Novelist Salman Rushdie is out of the woods, though it will take a while for him to heal. Recently, he was attacked and gravely injured right before he was to give a lecture. Thank goodness the controversial writer is a tough bird. For decades, he’s evaded assassination attempts by anti-free speech people.
He’s a light in the darkness. That’s what we do, we creatives. I’ve been criticized for being oversensitive, for making too much out of too little, and for overthinking things. Artists do all that and more. We allow the timid and repressed to see possibilities they wouldn’t otherwise allow themselves to dream.
Here’s the book Rushdie is best known for…
Buy it, read it, and give copies away — to show your support of not merely Rushdie, but of all creators brave enough to stick their necks out.
Check out this video, “We Won’t Go Back,” by singer/songwriter/activist Milck. It’s her reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. According to her YouTube channel, the song celebrates, “the power of bodily autonomy. Trusting people to make their own choices, and keeping the state out of our bodies…”
What do you think about free speech and the value of artists?
[…] Kolkata (and I wrote and podcasted a little about the city before), they’ve got actual communities. In my part of the world, the […]
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[…] Kolkata (and I wrote and podcasted a little about the city before), they’ve got actual communities. In my part of the world, the […]
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Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It reinforces all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress.
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very well said, Hen
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How do we heal when we can’t speak out?
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definitely, Bojana ❤
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