How do we use our platforms in a time of genocide?

Or, why I started a Substack to raise money for The Sameer Project

Hi friends,

Thanks for reading - I never intended to start a Substack but here we are. We live in weird times.

So first, some house keeping. The whole point of this Substack is to raise money for The Sameer Project. What that means is that 100% of the money I raise here will go directly to their essential life-saving work. I know most of us are struggling but please consider becoming a paid subscriber so that I can get them as much money as possible:

Unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to have subscriptions go directly to them (if you know something I don’t know, please let me know!), so you can either take my word on this or ask for receipts. Either way, I am accountable to you. But I am not making money off this.

What that means is that I would really really REALLY appreciate it if you would become a paid subscriber. Again - so that we can, together, get money to The Sameer Project. You can also just start a monthly donation directly to them (you can choose a campaign here), send me receipts, and I’ll give you access to everything.

Also, tell your friends.

This is how I imagine the structure:

Once (or maybe twice?) a month, I will have a free public essay-like post that in some way is connected to Palestine, Zionism, Empire, settler colonialism, and the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza (because that is 99% of my attention and personalty these days). Totally free and public.

Once a week I’ll have a free public roundup of things I’m reading (books, news, essays, etc) - this will probably be connected to Palestine, Zionism, Empire, settler colonialism, and the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza (because again - 99% of my attention)

For paid subscribers (ie: people who are making regular contributions to The Sameer Project), I’ll include (maybe once a week? I’ll try!) longer book reviews and engagements with the material I’m reading. For example, I’m currently reading Hala Alyan’s incredible forthcoming memoir, I’ll Tell You When I’m Home, right now (you should 100% preorder it, it comes out next month) and recently finished Sarah Aziza’s equally stunning memoir, The Hollow Half, (you should buy it here!) and I want to think through these two books alongside each other. I also plan on doing a Ghassan Kanafani deep dive this summer (re-reading what I’ve already read, reading for the first time everything else I can find in English) and maybe I’ll have thoughts on that. I might also include film reviews. Playlists? You can also make recommendations and requests! I also want to learn from you.

If there’s interest, we can also have a book club (read something together, meet every other month on Zoom) - access to the Zoom link would be a donation to either The Sameer Project or a mutual aid org of your choice.

Sticker I saw in Derry, Northern Ireland

Every post will also probably include a roundup of upcoming Palestine-related events and links to mutual aid orgs where you can send money.

I may change this structure but this is what I’ll try for, thank you for being patient with me while I find a rhythm and a form. And please become a paid subscriber if you can afford it. Thank you!

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