these Scandinavian nations are not anti-business. In fact, they have thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems that have created global giants such as IKEA, Volvo, Nokia and Spotify. Their approach is not to stifle business but to ensure that business growth does not come at the expense of workers’ rights or the environment.”

 Another important aspect of these countries that we must highlight is that these countries are among the least corrupt in the world:

 “Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index often ranks these countries among the least corrupt in the world. A culture of trust, strong institutions, and stringent regulations help ensure that public and private sectors operate with integrity. While no country is entirely free of crime, Scandinavian countries tend to have low crime rates, particularly violent crime. This can be attributed to their focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment, comprehensive social safety nets, and educational opportunities that reduce economic disparities.”

 These social democracies invest to make education accessible and high-quality. They also take into consideration workers’ rights:

 “A key feature of the Nordic model is the emphasis on workers’ rights and welfare. This isn’t just altruistic; there is a strong economic rationale behind it. Happier, healthier workers are more productive. In turn, higher productivity enhances economic performance. A balance between work and leisure, ensured by shorter work weeks and ample vacation time, leads to rejuvenated workers who contribute more efficiently when they are at work.”

   This information is consistently ignored by the mainstream media narrative in America. When people are poorly informed and lack the critical thinking skills to evaluate the present we are caught up in a swamp of extremist ideas; blind loyalty to a dictator is part of that swamp. This is how cults work. Tyranny is not normal and we have to refuse to accept that this is a normal situation. It is not a normal situation.

  David Pakman’s book delves into the misconceptions and lies that have been promoted for too long. He exposes the double standards, irrationality and science denial that prevail under the disastrous current regime, but he also provides suggestions to move forward and to work in constructive ways to face this situation.

 Can our voices and peaceful actions help to make a difference? Yes, because the truth matters.

  Read his book and pass it on. Give it to somebody as a gift. Share the ideas with somebody. Inspire your book club to discuss the content of The Echo Machine. I can’t wait to learn more about the conversations, discussions and constructive actions that this book will inspire.

   David Pakman believes in an incremental approach as a strategy. Every long journey starts with one simple step:

“The arc of history bends toward perseverance, and toward making small yet consistent gains. The resilience and adaptability of an incremental approach stand as a testament to its enduring power in the dynamic landscape of American politics.”

Losing hope is not an option.

Let’s work to help the truth succeed.

 

 

Supplementary links:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3EvpKevImk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVxuFLBOpvM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcwasdoDMtg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NIwH4nKaDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8zO_131PG4

 

Invisible Strings: 113 poets respond to the songs of Taylor Swift, edited by Kristie Frederick Daugherty

  

Invisible Strings is a vibrant anthology that contains the poems of 113 poets who drew their inspiration from Taylor Swift’s songs.  

  I was dumbfounded and intrigued when Kristie Frederick Daugherty said:“Knowing your blog as I do, I really think you will enjoy it.”

  She was right. I have trouble finding poetry I care about, but this anthology struck a chord with me. In fact, I started to listen to some of Taylor Swift’s songs after I read the book.

 These poems share universal topics related to friendship, love, grief, living a life of authenticity and so many of the emotions that make us human.

    Invisible Strings haunted me. I wanted to hold it in my hands, to carry it with me and read it anywhere. I wondered if they had it at my beloved library. On the same day I requested it, they gave it to me.

   I will share a fragment from the poem “Hark, the Raucous Heiress Speaks” by Shikha Malaviya

 “You can be more than one thing. Women always are. I was a sculptor, composer, philanthropist, artist, and a patron of the world’s most elegant form of dance—ballet. In my backyard I even built a stage for pirouettes and plies.”

  So many of us know what it feels like to be sick of the condescending words directed at us for making our own choices, but Taylor Swift’s music is a response to the sort of cultural baggage running on us like water.

  I read the poems with a certain relief and fascination because as we leave behind the rough waves of this ocean life- the waves that shook us in ways that confused us or made us feel disposable- we become more stable and balanced in our own foundation. We are no longer shaken by the prejudices and the petty assumptions made by people who project envy and lack of self-assurance. It is the wisdom of the years carrying us forward, for this wisdom regales us with the gift to move on with enthusiasm beyond any kind of pettiness.

    

   I appreciate the diversity of voices and experiences and the richness of the poets’ imagination and creativity. Poetry is hard to describe because it is something that you relish and experience from your own perspective and imagination. It resonates with you or it does not. Poetry can create a space of freedom to feel and reflect on something, or to simply open up new ways of looking at situations.

 

 The variety of poems here excited me so much that I wanted to sit and write my own poems.

 

   Invisible Strings showcases an accomplished array of contemporary poets, including six Pulitzer Prize winners Dianne Seuss, Yusef Komunyakaa, Carl Phillips, Rae Armantrout, Paul Muldoon, and Gregory Pardlo; New York Times best-selling poets Maggie Smith, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Kate Baer, Amanda Lovelace, Tyler Knott Gregson and Jane Hirshfield; and National Book Critics Circle Award winners Mary Jo Bang and Laura Kasischke.

 

   I started reading one poem a day from the digital copy I received in exchange for an honest review. However, once I borrowed the physical book from the library I devoured the anthology in just one day.

  Take the leap into it. Nourish your insights, refresh your views, celebrate the synchronicities of those enigmatic moments that bring us together to become aware of the invisible strings that connect us… Add a blend of creative flavors to your inspiration and a dose of poetry to your daily routine.

Read poetry.

I will end the post with the fragment of a poem by Ukrainian poet Ilya Kaminsky (“Of Flight”)

 Go now,

in sweetness. May

poetry find you, one day

and help you to empty the pockets of your mind.

May you find

--as one tortured poet knew—

that Icarus also flew.

 

 Kristie Frederick Daugherty is a poet and professor at the University of Evansville. She holds an MFA in poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is also a PhD candidate in literature/ criticism at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she is writing a dissertation that examines how Taylor Swift’s lyrics intersect with contemporary poetry.

 

 Feel free to read my latest poem here.

 

Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan

 

“As a flower strains toward the light, so a man strains with thoughts, words and deeds toward the motherland. For the sunflower, the sun is the only guide; for the man, the motherland is the one and only treasure.”

                                    Ukrainian Folk Saying

  After interviewing Diana Stevan at My Writing Life blog, I learned that Diana had written several novels. I was eager to read Sunflowers Under Fire, a novel based on the life experiences of her maternal grandmother, Lukia Mazurec, in Ukraine. Her story of survival under ominous circumstances will continue to shake peoples' hearts across the world.

  Diana’s mother, Eudokia, was a natural-born storyteller. This talent appears to manifest itself in Sunflowers Under Fire through Diana’s voice.

  I requested the book from the library and I am happy to say that her novel has been the recipient of various awards and recognitions. For example, Sunflowers under Fire has been a Finalist for the 2019 Whistler Independent Book Awards and a Semifinalist for the 2019 Kindle Book Awards. It earned an Honorable Mention in the 2020 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award.

   In Ukraine Lukia and her family had to tackle the hardships and face the tragedies of  World War I. They also had to deal with the aftermath of it. 

   Lukia's husband, Gregory, enlisted to fight for the Tsar while Lukia stayed with their six children. Lukia did not agree with her husband’s decision. Soon after he left, Lukia and her children became refugees. The farm they owned, where they had worked hard for four years, would be invaded, so Lukia and her children were forced to leave and Russian soldiers torched their home.

 The book is a testimony of the devastating consequences of war and the abuse of power by autocracies.  

 Despite her lack of formal education, Lukia had a deep understanding of the political situation of Ukraine. Her reflections and insights express her foresight and visionary power. Her observations resonate today: “Ukraine always seemed to be under some other country’s thumb. Their land with its good earth was the envy of the countries bordering it. It had been like that when she was growing up, it was like that now, and the way it was going, it would be like that for generations to come. Over the centuries it had been invaded by many.”

 

 The story starts on August 5, 1915, on the day Lukia gave birth to Eudokia. Lukia was by herself and she managed to do so without complications. The uneventful birth of Eudokia was not taken for granted. She had lost two babies and had now a total of six children to raise. Eudokia was the youngest one. Diseases and deaths ravaged Lukia’s life, but her resilience and resourcefulness guided her through the turmoil and devastating situations.

  The novel culminates with the final decision of the family to migrate to Canada in the late 1920s.

 This engrossing novel based on true experiences and historical facts offers details of the social and political setting. It is an incredible journey to the past, to a time when antibiotics did not exist. It was common for people to die from sepsis.  

 I am still mulling over several topics related to this novel. For example, I was shaken by the gender double standards and the gender discrimination that pervaded society during those harsh years. It did not come as a surprise because I was well aware of these issues, but it is still disturbing and upsetting to read about it. Even today, we witness how the remnants of these prejudices continue to shape political outcomes, ignite suffering, perpetuate injustice and devastate economies.

    The journey of Ukraine’s independence continues to be sabotaged by the actions of political bullies who consider that violating other countries’ sovereignty is acceptable. It is important to study history to understand the roots of these actions.

  I am thankful that Diana took the time to write this spellbinding story. I hope it will help people understand the complexity of history and the need to respect and support Ukraine’s independence and autonomy.

  The cruel, inexcusable invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, under the command of Vladimir Putin has been a horrifying event. However, the people of Ukraine never gave up on their freedom. They have an honest leader who stands up for his people.

   The attack of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces continues to kill people of all ages. Also, 19,456 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russian forces, and now the Trump administration has cut the funding needed to track these children.

 These children have been forcibly separated from their families. Some of them were sent to re-education camps. Others were sent to foster-care, orphanages or adopted into Russian families.

  Ukrainian people continue to lose their homes and livelihoods, and their families are torn apart. Putin’s lack of accountability is disturbing. In the United States of America at least seventy-five million people voted for Putin’s asset in November 2024. They voted for the guy who called Putin a “genius” for invading Ukraine. Now Putin’s “asset” blames Zelensky for the war on Ukraine and threatens to annex Canada, take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. What kind of person in his or her right mind can support a “man” who has no respect for other countries’ sovereignty?

 Is this the kind of country that voters want in America?

 The trend to normalize this situation is unsettling. This is why I recommend independent journalism that shares facts, honest analysis and is not afraid to oppose fascist ideology. At the bottom of this post, I am sharing some links to the work of independent journalists that do not succumb to the manipulation of fascist ideology. Furthermore, I appreciate the reporting by Daniel Dale who cares to debunk the claims spread by the current fascist regime in the United States of America.

  People will not learn history from playing video games, which is why books like Sunflowers Under Fire should be promoted, shared and discussed.

   Sunflowers Under Fire will motivate readers to delve into the intricacies of history and to understand the impact that the political context has on the lives of common people.

 I enjoyed Diana Stevan’s style of writing and the ways she presents the characters. The scenes are realistic and vivid. Every chapter was engaging and hard to put down. 

 When I reached the end of the novel, I felt curious to learn about the next stage of their lives. I experienced a sense of loss. It was sad to finish it, but I was happy to know that they were traveling to a place of safety where they would live in peace and thrive…

 

 If you enjoyed this post, feel free to check my writing on the following books:

 

Love in Defiance of Pain: Ukrainian stories

Patriot: a memoir by Alexei Navalny

 Walking Away from Hate by Jeanette and Lauren Manning

 

Independent journalists to follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHM8wLOEWX4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjSvSV3zIKA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUDLOAe_71U

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKW9LlTHIs

For climate change news you can follow this website:

https://insideclimatenews.org/category/politics-policy/

 

 

Humor is necessary to support your mental health. You can get informed with a dose of humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsKFEg5kWo