A reading LIST
VOL. 02 — 2026
In times of crisis, there’s often a rush to ask for peace from the impacted communities.
We saw it in 2020: In cities where peaceful protests were organized in response to violent killings of civilians by police, protesters were met with more police violence: tear gas, beatings, rubber bullets, tanks in the street. Some protesters, understandably, responded with looting and rioting. Instead of focusing on continued police violence and an increasingly militarized response to civilians, mainstream media and, perhaps, the average American, demanded that protesters ought to be more peaceful in their resistance.
Similar ideology is at play when we talk about the Palestinian response to Israeli colonialism and aggression. Many in western countries ask that Palestinians remain peaceful in the face of genocide, implying that in due time, their efforts will show their aggressors their humanity. El-Kurd explores that sentiment and demands that we examine that impulse through history and memoir.
It can be a risk to take a stance on anything “political” right now. Something as simple as making your women’s sports bar a safe space for trans people can get you picketed and harassed by right-wingers, even in a city known for liberal politics (if you are ever in Portland, visit and support Sports Bra. They are doing the lord’s work).
In October of 2023, it was essentially unacceptable to state that you were even slightly bothered by the violence against Palestinians being perpetrated by the Israeli government. You certainly could not do so without prefacing by equivocating about “both sides.” While public opinion has shifted ever so slightly, I remain concerned with the risk that is writing this list, which contains books I see as decidedly a pro-palestinian. El Akkad makes the argument, convincingly, that what I see as my “safety” is a hypocrisy-ridden belief in “freedom” which does not, in reality, exist for most humans. He challenges, “when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this”. I would prefer to hold folks accountable before it is too late.
