How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation ed. by Maureen Johnson (review)

The book makes it quite clear that the resistance named in the title is primarily against current president Donald Trump and his administration; the anthology of thirty essays, poems, cartoons, from authors, activists, and cultural figures is the result of despair over the 2016 U.S. elections and their subsequent efforts to "DO SOMETHING." This directive takes various forms throughout the book, from the concrete to the abstract. Several of the essays offer practical advice on political activism for young people, especially those too young to vote: Carolyn DeWitt, president of Rock the Vote program, lays out five specific ways teens can politically engage; a script for phone calls to congresspeople is included, as is advice on critically assessing media. Personal reflections offer solace and commiseration: adult author Jennifer Weiner recounts her discussion with her daughters about their privilege as white, well-off people; Rebecca Roanhorse, an Ohkay Owingeh/Black writer, examines the exhaustion of constant activist participation. Some of the most effective pieces move beyond the specifics of America and Trump's presidency and instead artistically engage with the problematic cultural norms that systematically oppress people of color, women, and GLBTQ people. Performer and NYU professor Daniel J. Watts' poem is an utterly devastating look at race relations, historically and currently; Mexican-American author John Paul Brammer writes a letter to his queer younger self; Maya Rupert, essayist and senior director of the Center for Reproductive Rights, ponders what a Black Wonder Woman would mean. This offers plenty of access points for left-leaning teens looking for advice, catharsis, and/or motivation. KQG