What You Can Do with What We Do Now

The philosophy that drove us to publish What We Do Now is simple: “we all do what we can with what we have.” In our case, what we have is a publishing house.

We’re hoping that this book can contribute to the resistance movement that is already forming to oppose Donald Trump’s brutal agenda and contemptuous approach to public office. To our friends in that movement—already massive, and mounting still—we offer the following list of ideas for actions the book can be integrated into. If you have new thoughts you’d like to add, please email us at [email protected] — we’ll be happy to hear from you.

If you want some help brainstorming an event, event series, or other way of utilizing the book to create action, check out the ideas below, and then email our director of publicity and marketing, Julia Fleischaker, at [email protected].

Librarians! Many of you already know Chad Felix, our director of library marketing — he’d love to help make something happen in your branches! [email protected].

Melville House is distributed to the book trade by Penguin Random House; if you have a PRH account, you can order through them in the usual way. If you don’t have an account, want to place a bulk order, or have any questions about ordering books, Chad Felix is also our direct sales manager — email him at [email protected].

For now, some ideas to get started:

—You can organize public readings from the book, or panel discussions about what we do now.
—Combining contributions from legislators, activists, and authors of both fiction and non-fiction, it’s perfect for discussion and reading groups.
—Organizations like the ACLU, NARAL, and the National LGBTQ Task Force are all represented in the book. Approach local chapters in your community, or local groups doing similar work, who might want to come talk or contribute to your event.
—Local authors are natural allies in this struggle. Reach out to them to help build an event with this book! PEN is helping lead the way.
—Find or create a safe space in your community and offer it to organizations doing activist work, or use it to meet and develop community actions plans. Host a volunteer drive! Have copies on hand — good ideas are housed between these covers.
—Organize or host a teach-in based on the book!
—Talk to your local booksellers about creating an event in their store!
—If there’s a particular essay here or area of engagement that’s springing you into action, let us know! Just email us at [email protected]. We’ll keep a spreadsheet, and maybe can help connect people and groups working toward shared goals in different locations.

 

And remember:

What We Do Now is available now! You can order here, from your local independent bookseller, at Barnes & Noble, from Powell’s, or at Amazon.