The Israeli state’s U.S-backed war against the people of Gaza is not a war for anyone. Because our status quo is self-expression, sometimes the most effective mode of protest for artists is to refuse. I can’t write about poetry amidst the ‘reasonable’ tones of those who aim to acclimatize us to this unreasonable suffering. If this resignation leaves a hole in the news the size of poetry, then that is the true shape of the present. —Anne BoyerLet’s hope that Boyer’s courage inspires other writers of her stature to use their platforms to speak out against this unconscionable war.

Source: New York Times November 16, 2023 19:53 UTC