Some small attempts at doing good, and a move
Thank God not a housing move this time
“I can't promise you that everything will be alright. But I can assure you that a new world is possible. It doesn't have to be this way. Don't despair.”
~Andre Henry
Hi friends! I haven’t written much lately because I’ve been in the process of moving this newsletter from Substack over to Ghost, and was waiting to do a post about that once it was done. But it’s a longer process than I realized, and I miss writing to you. So this post is a pre-move announcement about the move. I think I will be able to migrate all my subscribers on my end, without you having to do anything. But I will let you know.
As for the why of it, I don’t really feel like writing about that right now. If you are on Substack you are probably aware of the issues people have with it, especially recently. For me, it’s mixed in with my ethical issues with all of the big social media sites, and any sites owned by millionaires, and, really, any business model whose goal is the wealth of the owners and CEOs rather than the survival and thriving of all its workers.
For me it’s been a daily struggle for years to know how to survive and thrive as a disabled writer, who believes she has something valuable to say, and valuable art to make. And I feel like it’s not a coincidence that it’s the conscientious writers and other artists who are having to choose between losing their audience — and, in a sense, losing their voice — and supporting platforms that don’t align with their values.
Here is a short list of decisions I’m currently making:
- I unsubscribed to Meta verified after learning they are laying off 10% of their workers to focus on AI.
- I’m leaving Substack as they’re platforming people like Andrew Tate.
- I’m boycotting Target after its dismantling of programs supporting its Black workers and Black communities. (Not that I have Target money anyway.)
- I’m (mostly) boycotting Starbucks for its actions against its workers’ unions. (Full confession, I got myself a little treat there after a 4 1/2 hour neuro assessment the other day. So it is like a 98% boycott.) (Not that I have Starbucks money anyway.)
- I joined the National Writers Union, so I’m now a card-carrying union member. (Okay, I keep the card in my desk, but still.)
- I joined the Working Families Party (and they sent me some cool wolf stickers!)
- I still have my books up on Amazon, which has its own ethical concerns including the harm it does to small businesses. But right now it’s the only way I can make money in book sales. Amazon offers self-published writers much higher royalties than other book sellers. Like, seven times more.
- I’m still on Meta platforms — Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, even though I’m not paying to be verified there anymore. And I’m still on TikTok despite real concerns there, because I’m going to need BookTok to promote the novel I’m currently writing.
So, I’m doing my best, and I believe you are, too. Andre Henry talks about how we don’t have the infrastructure to make boycotts and strikes effective, which would include practical and financial support of those affected by them. (Fans of the novel and miniseries North and South will remember the brutal result of the cotton mill strikes.)
Speaking of Andre Henry, he has been doing amazing work creating music and resources, and could really use our support. So please pick up his CDs and maybe a t-shirt or two. I love this one:
“Survival mode is not our inheritance.”
~rose june
And in other news, my dear friend rose june just launched a YouTube channel. I’d love if you all followed her there and hyped her up! She is doing some amazing scholarship and activism around the idea of rest, and deserves all the support she needs.
I want to write more soon about something I’ve been chewing on a lot lately: the double whammy of needing more support as a disabled, autistic person while also having a really strong need for autonomy (which tends to go along with autism). It helps explain, for example, why I stayed for seven years in a Christian community that was really not healthy for me, and that led to intense burnout and even trauma. I think a lot of autistic folks have had that experience in general, and maybe even that specific experience in Christian spaces. If that’s your story, I’m so sorry. I’ll write more about that soon.
The move to Ghost entails some upfront costs. If you would like to help me with those, my Venmo is below. You can also get a paid subscription here, but I’m not 100% sure how the paid subscriptions will transfer to Ghost. More on that soon, too!
Thanks, and so much love,
Jessica