A reading from Russell C. Smith and Michael Foster, from the book of nonfiction essays: Manifestos, Reinventions & Declarations: Notes on Living through History in the Making.
Below is a section of the new introduction to Manifestos, Reinventions & Declarations: Notes on Living through History in the Making / The Definitive Version.
For some of us, knowing how to shelter in place seemed to be inherent to who we were. Next came assessing what we could/couldn’t do in our immediate neighborhood and city, according to trusted news sources. In the early weeks of the pandemic, crucial information seemed to be shifting daily. What the current scientific guidance was telling us is what mattered, at that point, and if you were lucky you had a smart and rational state governor who made daily addresses to the citizens, updating them with as much new information as possible. The global pandemic shift gradually made some degree of sense, even when one had to parse through daily “news” transmissions with political “leaders” broadcasting so much misinformation and lies about the pandemic, each person figured out what they needed to do to navigate this ongoing historical moment.
The (elongated) momentary pause, was felt across our country, culture, and the entire interconnected globe of humanity. And this moment also seemed to be a reset, and a chance for humanity to become the better versions of ourselves that has been talked about for our entire lifetimes (the story told and retold in books and movies), and for centuries upon centuries long before we came along. As we know that both happened and didn’t happen. In actuality, both the best and worst sides of humanity’s nature stepped forward and each has done their best/worst to take center stage at the same time. As the history of humanity on this round ball floating in space always seems to do and is still doing, in this historical New Now – it asks us to be better, and step up to massive challenges. At this Hinge of History, humans are not just asked, but required to solve bigger challenges, and crises than we’ve ever had to – while having this many of the human species living on planet Earth.
When we first published this in 2020, we did touch upon the climate crisis, freedom of thought/thinking, the pandemic, lowering the voting age and voting online, and how interdependence and working together must happen. While the first version of this book was uplifting and open-minded, and the world seemed like it could hold itself together, and that enough people wanted peace and kindness to win out over authoritarianism, we’re now on the razor’s edge of history. How we act, speak up, vote, communicate locally and globally matters more than ever before. Clear choices are on the table. Freedom vs. Authoritarianism. Democracy vs. Theocracy. Freedom of Thought vs. Book Banning. Women’s Healthcare and Reproductive Rights vs. Taking Away Hard-Won Victories. With these new essays, both subject matter and tone reflects just how much the world has shifted within two years.
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