Blog / 2025 / Mourning Papers
October 6, 2025
I’m pleased to announce that my work appears in the inaugural issue of Mourning Papers! This quarterly literary art magazine published by Bury Me in NJ is a lovely assemblage of writing and visual art that addresses grief in its many permutations, not only as a reaction to the loss of a loved one, but also as the sorrow for a world we might wish we live in but which we have not yet managed to create.
In that, it reminds me of my friend Jean Russell who was talking about using Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief to be a more effective activist back in 2013, when I wrote this post about questioning copyright. Jean’s take on it is that we all cycle through emotions as we navigate injustice and that some of the struggle to build a more ethical and kind world comes from our inability to connect with each other when we’re in different phases of our grief.
In other words, we may all want to see the 47th president removed from office, but some of us may currently be angry about the Liar-in-Chief’s daily assaults on our rights while others are more depressed, and, because of these differing emotional states, it’s hard for us to come together.
I definitely found that to be true last month when I published a video that I’d carefully designed to be encouraging, but that ended up sparking an exodus among those who receive updates about my art. Most of the unsubscribers didn’t respond when I asked for feedback about why they were leaving, but one of them wrote me:
“I love your work and your spirit. You are fighting the good fight. But at my age I just can’t take it anymore. I’ve checked out of it all hoping things will turn around. So I had to unsubscribe. Keep it up!”
This person wanted me to understand that they too are grieving a world we haven’t yet managed to create. At the same time, they also needed me to know that they don’t want to hear from me in my angrier kind of grief. I suspect that some of this person’s reaction stemmed from the video’s message: that, even if you’re demoralized, there are a ton of tiny ways to fight fascism and that every little bit helps in the larger context. They’re simply too depressed to do anything at all.
Reading Mourning Papers brought me back to trying to recognize what we have in common. While I know I have trouble relating to people who check out when Trump is in office, it’s also true that I understand them. I too pass through moments of despair at the ever-worsening state of things, and I need to get better at holding onto that commonality.
On November 1st both the Bury Me in NJ team and I will both be tabling at the Philly Zine Fest—them with copies of Mourning Papers and me with a few of my books. The event is free and, I’m giving away a little card with this dedicated reader on it for free as well!
Philly Zine Fest
Mitten Hall at Temple University
1913 N Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Saturday November 1st from 11a to 5p
Did this post make you think of something you want to share with me? I’d love to hear from you!
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