In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Narnia is under an enchantment that makes it “always winter and never Christmas,” meaning “always dark and never light,” “always cold and never warm,” “always dormant and never growing,” “always fearful and never hopeful,” “always paralyzed and never creative.”
For all we think of ourselves as modern people, freed by technology from the primal instincts of the changing seasons, impending darkness still rouses feelings of dread. We bake and shop and set lights against the dark and we are still driven by a deep unspoken fear that the dark won’t end.
This year it might take more than little lights in our windows, although it might be a good idea to keep those up a while longer. No one, no one, know what is going to happen in January, but we are all living with a deliberately-constructed uncertainty and weaponized dread. Most of us, certainly those who read the posts on this site, have limited power or position to combat these threats on the legal, or judicial, or governmental level, but we each of us have one thing. We have writing. We have the instinct to set something against the dark, no matter how small a candle that might be.
When those in authority make a show of controlling and silencing, any story becomes exponentially more powerful. That may be a personal account of life in these times, or letters to elected officials, or essays and poetry. “Writing” is not just one thing, nor does it take just one form. Everyone has a voice. When that voice is shared with others of like mind, communities form. When communities form, those voices magnify.
For those who resist writing for any reason, thinking their stories aren’t important or they really aren’t ‘writers,’ this site will, in the new year, begin posting encouragement, resources, issues, techniques to support writing for justice. Those who are already actively writing may still find here new ideas and new strategies. How punctuation or paragraph divisions change the writing’s impact, for instance. How to spot—and combat—logical fallacies. How to make your writing work the way you want it to.
May the new year bring in a fierce season in which we all feel empowered and powerful.
2 Responses
Thank you, Melissa and Hurf. And yes, I welcome writers. We are going to need them.
Susan
I read this aloud to Hurf this morning. So beautiful and encouraging. He said “Can anyone write on her site?” and I said “I think so.” I hope he does but he was certainly inspired. Thank you from both of us.