Politics and Prose Presents

PLEASE NOTE: The majority of this recording is in Arabic with English translations following.

ALSO: Be Mindful of the difficulty many of our speakers had connecting to us from Gaza,

In early 2024, writer and activist susan abulhawa managed to enter Gaza twice through the Rafah crossing. There, at the Culture and Free Thought Association, susan held a series of workshops for young people who had been displaced to tent encampments. The lives of all participants were marked by unrelenting Israeli violence and extraordinary loss—of home, family, safety, education, electricity, and all the structures of life. They’d fled from place to place as Israel’s colonial violence swirled around them, complete with food and water insecurity and constant threat. Still, despite the bitterness of life in tents and the dangers of travel, they came together to share in the refuge of writing and community.
Every Moment Is a Life delivers rare, unfiltered portraits of life under genocide, platforming the emerging voices struggling to survive in Gaza today. These essays are raw and real, capturing human moments—buying bread, going to the bathroom, sharing a meal, drinking coffee—all set against the backdrop of history’s first livestreamed ethnic cleansing. With courage, anger, love, agony, and—impossibly—hope, these achingly tender voices from Gaza will stay with us, captured in these pages, forever.
*All proceeds go back to the contributors in Gaza and to Palestine Writes Literature Festival

susan abulhawa is a Palestinian American writer and political activist. She is the author of Mornings in Jenin—translated into thirty languages—and The Blue Between Sky and Water. Born to refugees of the Six Day War of 1967, she moved to the United States as a teenager, graduated in biomedical science, and established a career in medical science.

Contributors include:

• Fatma Asfour, a community activist and fashion designer, who holds a BA in English literature. (Fashionista)
• Ali Abu-Zayed, a graduate of the Bachelor of Arabic Language and Media from Al-Azhar University, who writes content, is a community and media activist, and is interested in environmental issues and human sciences. (The Breadline)
• Maram Hammou, a general surgery medical student who wants to use science as a tool to serve humanity, to create a bridge of knowledge toward a better life for communities in need. (Gone)
• Samah Abu-Awwad, who graduated with a degree in psychology and counseling from Al-Aqsa University. She worked as a psychological counselor and children’s activist during the genocide. (The Story Isn't Over)
• Khadija Abu-Lebdeh specializes in office management and automation. She works in the fields of writing and broadcasting. (The Decision)
• Muhammad Mu’ammar is a Palestinian artist and writer. He works as an English teacher and a trainer in the arts of folk dabke, singing, composing, and playing musical instruments, particularly oudautomation. He works in the fields of writing and broadcasting. (Coffee by Old Blue)
• Rizq Ahmad graduated with a degree in business administration. He works as a community initiatives coordinator. During the genocide, he worked on educational initiatives and on creating safe spaces for women in the absence of health and social services. (Every Moment is a Life)
• Saja Laham is 23 years old. She specializes in basic and early[1]childhood education. During the genocide, she worked as a volunteer teacher. (My Room)

abulhawa is in conversation with Laila Al-Arian, a Washington DC-based journalist and filmmaker and the executive producer of Fault Lines, the award-winning investigative documentary program on Al Jazeera English.

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781668222362?ic_referral=Lc25BPAfVdff0ipTLG1glrU_puyFjevfHVBetj7lKaIwMzxOyPOnMpmLM9Mk2neISK7KQT9pypYWPsv2eYVumSbF9GHVWjduXhtTUQFxyPKOSsNegD8vwMd9me7bM3Iq12ttOZ4

From former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a candid and humorous blueprint for finding optimism in troubling times

IN THIS FRANK, OFTEN HILARIOUS COLLECTION OF TRUE STORIES, political trailblazer Andrew Yang examines America’s breakdown through the lens of his unexpected journey from entrepreneur to presidential candidate. Part political memoir, part comedy, and part interior monologue, Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks? captures the man’s unique ability to make complex ideas accessible and entertaining.

“In a world of bitter division and endless outrage,” says Yang, “this book is my attempt to break through the noise—with humor, honesty, and heart . . . Think of it as an insider’s guide to smiling during crazy times.”

For anyone frustrated with traditional political narratives, curious about the human behind the headlines, or simply looking for a smart, laugh-out-loud exploration of trying to improve life in America, this book promises to enlighten, entertain, and inspire. It’s more than a memoir—it’s a blueprint for generating optimism in an extremely challenging era.

ANDREW YANG is an entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate whose campaign outlasted over a dozen established political officeholders and attracted support from hundreds of thousands of everyday Americans, dubbed “the Yang Gang.” His best-selling books The War on Normal People and Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy helped introduce the ideas of Universal Basic Income and ranked-choice voting into the mainstream. His most recent work was the novel The Last Election, cowritten with Stephen Marche. Named by President Obama as a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship, Yang is the cofounder of the Forward Party, a new independent political movement dedicated to restoring the promise of American democracy. He was also the founder of Humanity Forward and Venture for America, and currently serves as the founder and CEO of Noble Mobile, a new wireless carrier designed to save Americans money and get us to look up more. He lives with his family in New York.

Yang is in conversation with Nancy Scola, a veteran Washington D.C.-based reporter and journalist whose work often focuses on the intersections of technology, economics, politics, and policy for publications like New York, Wired, The Information, Washingtonian, and The Atlantic. She is a contributing writer at POLITICO Magazine. Nancy also teaches about the history, theory, and practice of journalism, including as a lecturer at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She is also the publisher of a newsletter on technology and politics, called Slow Build. Earlier in her career, Nancy was a senior technology reporter at POLITICO and a staff writer at the Washington Post. She was the lead writer for techPresident, a groundbreaking newsletter on the intersections of technology and politics. Born and raised in New Jersey, Nancy is a graduate of both the George Washington University (B.A., anthropology/Africana studies) and Boston University (M.A., anthropology), and lives in D.C.’s Hill East neighborhood.

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781636142791?ic_referral=xWXh29MPNA78K7eu0hKb8i7MHH-EYOmSz2cZ06EuQ9cwM5pEdDXRQxOCF2pV6OvzG9mUbBcv08zkwpFleEbobYV1O0szHnr-D7p1ZGVJou6bh0g3jx3c5qXZitYVmqvjqCpTwW4

A powerful, singular collection of short stories depicting the evolving role of fatherhood in contemporary society—perfect for readers of Jamel Brinkley’s A Lucky Man and Phil Klay’s Redeployment.
From stories about a father who shows up hungover to chaperone his daughter’s kindergarten bowling trip, to another who rediscovers his love of graffiti, and a father who pays for his legal fees and apartment through his OnlyFans earnings, Head of Household is a short story collection that reckons with divorce, financial anxiety, and sexuality to create a collage of the beleaguered father, a man on the frontlines of a masculinity in crisis—stories of men salvaging the shreds of their identities while staging puppet shows and pretending to be ponies for their children.

Oliver Munday is a graphic designer and the author of Don’t Sleep: The Urgent Messages of Oliver Munday and the short story collection Head of Household. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Believer, The Sewanee Review, and LitHub. He lives in New York City.

Munday is in conversation with Andrew Ridker. His most recent novel, Hope, was named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker and the Boston Globe, among other publications. Longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, it is currently in development with A24 Films. His new novel, Power & Light, will be published by Viking in 2027. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Andrew lives in Brooklyn, where he runs the Prospect Writers' Workshop.

PURCHASE BOOK:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781668078303?ic_referral=WjXbhR78s_QPXaeu5if6PGje_nfC6y0Yatga_268yqUwMz_RzTngiYNv13B_fAJzib5vmbO8jzfC9Qj8icoKHeLx6keOWJ195ObRvhs7h16J_nTLX-wHa8MGUXJGHgjnSvqgMFI

About the Book:  

After a public sports figure makes an antisemitic remark on social media, Jewish soccer player Theo must decide if he will stand up for what he believes in or keep quiet in the face of social pressure.  Even though some teammates brush off the threats towards him, the support of both old and new friends shows him how to confront prejudice in all forms.  A timely look at the question everyone should answer: What will you do when it's your turn to choose? 

About the Author:  

Bianna Golodryga is a journalist, anchor, on-air correspondent, and a Senior Global Affairs Analyst at CNN. Golodryga was previously a co-host of CBS This Morning, and a News and Finance Anchor at Yahoo!, where she led the media company’s coverage of all major financial and news stories.  This is her first novel. 

Dana Bash is CNN's chief political correspondent and a prominent American journalist who anchors the network's Sunday morning newsmaker show, State of the Union, and the weekday program, Inside Politics. She has worked at CNN for over 30 years and plays a major role in its political coverage. 

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781467190077?ic_referral=Em5mcfje1bBcwqn1POoO4i71eCBHhLlrZWtpTxwi0tUwMyu_LI0Qtfc1F-00kxCUapfPHbgpVRvnCRy2OjARCFsz6xcDLtuPfNI0YJbscuQIZAQqKGZx57F7m7pxD01oSyNA1J4

Since the brutal attacks of October 7, 2023, the Gaza strip - home to over 2 million Palestinians - has once again become a critical flashpoint in the Middle East. As the world looks on in horror at the renewal of intense violence between Hamas and Israel, Gazans are engulfed by a humanitarian and security crisis that shows no signs of abating. How did Gaza become the site of such devastation? And what does the future hold for this small strip of land?

In this urgent book, Julie M. Norman and Maia Carter Hallward provide a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to Gaza's political history. Combining a nuanced narrative with hard-hitting reflections from everyday Gazans, the book tells the dynamic story of how Gaza became an epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a pivotal hot-spot in the region. It also tells the story of a place that, for many residents, is defined by much more than violence or suffering, revealing the resilience and determination of those who live there.

As the world grapples with how to envision Gaza after the latest devastation, this book provides a crucial foundation that unpacks the territory's history through the voices of its civilians, who are all too often absent from debate.

Julie M. Norman is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at University College London, and an Associate Fellow on the Middle East at Chatham House.

Norman is joined in conversation with Pam Bailey, a social-justice activist and journalist based in Washington DC. She lived and worked in the Gaza Strip following the 2008/9 Israeli assault, and co-founded We Are Not Numbers in 2015. Today, in addition to her ongoing support of the Palestinian cause, she serves as co-founder and managing director of a nonprofit that advocates for currently and formerly incarcerated DC residents, called More Than Our Crimes.

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781509565023?ic_referral=rq4VKkOTbVA7sWptcPAg2QP1-l7jxUj8_G9gfQ8NCtgwM02LRKzOOmnYF5AXHYuvZsn9ZL8l7DbjxRmIB5lIlFTGrgXHTIFoYG5BzPDT0VXRAGD-YB9N1FDpN6BnPGLJtdHuqlI

An engaging investigation of how 13 key Enlightenment figures shaped the concept of race, from the acclaimed author of Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely.
Over the course of the 18th century, Christianity began to loosen its grip on the story of humankind. Yet centuries of xenophobia, religious intolerance, and proto-biological speculation were not cast aside. Instead, this raw material was increasingly reworked by secularly minded thinkers intent on redefining what it meant to be human. By 1800, Enlightenment naturalists and classifiers had sorted humanity into rigid racial categories for the first time in history.
Prize-winning biographer Andrew S. Curran retraces this misunderstood history through the lives and ideas of 13 pivotal figures. Moving from the gilded halls of Versailles to the slave plantations of the Caribbean, from the court of the Mughal Empire to the drawing rooms of Jefferson’s Monticello, this sweeping narrative reveals how the Enlightenment’s audacious quest for knowledge became entangled with systems of empire and oppression—while offering a bold new reassessment of the era’s most celebrated luminaries.

Andrew S. Curran is the William Armstrong Professor of the Humanities at Wesleyan University. A scholar and biographer, his writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, the New York Times, The Guardian, Newsweek, TIME, the Paris Review, and the Wall Street Journal. He is also the author or editor of five books. His most recent, edited with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is Who’s Black and Why? His previous book was the prize-winning biography Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely (Other Press, 2019).

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781635422245?ic_referral=ROUtAeeKQODHzoHFiXsezOoQ4_Q7Lw9RVayxBFudPlAwM0smo1RwzJg7GBDFuT5gF3r_4kbyONUp7NspQFdPi0EUnIGbSJ9YdxKtCBBAxyfGLwI_HBGtAoEJHUQBcAGIsKbw-HA

The renowned legal experts behind Say the Right Thing return with this clarion call for reimagining the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in a divided nation.
Equality in America is under siege. Corporations and universities are abandoning the DEI programs they previously championed. The tools Americans had for advancing fairness are facing a relentless political and legal assault. So how do we build a more just nation when the old playbook is no longer viable?
In this groundbreaking manifesto, Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, founders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, candidly unpack where DEI went wrong and offer a roadmap to rebuild equality for the new era.
Drawing on their peerless legal expertise and extensive experience advising leaders in corporate America, academia, and the non-profit sector, Yoshino and Glasgow share tangible strategies to put this nation back on a more inclusive path, such as by fostering free speech and dissent, reclaiming the concept of merit, and welcoming groups that felt neglected by DEI. In doing so, they provide an urgently needed blueprint to ensure the work of equality can overcome the backlash and emerge stronger on the other side. 
In an era when equality is imperiled, How Equality Wins provides a bracing critique and hopeful call to action for anyone committed to creating a fairer society.

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and the faculty director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. 
David Glasgow is the executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law.

Yoshino and Glasgow are in conversation with Kelley Robinson, who is a trailblazing advocate and leader in the fight for human rights. As the President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), she is the first Black, queer woman to hold this position. HRC is the largest civil rights organization in the United States, dedicated to achieving equality and liberation for LGBTQ+ individuals. With over 15 years of experience, Robinson has spearheaded numerous successful campaigns for LGBTQ+, racial, and gender equity.

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9781668216750?ic_referral=Z9SpdtLRvQEDuFVD-kHYY-5GxbzL64na2LE8u8RK-nYwMwzK3zrXD1qqXQr0Oo3L4nJezebIvu8faZv6X2SVlZfRYZ0B7pEMEYEfIcMmcjVRHvg6W8A-BPWrOFkFs0KZVY0SMWE

From the literary agent behind some of today’s most successful authors comes a narrative guide geared specifically to the needs of aspiring and working nonfiction writers, demystifying the world of publishing and offering a practical roadmap to getting your book published.
Alia Hanna Habib remembers what it was like to be on the outside of the publishing world, looking in. Arriving in New York, a first-generation college student with a love of reading and loads of ambition, she had no idea how to break into the business of books. Now, years later, in her career as an agent, she hears from prospective clients who, whether they’re experts at the top of their fields or wholly new to the writing game, consider finding success in publishing to be a mysterious and daunting endeavor. Ever determined to flout the stereotype of agent as gatekeeper, however, Habib is prepared to hand emerging writers the key.
Drawing on wisdom from her star-studded list of clients, including Hanif Abdurraqib, Judy Batalion, Merve Emre, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Clint Smith, Habib provides context and clarity to each step of the publishing process, from the germination of a book idea to finding an agent to represent it, from crafting an engaging proposal to navigating the perils of publicity. Readers will find real-life samples of her authors' pitch letters and book proposals, as well as templates writers can use when querying agents or promoting their work on social media. She also incorporates the advice of trusted industry colleagues—attorneys, accountants, editors, publishers, publicists, and more—gifting readers with a full team of experts to answer all the questions they’ve had about the publishing world, but were too afraid, or didn’t know, to ask.
Essential for both the aspiring novice and the seasoned professional, Take It from Me is a guidebook writers will return to again and again. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at others brutally honest about her own experiences in publishing and in life, Habib offers a clear-eyed look at the challenges facing today’s aspiring nonfiction writers and then gives them the comprehensive, expert guidance they need to put those roadblocks in the rearview mirror.

Alia Hanna Habib is a Vice President and literary agent at The Gernert Company, where she represents MacArthur Fellows, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, National Book Award finalists, and numerous New York Times bestselling authors. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Habib is in conversation with Nicole Chung, the author of the award-winning memoir A Living Remedy, which was named a Notable Book by The New York Times and a Best Book of the Year by over a dozen other outlets. Her 2018 debut All You Can Ever Know was a national bestseller and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Chung has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Time, Esquire, The Guardian, and many other publications.

PURCHASE:

https://politics-prose.com/book/9780593700877?ic_referral=uU8F9mJ2NYOeQnjOl6N9-UOZXTJuRK1AlcMLZNc4eFMwM2N0-YzNhMPMZtRrBoiPUOsNv5NSJVD_fR7Fl8wLS9wUjtYsBJvZ91h8eeVKy9luE8_EGksFFPQe8v9ghsRSrSQDiN0

From the award-winning composer/co-lyricist behind such iconic projects as Hairspray, Sister Act, Mary Poppins Returns, and Smash comes a wickedly funny, no-holds-barred memoir.
In Never Mind the Happy, musical dynamo Marc Shaiman looks back on five decades of Broadway triumphs, Hollywood hijinks, and unforgettable collaborations. Along the way, he charts the personal highs and heartbreaks that have shaped him—spending his teenage years in community theater, starting a decades-long collaboration with Bette Midler in the ’70s, surviving the AIDS crisis of the ’80s, his award-winning film music career in the Hollywood of the ’90s, right up to the peaks (and valleys) of creating Broadway musicals from 2000 on.
Candid, hilarious, and deeply human, Shaiman’s story is a tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops.
Part showbiz tell-all, part love letter to the melancholy that fuels creativity, told with perfect comic timing—along with a few wrong notes, and plenty of standing ovations.

Marc Shaiman is a renowned American composer, lyricist, arranger, and music producer known for his work across film, television, and theater. Shaiman began his career as a musical director and arranger for Bette Midler before expanding into film scoring. He gained prominence with his work on films such as When Harry Met Sally, The Addams Family, Sister Act, City Slickers, A Few Good Men, Sleepless in Seattle, The American President, and South Park, on television with SNL, and on his recordings with Harry Connick Jr. and Mariah Carey. Shaiman earned widespread acclaim for co-writing the Broadway musical Hairspray alongside his longtime co-lyricist Scott Wittman. The duo has also co-created the musicals Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Some Like It Hot, and Smash. He has been nominated for multiple Academy Awards and has won a Tony, two Emmys, and two Grammys. Marc Shaiman is celebrated for his versatile, emotionally resonant music and his ability to blend classic musical theater sensibilities with modern storytelling. Born and raised in New Jersey, he currently lives in New York with his husband, Lieutenant Commander (ret) Lou Mirabal.

Shaiman is in conversation with Murray Horwitz, a Tony Award-winning playwright, lyricist, and broadcaster. Called “my first mentor” by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, his accomplishments include co-authoring the hit Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin’, writing popular song lyrics for John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby at the Metropolitan Opera, originating the NPR comedy quiz, Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me, and co-creating the Mark Twain Prize In American Humor at the Kennedy Center.  He collaborated with Marc Shaiman on the 1984 musical, Haarlem Nocturne, starring André De Shields, off and on Broadway.  As an NPR broadcaster, he received three Peabody Awards, and the Order of Arts and Letters from the government of France.  Currently the host and co-producer of WAMU’s Sunday night vintage radio program, The Big Broadcast, Horwitz began his career as a Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus clown.  

PURCHASE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9798895652244?ic_referral=53IVyReKYd3C_phtSiTXludJEDT9xF2_CSieo46IG5AwM76r8mSVfOsSOI5Hp9m_WOKeKeqtdesON3AGy1y30dG1s9I3OKOggFtCoD8Tl-F5UtC5hq5Je6CVP7yDfyZZgIRuzCQ

From the renowned former president of Columbia, an account of the university in the age of authoritarianism and a new case for its place in the American system.

In this thrilling work, Lee C. Bollinger, perhaps the most consequential university leader of our time, argues that the university is an institution vital to the maintenance of democracy—and thus it is no surprise that it is coming under fierce attack from an authoritarian administration. Drawing on his years as president of the University of Michigan and then Columbia University, as well as his expertise on the First Amendment, Bollinger reveals how the structure of the university contributes to the success of the American system, and why that structure is both impossible to recreate and vulnerable to outside attack. The mission of the university—to preserve and enhance knowledge—is not merely a high–minded idea, but one rooted in the First Amendment, the basis of our shared political and social life. With the press fractured and diminished, it is the university that remains the only source of truth–seeking left to those who still believe in democracy. As Bollinger ultimately demonstrates, the university must be defended if the American experiment is to continue.

Lee C. Bollinger is an American legal scholar and educator who served as the 19th president of Columbia University, from 2002 to 2023. He is currently President Emeritus and the Seth Low Professor of the University. He also served as the president of the University of Michigan from 1997 to 2002. He is a renowned expert on the First Amendment and freedom of speech and press. He lives in New York City.

Bollinger is in conversation with Adam Liptak, he covers the Supreme Court for The New York Times. A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before joining The Times's news staff in 2002. In 2007, he began writing "Sidebar," a column on legal affairs. In 2008, he became the paper's Supreme Court correspondent. Liptak was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting in 2009. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has taught courses on the Supreme Court and the First Amendment at the University of Chicago Law School, New York University School of Law and Yale Law School.

PURCHASE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781324124313?ic_referral=2e2yvBwqzuil3_HlYQ7Ol7MKV9uALKmbVDlXQrhuPBowM6lmPXHyiVPeNlPRX5rDDcAWj2_ltrZx6zQRHD-RTOrBEDEdOJcJ-5ZReGUSPinxRwF9qOPbdcaClfXg4hLb-LzBTcM