I have spent a lot of time over the last few weeks thinking about these tariffs. Obviously, like nearly everyone else, I work in an industry that is going to be deeply impacted by Trump's assault on the world's economy. And considering how new this business is, and the fact that my entire livelihood is tied to an industry that is not exactly recession proof, I can't pretend I am not concerned. But I have sat with it and tried to really consider what the path forward looks like for me, and here is where my head is at:

I (we) can't back down...

I think for a lot of us, our instinct tells us that the best path forward is to do whatever we can to weather this. Hunker down, make sure we are in stable professions and set aside anything we can to help ourselves try to thrive despite the world--and the economy--crashing down around us. And I think that is a fair position. But I can't stop thinking about what happens to the world if we don't find the strength to dream as radically as our oppressors.

For years now, they have been dreaming. And not regular, every-day dreaming. They have been dreaming audaciously. They have been dreaming radically. They have been plotting on how to do the impossible. And I don't think we get to a future where marginalized people don't have to fight for survival by hunkering down. I think we have to dream radically. And that is not me putting shame on anyone struggling to survive. I am also struggling to survive and I have nothing negative to say to anyone who doesn't have the energy, the resources or the will to dream. I am speaking to us as a collective. And collectively, if we want to have a future, we need to fight for radical change.

So for me, I am not willing to give that up. I know that with the world heading in the direction it is, this wasn't the wisest time to start a new business, or to make it my mission to fundamentally shift an entire industry. But I think it matters more than ever, so I'm not going to let up. Literature has always played a role in defining, and moving, culture. It has always held the power to change the world and has been a tool in the hands of every major movement of change, liberation and oppression. So we cannot afford to look at this industry as inconsequential. Books have a role to play in the future of America, and in the future of the world. And from my perspective, I am afraid of a future where Black and brown people do not have a large role in bringing those books into the world.

Over the last few decades, this industry has worked very hard to limit dissenting voices. Even now, as major publishers take steps to dismantle their discriminatory practices, decisions continue to rest in the hands of our most privileged. The industry continues to be overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly straight. And that will play a role in how this industry interacts with a world that is being actively shaped by oppressors that they largely identify with.

If we want publishing to take a stand and to resist in the way that only art can, we are going to have to fight to infuse it with voices and identities that will not, and cannot, comply with the radical dreams of our oppressors.

That is what we are doing here. We are taking up space and forcing doors open for even more dissenting voices. And I can't see a future where I ever abandon that vision. Which is something I have been thinking about a lot this week, as we have been giving major publishers their flowers for resisting Trump's assault on literature. As we should, because what they did is amazing. But I can't help but think about the fact that they are being celebrated for writing a letter when, in real time, their practices also contribute to the disenfranchisement and discrimination of the very communities Trump is targeting. And that is not a shot at them, it is just the reality. If we want a future that is BETTER, we have to dream bigger. We have to dream radically. We have to stop allowing people, systems and companies to hurt us just because they stand strong in the rare instances where their interests align with ours. If we want a future where our lives are cherished and our identities are respected, then we have to take up space no matter the cost.

And I want to be clear, I am not telling you not to celebrate when major publishers make the right call or grow. We should celebrate that. I celebrate that. What I am cautioning us to remember is that their growth is not a replacement for us taking up space. Radical change won't come until we are in those rooms designing it ourselves.

We do have to be honest with ourselves though. Parts of this are going to be hard. Books are about to get more expensive. People's income is about to become a lot less disposable. And a lot of the people who have been involved in creating space are going to ultimately abandon that mission once it becomes less safe to fight for it. Which is why our model matters. Because as we all know, our liberation has always been in our own hands. No one was ever coming to save us, and no one ever will. Which means if we are going to effectively get to change, we are going to have to resist.

Anyway, yeah, that's where my head is at. I don't think we can afford to let go of these dreams. The world needs every single marginalized voice who is willing to take up space and demand change. And I'm going to continue doing exactly that for as long as y'all empower me to do so.

Thank you for everything you have done so far, and for everything you intend to do going forward. I can't do any of this without you and I am so grateful to be able to charge toward change at your side. And you can expect more thoughts soon. This is just what's rumbling around in my head right now. I have a lot to say about publishing, tariffs, book costs, and the traditional publishing industry (and not all of it is negative). So you can look forward to that! but for now, here is what I want you to think about:

What does radical dreaming look like for you on a personal level? What are you fighting for? How are you plugging into your community? What tools do you need in order to resist? And what does the future look like if your most radical dreaming becomes possible?

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