Writers Resist at Counter Culture Café

The right to read: Writers Resist

In the uncertain political climate of the United States, many citizens fear that democratic ideals, such as free elections and freedom of speech, are at risk. Writers Resist (#writeourdemocracy) is a national movement of writers holding readings on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in an effort to focus public attention on what is at stake. Dozens of readings are planned around the country for Sunday, Jan. 15, as extensions of the main event at the New York Public Library, which is sponsored by PEN America. Each locale was invited to pick its own area of resistance. The Santa Fe event, at Counter Culture Café (930 Baca St. #1, 505-995-1105), from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., is called Writers Resist: Violence Against Women and the Earth, and is a reading-in-the round and fundraiser to support Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families and New Energy Economy. Writers read original work as well as that of Dr. King, James Baldwin, Sojourner Truth, and Adrienne Rich, in addition to passages from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Readers include Santa Fe poet laureates Arthur Sze, Valerie Martínez, Joan Logghe, and Jon Davis; Santa Fe Living Treasure James McGrath; and writers Pam Houston, Sherwin Bitsui, Mary McGinnis, Tommy Archuleta, and Julia Goldberg. Light refreshments and music by Consuelo Luz, Vanessa Torres, and others are also on offer. Writers Resist is not affiliated with a political party — those involved prefer to bypass conventional protest and appeal directly to the humanity of others as a unifying force. “We’re resisting the oppressive, divisive tone in the country,” participating poet Barbara Rockman told Pasatiempo. “We’re for democracy, for justice, and for community.” There is no charge for admission. For more information, visit www.writersresist.org. — Jennifer Levin