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Welcome to the Tuesday Telegrams, a semimonthly newsletter from award-winning author Naseem Jamnia. You're currently reading a writing-related Telegram, where I update you on projects, offer behind-the-scenes looks, delve into craft, and other publishing and writing topics.

Content Note: brief mention of eating disorders in the "recent reads" section

I've been thinking lately that I haven't put as much effort into being a "good literary citizen."

Of course, before I go on, I have to acknowledge that the language of citizenship is fraught. I've long hesitated to use the phrase because of it. In a time where immigration enforcement is kidnapping and murdering people in broad daylight, to emphasize citizenship is to emphasize stratification codified into law, and therefore, mistreatment. (I return to the question of language below.)

The phrase "being a good literary citizen" is often used to mean "supporting authors." Preordering a book (which DOES make a difference!), requesting a book from your local library, leaving reviews on both retail and reader sites, attending events at your local independent bookstore, even word-of-mouth praise in person or on social media—whether you're a writer or a reader, the idea of good literary citizenship is one of engagement. To be a good literary citizen, you must somehow engage with the larger community of readers and writers.

Many people think of writing as a solitary act. Like many arts, it involves the creator and their creation; for writing, our words on a page seem to mean no one else's involvement. But in reality, that doesn't tend to be the case. Regardless of publication intent, many writers have beta readers or critique partners. In the case of traditional publishing, there's also one's agent and editor, copyeditor and proofreader, and once the book is in production, the cover artist, book designer, marketing team, those who blurb the book, and both trade and reader reviewers.

Like all industries, there are gatekeepers in traditional publishing. It makes sense, then, that "literary citizenship" is a type of barrier to entry. Yet, the gatekeepers are involved primarily in the beginning of a project; once it's released, marketing slows down or stops entirely, and it's up to the author and readers who loved it to get the book in people's hands. This is even more true of independently published authors, who may or may not hire others to engage in the publication process.

With this in mind, perhaps we should move away from the idea of literary citizenship. Instead, maybe we need to shift to the idea of being in literary community.

Earlier in the year, I wrote a personal Telegram (which you can sign up for in the footer of this email under "update your profile") on what I saw as the meaning of being in community, borne from a Telegram on writing under fascism. The TL;DR is that I see community in two ways: Those you spend your time with, and those you spend your energy with. For me, being in community is the latter, a verb implying continuous action, which means being in community is a labor you voluntarily give for the betterment of that community.

So, to return to the beginning of this Telegram, I feel I have not been a good literary community member lately. I have not put in the effort to be in literary community the same way I did when I debuted in 2022, for example. That's not to say I've done nothing, but just that I know I can do better.

Attempts at Literary Community: Book Banning

Initially, I didn't think so add this section, but then I realized I had to put it first. I'll keep it brief.

Since 2021, there's been a surge in book challenges across the country (and influencing groups elsewhere to do the same). I'm not going to rehash the factors involved in why this is happening and how—I recommend Kelly Jensen's Book Riot vertical for regular updates on that—but I did want to draw attention to it happening, and that one of the best things we can do to be in literary community is speak up against censorship, especially as it targets the most marginalized groups.

So to that end, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep an eye out on legislation where you're at in regards to school and public libraries and book collections. Which is why I'm asking those in the US to call their representatives to stand against the "Don't Say Trans" bill (HR 2616) that has now passed the House and the national book banning bill (HR 7661) that's insidiously been hanging around waiting for its turn. You can also tell your reps to continue funding the IMLS; talking points are mentioned in the link about HR 2616.

Most representatives have no idea that these are on the docket. It's vital for people in ALL states, regardless of how blue, to tell their reps to stand against legislation like these. I hate calling, so I like to call after hours and leave a message. Just make sure, if you do that, to give them your full name and address so they know you're a constituent.

And if you're an author reading this, join Authors Against Book Bans! We need every person to join in this fight. Doesn't matter if you're independently or traditionally published, an illustrator or an audiobook narrator, and academic or in trade publishing—if your name is on the cover of a book, we want you with us.

Attempts at Literary Community: Blurbs

I've been meaning to add a page on my website that includes books I've blurbed. I don't blurb very often given my limited capacity, but I try to when I can. Here are those blurbs now (hopefully I got all of them!).

Attempts at Literary Community: Recent Reads

I'm currently in the process of creating a Patreon for my personal Telegrams and behind-the-scenes look at my work in order to move this newsletter exclusively into writing education (both craft and industry). In place of my personal Telegrams, though, I was thinking one of my newsletters each month (posted on both platforms) would be about media I'm currently engaging with (or the like) in an effort to be in literary community.

So in that vein, my current read is The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders by Sarah Aziza. It threads the author's experience with anorexia and anorexia treatment with her family's Palestinian displacement and history. It often dips into speculative nonfiction as Aziza posits the life of her father and grandmother in Palestine and then outside it.

As you can imagine, it's a powerful but difficult read, not least of all because of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians. On a personal level, I've had to take it slowly as someone in lifelong eating disorder recovery. (Like all addictions, I don't think I'll never not be in recovery, no matter how long it's been since I meaningfully restricted.) If you also struggle with disordered eating, keep it in mind.

Between my reading sessions of The Hollow Half, I finished my friend Adib Khorram's latest contemporary YA novel One Word, Six Letters, which I think is my favorite of his to date. It follows the lives of two boys after one of them shouts a homophobic slur during an assembly, a slim story that packs a powerful gut-punch.

My other favorite recent YA read was my friend Traci Chee's YA Ghibli-esque fantasy A Thousand Steps into Night. It was a finalist for the National Book Award when it came out and is a charming story of friendship (NO romance!!) and trying to do right by others—and yourself—in a society that dictates who you're "supposed" to be.

In terms of other reads (or, as the case is, listens), I'm back on my cozy mystery kick again, because when everything falls apart, all I want is the repetitive dissociation of a world in which everything ends "as it should." To be honest, I can't recommend the majority of the cozies I listen to because of their underlying politics (a different conversation and certainly an interesting one in terms of them being comfort reads for me), although I can and will most wholeheartedly recommend Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie Kitchen mysteries, narrated by Danice Cabanela (starting with Arsenic and Adobo), which sadly came to a close recently.

My audio of The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Older, the third book in her Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series (which is also a speculative type of cozy mystery with both a trained and amateur sleuth), narrated by Lindsay Dorcus, came in from the library when I wrote this Telegram last week. I can easily recommend these books, as Older is thoughtful in terms of representation and politics both. Having now finished the book, I whole-heartedly recommend it! It's my favorite in the series so far.

I'd be curious to hear what sorts of ways you engage in literary community and what would be useful to get from me! While I don't always respond, I always read every email I get and appreciate them all! :)

Did you miss the Sword & Kettle 10th Anniversary Kickstarter?

No sweat! While the campaign is over, we've kept late pledges open until we have the books in hand. Thank you to everyone who backed—we smashed our funding goal out of the water!!

​Solidarity Corner​

If you have organizations, causes, or mutual aid requests you'd like me to spotlight here, please send those links my way. We get through these things when we do so together. The Solidarity Corner Linktree is in that header.

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