2025

Emily Dickenson once described Hope as "a feathered thing that perches on the soul"- I've come to think of her more as a WWE wrestler or a boxer, nose bloodied and knuckles bruised, spitting out a tooth, her eyes glinting with fiery determination as she rises for another round.

Usually, whenever I need a reminder that Hope is worth hanging on to, I turn to fiction. Fantasy is powerful, in part because it enables readers imagine something greater than what they can see, but also because stories don't need to be factual to be true. Many of the best stories in this genre show the most important truth of all: the triumph of good over evil, and that hope, love, and courage are more powerful than the deepest darkness.

I'm hopeful for so many things- for my country, my family, my friends, and everything beautiful and precious that we dream of or pen in silent, secret prayers. Whatever the coming year brings, I hope that we'll be able to see the triumph of Hope over fear in all our battles, both big and small alike, without needing to view it through the lens of imagination.

May 2025 bring everyone everything that they deserve.

Happy New Years 💙