No stopover in the UK to launch the book, sadly! But I have pre-ordered it. I have just been watching a little video clip of you speaking to the crowd before the run in Kyiv this morning, Professor. I don't know what you said, except I think I picked up a word which should mean "solidarity". The word means something when you say it - I hope the same is true when it is uttered by Presidents and Prime Ministers.
I just got notice that my pre-order is on its way! I am very much looking forward to this book.
I will be returning to Ukraine soon, for my third visit this year, volunteering and providing trauma support. I am endlessly impressed by how everyday Ukrainians I get to talk with understand democratic values, and the need to put action behind the ideas. I learn so much, and find so much inspiration with each conversation there.
Thank you, Prof Snyder, for the thought and effort that you have put into writing and publishing this book.
When I receive and read the copy which I've pre-ordered, then I will share thoughts and questions with family and friends. I will make a separate effort to reach out with these to young people I work with or know through family.
My hope is that many, many, many younger people carefully read and evaluate what you write. Perhaps among your students at Yale are some who could recommend younger interviewers who are viewed by lots of younger people. The question of personal freedom and the special case question of civic or societal freedom of individuals are questions argued among adults and younger people every moment of every day.
This seems to be a critical time to give young people a sense of personal responsibility to use personal choice with integrity and imagination. Your book will, I am confident, give every person more useful insights on how inform free will choice with our innate sense of integrity and mutual humanity.
Pleased to report that my son and l both share an appreciation for the work of Professor Snyder. I, going back to Bloodlands which l annotated on index cards when l was studying as a Senior Auditor at Queens College. Daniel and l gifted each other copies of On Tyranny. In those days my son carried with him a cope of the US Constitution as he was working for the US Census Bureau. When we went to a rally and met Norman Siegel, founder and past president of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)!
I, too, am grateful for the many kinds of work Prof Snyder does. I respect him for his work and for the respect he shows he has for other people by giving us information that challenges us to think factually and honestly and then make choices that benefit all.
I have tickets to your talk next Tuesday at the NY Historical Society as well. I'm so looking forward to it! During the first dark days following Trump's election, I bought multiple copies of On Tyranny and gave them out to all my friends. It's such an important work. I'm just now reading the graphic edition. The art is a perfect compliment to your text. Thank you for all you do for democracy and peace.
Dear Prof Snyder, greetings from Chicago Ukrainian Community. In Ukraine there is a project called comic and historian (комік і історик). They try to make Ukraine’s history more “popular” for broader public including Ukrainian youth. They dream to have a podcast with you. They are a team from the city called Sumy, which is near the border with Kursk region. Their manager and top contributor is Felix Red’ka felixredka.com. I really like their approach to tell about history in less academic more approachable manner (kind of like Daily show talks about politics in U.S.). Maybe during your next visit you’ll find time to connect with them. I would love to see you in their podcast!
Congratulations on the publication of your book. Of course, it's not possible for me to fly from Switzerland to America to attend a book launch. Is it possible to follow some of the discussions about the book online?
This is a little off topic, Professor Snyder, but I'm reading Black Earth for the first time and just minutes ago I came across something on p.132 that put me in mind of your Substack essay of Oct. 25, 2021, "Killing parents in bad faith: How historians will remember this pandemic." On the subject of land reform in the 1930s: What is a good way to acquire land that otherwise would be impossible to acquire? Denounce the land owner, and the problem is solved. I now feel even queasier than when I first read that essay because 1.) I'm assuming that or something like that is what you had in mind when you wrote it, and 2.) That's probably one of the things that will happen if Trump comes back to the White House. I'd already assumed that after people like us are killed/sent to camps, our houses would be plundered, but it's only now that I realize that for perhaps most of the plunderers it would be more than that: the survival of the fittest, a way to get something they otherwise never could have acquired living in a kleptocracy with unregulated capitalism.
Nothing Bad Has Ever Happened. There would never be any thought of inviting those ghosts for breakfast.
Nearly 3 years after reading that essay, and only now do I understand it.
“If we set morality aside, the actions of an unmasked young or middle-aged person who visits an elderly parent make perfect sense. Killing the parent can mean inheriting the wealth. It can also remove the cost of caring for seniors, one that Americans (unlike people in other rich democracies) have to bear almost entirely by themselves. To a certain way of thinking, one that seems widespread in this country, acting to gain wealth or cut costs is the essence of rationality.”
He also said: “A performance of stupidity is like an alibi. It also becomes a rationalization for those whose actions have led to the deaths of their parents.” I’ve spent three days so far knocking on doors in swingy upstate New York, and listening to unaffiliated and Republican voters affecting (or truly inhabiting) ignorance of the most unavoidable realities in order to hold “I don’t like Trump BUT…” in place.
The incoherence of, and internal contradictions within their stated policy and ideological positions serve as one big dodge, a way to avoid defending the indefensible. As canvassers, we simply listen and keep asking questions to discover the issues that might peel them away from the Fox line. Ukraine has worked. Reproductive rights, as an issue, has worked. I expect to be learning more about good wedge issues in the weeks ahead. I’ve discovered that voters sometimes have some surprisingly good views on specific issues underneath their default Trumpism, like a guy who was really concerned about climate, go figure. I was also more surprised by the external civility of Trump supporters than in past cycles. I experience cognitive dissonance, but there it is. Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, people I would have the proverbial beer with, but January 6th was just a tempest in a teapot.
My partners and I try to leave them ready and willing to ask questions, undefended.
Email me (let’s do it there, not here) about what’s happening in Texas. Really like Colin Allred, he’s good.
Will do. But just a few more words about "Killing parents in bad faith." I was shocked, too, but it did make perfect sense at the time. And I also knew that he must have been pulling that from his knowledge of 20th-century E. European history. I was lying down on my couch earlier this afternoon reading, with my head propped up on a couple of pillows, and as soon as I read that paragraph I bolted upright immediately and said aloud, "That's it! That's what he meant in that Substack essay from a few years ago!" So I found and reread it, and now I understand it on a different and even more terrifying level.
No Michigan stops? Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids? Shoot. Will have to catch you virtually. We desperately need citizens to understand the many freedoms they could lose if they don’t act — and it goes way beyond the election. Today’s HCR letter is chilling on that score. Thank you for all you do to elucidate the stakes!
Speaking of experiences you'd prefer not to have, Babette, here is Tim giving a great interview on the book with NPR this morning, right up until the bomb dropped on Kyiv and he had to seek shelter. The phone went dead for an uncomfortable time. Thankfully, the interview proceeded nicely when he emerged from safe shelter.
I write with some frequency and managed to teach high school (retired early),, raise four children and keep my mind open and intact. There much be some explanation, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine what holds me together.
Recently returned from a Writing Conference in Nepal!
I just watched this report on the decision by the North Dakota State Supreme Court regarding abortion rights. That court stands strongly on the side of a woman's "freedom" to control her body as well as her destiny (the path her life takes) prior to fetal viability. I thought you might enjoy watching this video, Professor Snyder, as it relates to the future freedom-based world your book is all about. Thanks again for all you do! See you in Oklahoma City!
I received my copies today. I ordered one as a birthday present to myself. I’m not sure who I’ll give the second book too. Could I mail it to the Oklahoma event for a signature since I’m from Oklahoma and it is my birthday after all.
September 17 has been a great day... I just returned to the High Desert Plateau in Oregon after a 4 day visit to the East Coast where I attended the christening of my first grandson. Waiting in my mail locker was my copy of "On Freedom". An hour later I confirmed two tickets for Professor Snyder's event at the University Club in Chicago on October 24. It doesn't get much better than this, although I could get fanciful and hope that Northwestern will be 4-0 in Big Ten Conference play by the time of my arrival in Chicago next month. Anyway, I'm a happy camper. I wasn't able to attend Professor's book tour event for "The Road to Unfreedom" when he spoke at Portland State University in 2019. I've been waiting a long time for on occasion like this.
No stopover in the UK to launch the book, sadly! But I have pre-ordered it. I have just been watching a little video clip of you speaking to the crowd before the run in Kyiv this morning, Professor. I don't know what you said, except I think I picked up a word which should mean "solidarity". The word means something when you say it - I hope the same is true when it is uttered by Presidents and Prime Ministers.
I just got notice that my pre-order is on its way! I am very much looking forward to this book.
I will be returning to Ukraine soon, for my third visit this year, volunteering and providing trauma support. I am endlessly impressed by how everyday Ukrainians I get to talk with understand democratic values, and the need to put action behind the ideas. I learn so much, and find so much inspiration with each conversation there.
Thank you, Prof Snyder, for the thought and effort that you have put into writing and publishing this book.
When I receive and read the copy which I've pre-ordered, then I will share thoughts and questions with family and friends. I will make a separate effort to reach out with these to young people I work with or know through family.
My hope is that many, many, many younger people carefully read and evaluate what you write. Perhaps among your students at Yale are some who could recommend younger interviewers who are viewed by lots of younger people. The question of personal freedom and the special case question of civic or societal freedom of individuals are questions argued among adults and younger people every moment of every day.
This seems to be a critical time to give young people a sense of personal responsibility to use personal choice with integrity and imagination. Your book will, I am confident, give every person more useful insights on how inform free will choice with our innate sense of integrity and mutual humanity.
Pleased to report that my son and l both share an appreciation for the work of Professor Snyder. I, going back to Bloodlands which l annotated on index cards when l was studying as a Senior Auditor at Queens College. Daniel and l gifted each other copies of On Tyranny. In those days my son carried with him a cope of the US Constitution as he was working for the US Census Bureau. When we went to a rally and met Norman Siegel, founder and past president of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)!
I, too, am grateful for the many kinds of work Prof Snyder does. I respect him for his work and for the respect he shows he has for other people by giving us information that challenges us to think factually and honestly and then make choices that benefit all.
Got tickets for NYC
I have tickets to your talk next Tuesday at the NY Historical Society as well. I'm so looking forward to it! During the first dark days following Trump's election, I bought multiple copies of On Tyranny and gave them out to all my friends. It's such an important work. I'm just now reading the graphic edition. The art is a perfect compliment to your text. Thank you for all you do for democracy and peace.
Dear Prof Snyder, greetings from Chicago Ukrainian Community. In Ukraine there is a project called comic and historian (комік і історик). They try to make Ukraine’s history more “popular” for broader public including Ukrainian youth. They dream to have a podcast with you. They are a team from the city called Sumy, which is near the border with Kursk region. Their manager and top contributor is Felix Red’ka felixredka.com. I really like their approach to tell about history in less academic more approachable manner (kind of like Daily show talks about politics in U.S.). Maybe during your next visit you’ll find time to connect with them. I would love to see you in their podcast!
Congratulations on the publication of your book. Of course, it's not possible for me to fly from Switzerland to America to attend a book launch. Is it possible to follow some of the discussions about the book online?
Yes, the event at the Bexley Public Library in Ohio will be live streamed. I think you can find the details at the library site as well as YouTube.
This is a little off topic, Professor Snyder, but I'm reading Black Earth for the first time and just minutes ago I came across something on p.132 that put me in mind of your Substack essay of Oct. 25, 2021, "Killing parents in bad faith: How historians will remember this pandemic." On the subject of land reform in the 1930s: What is a good way to acquire land that otherwise would be impossible to acquire? Denounce the land owner, and the problem is solved. I now feel even queasier than when I first read that essay because 1.) I'm assuming that or something like that is what you had in mind when you wrote it, and 2.) That's probably one of the things that will happen if Trump comes back to the White House. I'd already assumed that after people like us are killed/sent to camps, our houses would be plundered, but it's only now that I realize that for perhaps most of the plunderers it would be more than that: the survival of the fittest, a way to get something they otherwise never could have acquired living in a kleptocracy with unregulated capitalism.
Nothing Bad Has Ever Happened. There would never be any thought of inviting those ghosts for breakfast.
Nearly 3 years after reading that essay, and only now do I understand it.
Rose, I remember how hard I gulped when I read that Substack entry:
https://snyder.substack.com/p/killing-parents-in-bad-faith?utm_source=publication-search.
“If we set morality aside, the actions of an unmasked young or middle-aged person who visits an elderly parent make perfect sense. Killing the parent can mean inheriting the wealth. It can also remove the cost of caring for seniors, one that Americans (unlike people in other rich democracies) have to bear almost entirely by themselves. To a certain way of thinking, one that seems widespread in this country, acting to gain wealth or cut costs is the essence of rationality.”
He also said: “A performance of stupidity is like an alibi. It also becomes a rationalization for those whose actions have led to the deaths of their parents.” I’ve spent three days so far knocking on doors in swingy upstate New York, and listening to unaffiliated and Republican voters affecting (or truly inhabiting) ignorance of the most unavoidable realities in order to hold “I don’t like Trump BUT…” in place.
The incoherence of, and internal contradictions within their stated policy and ideological positions serve as one big dodge, a way to avoid defending the indefensible. As canvassers, we simply listen and keep asking questions to discover the issues that might peel them away from the Fox line. Ukraine has worked. Reproductive rights, as an issue, has worked. I expect to be learning more about good wedge issues in the weeks ahead. I’ve discovered that voters sometimes have some surprisingly good views on specific issues underneath their default Trumpism, like a guy who was really concerned about climate, go figure. I was also more surprised by the external civility of Trump supporters than in past cycles. I experience cognitive dissonance, but there it is. Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, people I would have the proverbial beer with, but January 6th was just a tempest in a teapot.
My partners and I try to leave them ready and willing to ask questions, undefended.
Email me (let’s do it there, not here) about what’s happening in Texas. Really like Colin Allred, he’s good.
Will do. But just a few more words about "Killing parents in bad faith." I was shocked, too, but it did make perfect sense at the time. And I also knew that he must have been pulling that from his knowledge of 20th-century E. European history. I was lying down on my couch earlier this afternoon reading, with my head propped up on a couple of pillows, and as soon as I read that paragraph I bolted upright immediately and said aloud, "That's it! That's what he meant in that Substack essay from a few years ago!" So I found and reread it, and now I understand it on a different and even more terrifying level.
Talk to you later via email.
No Michigan stops? Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids? Shoot. Will have to catch you virtually. We desperately need citizens to understand the many freedoms they could lose if they don’t act — and it goes way beyond the election. Today’s HCR letter is chilling on that score. Thank you for all you do to elucidate the stakes!
Come to Chicago?
Congratulations and thank you. I pre-ordered the audiobook.
It's difficult not to feel left out of national politics here in the Pacific Northwest. The vast majority of events like yours are held "back east."
Regardless, congratulations! I deeply respect your critically needed work. :-)
Launching a book is no easy task. I don’t say this from experience, but surmise. There are many experiences one would prefer not to have.
Carrying the weight of the world is only reserved for those with endurance and stamina.
Rest up, eat up and enjoy your conquest! And thanks for doing the homework for the rest of us!
Speaking of experiences you'd prefer not to have, Babette, here is Tim giving a great interview on the book with NPR this morning, right up until the bomb dropped on Kyiv and he had to seek shelter. The phone went dead for an uncomfortable time. Thankfully, the interview proceeded nicely when he emerged from safe shelter.
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/14/nx-s1-5106875/timothy-snyders-on-freedom-explores-how-we-misunderstand-the-concept
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-7IvKWNeUh/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Freedom of a singer during an air raid in Kyiv.
I was listening to that and I think my breathing stopped for a good 30 seconds or more while we waited to find out what happened.
By all means take a look at my Substack Notebook.
I write with some frequency and managed to teach high school (retired early),, raise four children and keep my mind open and intact. There much be some explanation, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine what holds me together.
Recently returned from a Writing Conference in Nepal!
My book arrived this morning! Can’t wait to carve out quality time for this.
I just watched this report on the decision by the North Dakota State Supreme Court regarding abortion rights. That court stands strongly on the side of a woman's "freedom" to control her body as well as her destiny (the path her life takes) prior to fetal viability. I thought you might enjoy watching this video, Professor Snyder, as it relates to the future freedom-based world your book is all about. Thanks again for all you do! See you in Oklahoma City!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb2-JsdEMRk
See you in Oklahoma City! https://fullcirclebooks.com/event/on-freedom-an-evening-with-timothy-snyder/
I received my copies today. I ordered one as a birthday present to myself. I’m not sure who I’ll give the second book too. Could I mail it to the Oklahoma event for a signature since I’m from Oklahoma and it is my birthday after all.
September 17 has been a great day... I just returned to the High Desert Plateau in Oregon after a 4 day visit to the East Coast where I attended the christening of my first grandson. Waiting in my mail locker was my copy of "On Freedom". An hour later I confirmed two tickets for Professor Snyder's event at the University Club in Chicago on October 24. It doesn't get much better than this, although I could get fanciful and hope that Northwestern will be 4-0 in Big Ten Conference play by the time of my arrival in Chicago next month. Anyway, I'm a happy camper. I wasn't able to attend Professor's book tour event for "The Road to Unfreedom" when he spoke at Portland State University in 2019. I've been waiting a long time for on occasion like this.