October has been a rough one, hasn’t it? I am sick and heartbroken over what’s happening in Gaza right now. And it may seem like there is nothing we can do. But we are writers and poets. We have the power of words. We are practiced at articulating unfathomable emotions. We can give a voice to the voiceless (particularly during the time that Gaza lost access to all forms of communication). And in a time of social media, we are capable of sharing that voice with hundreds, maybe thousands of others.

I saw a video of a boy walking through the rubble, crying out, “I wish this was a dream,” and had to write it into a poem. As hard as these videos are to watch, they remind us of others’ humanity and of our humanity. Writing in response to them, or from the perspective of those in the videos, helps me to put myself in their shoes.

It’s always risky to talk about this on socials or in my newsletter. But how can I not? This is what matters right now.

Be well. Take care of yourselves. Keep fighting for ceasefire

With love,

Kait Quinn