I was planning to send this out sooner… or maybe it’s just that in a lot of ways 2026 has already felt too long. I don’t imagine the suffering is going to let up any time soon, but I also think it’s a trap to believe that we must choose to care either about the suffering or the art. I don’t think we need to be joyless to prove how full of rage we are about all that is evil. I think, probably more than ever, we need both—otherwise, what are we fighting for?

These aren’t new questions, for me, or for anybody. If you’re new here, I’ve got some essays in the archives about art in the time of chaos (written 100 years ago in 2022 when Roe was overturned, or this one from 75 years ago in 2024, when the world cheered on a deaf eugenics experiment), or here, specifically on how joy, humor and art works in organized resistance.

Which brings me to my latest joy/rage combo project. I’ve got a book coming out. MOTHER TONGUE. 5 May 2026. Peep it:

It’s a little bit memoir, a little bit cultural criticism, a little bit history. It’s about deafness, queerness, adoption, parenthood, religion, systemic oppression and white supremacy and sexism and chronic illness and eugenics. It’s about the current state of our world, and joy in the face of all of it, about how we build new selves and lives together between the cracks. You can read the official jacket copy from Random House here.

The part where I talk about preorders!
So now what?

If you are able, the most important thing you can do to support a new book and its author is to preorder it from your favorite book-buying place. Preorders are almost absurdly important because:

1. They help publishers gauge interest and know how many copies to print.

2. They help booksellers decide how many copies to order, what books they should put in the window or on the front table or pick for their book clubs, and

3. Since preorders all count as “day one” sales, they’re are a big part of how the best-seller list is tabulated.

4. Also, it’s pretty damn fun to get a present in the mail from your past self.

Can’t swing it?

Here are 5 Totally Free Ways to Support a New Book!
If book-buying isn’t in the budget at the moment, you can still support a book or author you’re excited about.

1. Request that your library order the book. If the library honors the request, they then preorder the book, and voila! a preorder! My local branch has a form called “suggestion for a purchase,” which you can fill out in-person or online, and most libraries have a similar process.

2. Put it on your “To read” shelf on StoryGraph or other reading tracking sites and apps. Hit “Notify me” on your e- or audiobook apps. This helps other people learn about the book and see that you’re excited for it. Once you’ve read it, review it!

3. Share on social media. For worse or for even worse, social media is still a powerful force for sharing news and culture. Making or resharing posts feeds Daddy Algorithm, helps with cover recognition, gets conversations started, and reaches people who don’t yet follow the writer. I’ll be posting about this book on Instagram and Bluesky later today, or share this letter with a friend.

4. Share it IRL. I maintain that word of mouth is actually still book sales’ secret weapon. If you are excited about a book, tell your friends! When the time arrives, come to a launch event and hang.

5.Don’t steal the book. Times are tough. Please don’t pirate books/e-books/audiobooks. See option #1 instead :)

***
I’ve been working on this guy since before True Biz hit the shelves, and I’m excited (and nervous!) to share more of it in the next couple months. A very cool animated of version of the cover will debut on social media at 3PM ET today, and I’ll be doing an AMA on Instagram, too, so please repost and/or ask a question if you’ve got one!

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There’s an anti-ICE rally in Philadelphia next Friday—check your local area, too.

Have a printer? Double-sided English/Spanish know your rights zine PDF from ACLU available here

If you’re able, please consider these mutual aid opportunities to support Minnesotans:

This GoFundMe for a Black Deaf Man taken by ICE

Stand with Minnesota listings aggregator for food, rent, diaper, and other aid relief
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