Let me begin this post by saying that I have not meant for my public persona as an author to be political, and I do not mean to become concerned with politics now. I am very political and active in my personal life, but I have endeavored to avoid politics in connection with my books. I adopted this policy not because I am ashamed of my politics or because I am fearful of others holding opinions which are different from my own. I have had to make my author persona apolitical because of the divisive political atmosphere in the United States and the especially vitriolic nature of Twitter. Additionally, I have my contract to consider. I can very literally be dropped by my publisher for espousing views which are contrary to those held by the publishers. I was not surprised by this part of my contract and signed it willingly. If only from the perspective of marketing and sales, it makes sense that publishers would be wary of crossing public opinion. However, these contractural considerations make me doubly hesitant to speak politically.
Even now, I have refused to flout my personal ideals on social media that’s related to my author persona, and for good reason. The dominant sentiment today seems to be that dissenting opinions should be censored and that we should do everything in our power to ruin those with whom we disagree. People are unfollowed, unfriended, blocked, and reported for contrary opinions. Writers and other creators will have their works boycotted for daring to cross a particular group or ideology, while many others are told to “shut up and do your job.” Shockingly, these censorships happen even within a person’s own political group. A left-leaning writer may have their books boycotted for not being far enough left, or not following the labyrinthine and arbitrary protocol set forth by various people. A right-leaning writer may be called weak or pandering for not being far enough right. Add in the other political axis of authoritarian to libertarian ideals, and it becomes very clear that no one can become political without expecting some kind of backlash.
I have seen many creators take the stance that the backlash is irrelevant. If someone wishes to boycott my work, then I wouldn’t have wanted them to read it in the first place. Some go so far as to say, “If you don’t agree with me on X issue, then please leave.” Essentially, these people are creating an audience of homogenous opinion. I generally dislike this approach, as it has a tendency to create an echo-chamber. If my audience consists only of those who already agree with me, then no one will be challenged by my work, no one will find something unexpected. One of the most surprising and gratifying things about having a published book is being met with readers who I did not expect to by in my audience. I’ve been told by many readers that I was their first foray into fantasy novels. They were introduced to a whole new world of literature, full of works more beautiful and more important than my own, because no one told them that they shouldn’t read my book. If I had announced that my book was for fans of the genre only, many of them would have never picked up the book. In the same way, I would limit the impact of my work by setting limits on its readership.
Even now that I have decided to speak out, I don’t want to lose one reader. I firmly believe that art can and does change people’s hearts, minds, and lives. It is therefore my objective to share good art, not just of my own making, with as many people as possible. Denying someone the experience of good art is denying them the chance for growth and change on a level that can never be achieved by any argument. In that light, I remain staunch in my refusal to become a politically vocal author. I don’t want to use my position to support candidates, bills, or political systems. I only want to share my ideals because concealing them has begun to feel dishonest and cowardly.
Here is one thing that I hold to be true: black lives matter. As a Christian, I think that every person is precious in God’s eyes and should therefore be precious in my own. It’s painful to think such a simple statement of a people’s worth has become a trigger for political fighting. Asserting the basic worth of one race is not an attack on another and should not be misconstrued as such. I also believe that people should receive justice, and that there can be no justice where there is not equality. Any system that denies people equal justice is not just. A campaign for justice may be inconvenient, it may even be dangerous, but it is never unwarranted or untimely. We should all gladly accept the disruption of our daily lives as the smallest price to pray for a just society. We should all endeavor to do what is right with a peaceful heart, keeping in mind that we are all part of a human family. In a war of ideas, victories are won by changing people’s minds, not by insulting them or brutalizing their bodies. In the end, I believe that goodness will win; injustice cannot reign forever. We should never despair of doing what is right.
I don’t say these things because I need you to agree with me, I say them because I believe them to be true and I can’t, in good conscience, remain silent. I will ask this of you: examine what you believe and speak out for what is right.