It's Been a Year!

The story so far.

Dear friends,

And what a year it's been! It's been a hella rocky year on the global scale, and, of course, we're still really in the thick of it. And it's been a bit of a year for me on the personal level as I've fully embraced writing as my preferred form of resistance. Well, almost a year. On May 7th, 2025, with the encouragement of friends and family, I published my first Letter From a Canadian newsletter. I wasn't totally sure why I was starting this newsletter or what the theme would be, but after writing that first essay, I realized that this would be my platform for encouraging others to take action in this all-hands-on-deck multi-crisis era we're living through. In a time where it is so easy to feel paralyzed by the non-stop horrors, horrors, everywhere, I am here to cheer you on and remind you that you have your own unique valuable skills and energy to bring to the collective effort to end the cruelty and chaos, and start creating a world that is not predicated on the oppression of others. I am here to constantly remind you that action is the antidote to despair. I'm here to remind you that no matter how bleak things appear on a certain day or week, there are more wins happening than we can count. I'm here to remind you that joy is a powerful and important form of resistance.

Making sense of all the nonsense.

Just because none of this past 1+ year has made an ounce of sense doesn't mean that we're not all trying to find other people who can help us try to make sense of the moment. Lots and lots of people are writing about the rapid fire deluge of events - the wins and the losses - and lots and lots of people are obsessively reading what's being written, hoping to glean some kind of insight into what the hell is happening and how we get through it. We're looking for people who can keep us informed and help us unravel the tangled mess of the minds, mayhem, mendaciousness, and mental breakdowns of the fascist class. We're looking for people who can give us hope that, even as everything is torn apart, we are on the right path of resistance and renewal. We're looking for each other.

Baby, it's noisy out there!

Nothing like a fascist takeover, a systems collapse, and the world turned upside down to inspire thinkers and writers everywhere to publicly share what they've got. As you can see from the list below, I spend a lot of time gobbling up the thoughts and insightful analyses from a variety of really smart people. I'm sure you do too. I truly appreciate you choosing to include my ramblings and words of encouragement in your weekly reading list.

Here is a list of the writers I have been devotedly reading to get me through these troubled times: Heather Cox Richardson (of course!), Jay Kuo, Jess Craven, Charlie Angus, and more recently, Brandi Morin. There are so many more out there addressing the entire gamut of current issues with their own particular approach towards navigating these wild times. Let me know who you're following these days!

So happy to have you come along for the ride!

It's been a year (almost), and 63 newsletters later, it will come as no surprise to you that I feel that I still have a few more things to say, especially as we continue to participate (willingly or not) in the free-fall collapse of the patriarchy. As renewal time approaches for my website, I have decided to keep going with Letters From A Canadian and, if my writings are something that resonate with you, I'd be thrilled to have you come along for the ride.

Many of you lovely people subscribed to LFAC on May 8th, 2025, which means your renewal date is also coming soon. If you want to stick with me, your subscription will automatically roll over for another year. If you are a paid subscriber (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!), your credit card will automatically be charged $25.00 Canadian (Such a deal!) unless you choose to change it at your end. While I am grateful that I do not depend on your paid subscription to put food on the table, I am equally grateful for those of you who value my writing and are in a position to pay a little to keep it going (just click that purple plead for payment and follow the link).

When I started this newsletter, my vision was to create an opportunity for conversation. Going forward, comments will be open to all subscribers, not just those who have paid. I'm sure you too, have plenty to say and I welcome all respectful comments and conversations.

Since launching Letters From A Canadian, other than a few weeks when I felt extra noisy with extra things to say, I have made it my practice to send out a newsletter every Sunday. With one year under my belt of weekly correspondence, I think that, going forward, I will be a little more casual in my posting. Rather than just adding to the noise of newsletter writers for the sake of meeting a self-imposed weekly deadline, I will only send out letters when I feel compelled to cover something in particular. Knowing the way my brain works, you should still get a pretty good bang for your buck, but for all of you counting on Sunday enlightenment from yours truly, be prepared that my hot tips for surviving the Fall of Empire may show up in your inbox on a Wednesday (or any other day of the week).

All of us together.

It's been a hella tumultuous year, and I don't foresee things getting smooth anytime soon, but I feel quite certain that there are enough of us working for change that we are reaching the magic critical mass required to overturn this mess and replace it with something so much better. As the sign at my local elementary school says, "Whatever the problem, community is the answer". I have a hunch they're right. We are the ones who have got us through this past 1+ year, and we are the ones who will get us through the challenging times we face ahead of us. All of us together. Community.

I'm going to keep writing letters to those who hold power to hold them accountable, and I'm going to keep writing letters to you to hold your hand and cheer you on as you work your own personal magic towards making our world a better place.

With gratitude - Jessica (she/her)