Goodbye 2024
End of year recommendations for giving, reading, listening, and watching
As usual I am in shock that the new year is arriving. Feeling powerless to stop the genocide in Gaza and watching Trump’s re-election were deeply dispiriting experiences of 2024. But in my personal and professional life there was much to be grateful for. I’m feeling very lucky to go into the new year with strong relationships to fortify me for the fights ahead. May 2025 bring us more peace and justice.
As we close out the year, I want to share a few thoughts on end-of-year giving for people who are able to do so and then I’ll share some of my favorite pieces of art I consumed this year.
End of Year Giving Recommendations
I give a little bit of money each month to the National Network of Abortion Funds, Democracy Now!, the Food Bank for New York City, and Envision Freedom (formally the Brooklyn Bail Fund). I also make one-off donations based on needs that arise or fundraising efforts led by friends and family, but I feel that these organizations work on some of the most urgent issues facing communities in the United States. What I like about abortion funds, food banks and bail funds is that they provide direct relief to people who need it. We have been led to believe that many of the problems facing our communities are complex and difficult to solve. But often times people’s needs are simple! They need money to travel to get abortions or money to pay for them. They need money to get out of jail. Or they just need food. I try to use this straightforward approach to my giving and I encourage others to do the same.
The reason I also support Democracy Now! is because as the 2024 election showed there is a dire need for good journalism, and particularly journalism that will help us escape the narratives controlled by billionaires. Non-profit journalism has an important role in telling the stories that we need to hear in order to understand our world and solve the problems around us. If Democracy Now! isn’t your thing, consider supporting ProPublica or another independent media organization.
If I could do so I would also give money to organizations focused on housing, trans rights, and immigration. A few organizations that I respect for their work on these issues include Pathways to Housing, the Black Trans Travel Fund, and National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Of course, there’s a lot of other great work being done in the world. I’d love to hear about your favorite organizations and why you love them!
Moving on, here are some of the favorite things I read, listened to, and watched this year.
Favorite Thing I Read
Everything for Everyone is a speculative fiction book written as an oral history. It provides a look at the future that is both terrifying and inspiring because it imagines what will happen if many of our worst fears – climate disasters, Christian nationalism, famine – come to pass, but also the networks of care and solidarity that will emerge from these crises.
Favorite Podcast
Practical Radicals has taught me an incredible amount about organizing since I started listening this month. Each episode is packed with information and provocation. It’s also a podcast which unexpectedly gave me new appreciation for legislation that passed under the Biden administration!
Favorite Song
I added 219 songs to my Liked Songs this year and this cover from Bob’s Burgers was one of the most recent. I’m not usually one to play a song on repeat, but something about this rendition has got me hooked.
Favorite Things I Watched
I watched a lot of TV this year, including a rewatch of The Good Place and comfort shows like Bob’s Burgers, Abbott Elementary, and What We Do in the Shadows. But my favorite shows were probably Ripley and Baby Reindeer (both on Netflix). What can I say? As much as I love escapism and silliness, I also enjoy going to dark places. The cinematography and suspense of Ripley was captivating and had me looking up flights to Italy. Baby Reindeer was a white-knuckle binge watch and refreshingly original in a media landscape increasingly overwhelmed by reboots, prequels and sequels (like Ripley!).
Favorite Things I Wrote
Thank you for reading my writing this year. If you appreciated anything I wrote this year, I’d love to hear what you liked. And if there was anything you didn’t like, I’d love to hear that too. If you can think of anyone in your community who would like this newsletter, please send it their way or sign them up below!
Nat Turner’s Revolt
August 21, 1831. Enslaved carpenter Nat Turner launches a bloody rebellion against the slaveholders of Virginia.
