My first inclination when reading your article is to say that, as a writer for the past 45 years, I've discovered one irrefutable principle: A writer writes. What I mean by this is that if a person is truly a writer, down to her soul, then writing is not simply what you want to do, but what you are driven to do. A writer will write what she needs to write. Whether the work is banned, ill-received, panned, or lauded, it begs to be done and outed from the writer's mind, spirit, and hand.
For a writer, writing is not simply the expression of ideas or the desire to communicate to others or to be heard, but rather it's a necessity borne of an instinct and passion. The ideas must be expressed.
Banning books is a separate issue from the passion to write and what is written. Book banning is a disease, but like all diseases it is a symptom with a hidden cause. Yes, we must treat the symptom, but we must also get to the root cause of the disease or it will just continue to resurface and infect society.
We live in a world of people who are in spiritual bondage. They find it necessary to keep others from their freedom, whether it's freedom to live in peace and happiness or freedom to express themselves in the arts and education. We really should be asking why this is so, because if we don't then we are going in circles, always looking at the superficial and never getting to the cause.
People are afraid. Fear drives human beings to commit atrocities, because fear perpetuates the false impression that there is an "other." When the "other" is formed in the mind then there is license for slavery, book banning, hate, racism, control, misogyny, murder, war, and all forms of injustice.
To begin to heal this sickness that causes book burning, racism, and other such ills we have to get to the bottom of the human psyche. This is where a change must occur. In the meantime, a true writer will continue to write. Why? Because that's what a writer does.
If we want to stop book banning and other ills of society then we must begin with the individual. In the meantime we need to teach our own children and have them read important books at home. Form book clubs in your personal circle of friends and acquaintances. Start discussion groups. Our institutions and government is nearly morally bankrupt, so it's on us to keep an eye on the North Star, isn't it?
And one last word of note: You wrote, "it’s infuriating putting work into projects that may end up banned by White people more interested in preserving the status quo, than having constructive conversations about racism." Could this sentence have been written without the word "White"?? Are you implying that all white people think the same, as if the color of one's skin makes someone genetically incapable of compassion and fairness? I doubt that you think this. All of the light-colored skinned people in my social circle are progressive and want equality for all people. We have to stop pushing these stereotypes and stick to the issue. Having light skin does not make a person inclined to be a racist or to ban books.
Keep writing what you're writing!
