Words, Freedom

“We are freedom fighters with words as our weapons-on the page or on the picket sign. And as we fight, we educate. We encourage our people to change the reality and to demand it all. And no amount of censorship will ever silence us." — Merle Woo

Hello friends,

Today, I’m thinking about this quote from poet, teacher, and activist Merle Woo. It’s also the week of a major victory of grassroots organizing done by Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island.

What is the power of words? As a writer, I interact with this question a lot. Are words enough? And which words? The warehouse workers used words to connect with other workers. They educated. They listened. They organized.

As a writer, I try to listen, too. I make my connections both with individuals and with every person that interacts with one of my novels, essays, or poems.

As I write this, another wave of book banning sweeps the US, spearheaded by a small group of people making a lot of noise. Their words have power, too. Their actions have impact.

But so do ours. So do mine.

We can share words of hope and strength and the wealth of community. We can inspire ourselves and one another. We can work together for a common good.

Together, weaving words, we can fight for the freedom of all. We can, as Woo reminds us, change reality and demand what we desire.

Wishing you all the best today, my freedom fighting friends.

— Thorn

Speaking of freedom fighters, I’m launching a Kickstarter campaign for my queer epic fantasy trilogy on April 5th. If you’d like a notification of the launch, click through! I appreciate your support.