I'm writing this review on a morning where the biggest news is that our president is about to attack a US State with their own National Guard. It's surreal. I've been reading The People's Project in between those spaces in time where I'm not checking in to see what's going down in Los Angeles. The poems and the essays have provided me with the deep breaths that I've needed to take and the reminder that we are not alone, that we can all stand strong if we stand together. I'm not going to go on and on about all of the big names in this book because, to me, that's not what it's about. It's about community and hope. It's about endurance. It's a statement that we will get through this together.
Chances are, when you stumble onto this book, the news of the day may be pretty insane. I recommend buying this book for yourself and keeping it somewhere easily accessible so that it's right there for you when you need to take your own deep breaths. Consider it a kindness to yourself.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely hypnotized. From Palestine, to COVID lockdown, to the Black Lives Matter movement-It covered it all. It wasn't afraid to speak out of turn, it was brutal and honest and RAW. To fight the system we need more youth reading books like these. People, in general, but especially the younger generation that are growing to know the current state of the world as the only way it's ever been. It's important that they see multiple view points and time periods, to know that we've fought this before and we will continue fighting.
5/5 damn stars.

I feel a little guilty saying this book found me at the right moment because it’s an Advanced Reader Copy (thanks, NetGalley and Washington Square Press!) and most y’all will have to wait until the fall for this one. But it really did. I’ve been feeling so heavy about the world. This collection both shook me by the shoulders to tell me to stop feeling so dispirited and somehow also handed me a cup of tea and told me grief and sadness are ok, too.

The world is hard in ways that feel both new and shockingly old. This collection—with some real heavy hitters contributing—gets the tone just right. It was inspired by conversations between Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith, which tells folks who follow their work everything they need to know. They built a collection rooted in resistance and love and grief.

Nearly every piece is looking backward and forward to build a case for resilience. And with each contribution being just a couple of pages, it’s accessible and moves quickly through so many layers.

I can’t share the passages I highlighted yet, but there is some real, grounding truth happening in here. I hope folks who are feeling the weight of the escalation of violence happening seemingly everywhere will find this book at the right moment, too.