"To every thing there is a season," says the biblical sage Ecclesiastes, A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away . . . A time to keep silence, and a time to speak," and I would add, A time to endure, and a time to resist. As I write, in early 2017, in the United States, such a time of resistance is upon us. This collection is for those who have been through "a time to lose," indeed many shocking losses -- losses that, as I write, are far from over. Some of these losses will have to be endured for a time, perhaps a long time. Yet if so, they are not to be endured in passive, compliant silence. These losses will afflict some more, yet none will escape: the very air that all breathe, the water necessary for life, are at risk, as well as justice, and what we have known of freedom. Likewise the ways of resistance are manifold, and guides and programs and checklists for the new waves of resistance are proliferating. This collection is not meant to add to that burgeoning shelf. After all, no program can fully encompass the resistance. Its scale can include monumental gatherings of hundreds of thousands -- even millions. It is also carried on in quiet, solitary acts of defiance. Often these are no more than calm, insistent truth-telling, now an increasingly radical act as lies are embedded in the heart not only of government, but enshrined in the high seats of what is called religion, especially American white Christianity. Amid this great variety, there are two resources which the resistance handbooks mention, but cannot turn into a formula, namely creativity and imagination. These are weapons more of the weak than the strong, and buckets of money are not enough to quell or substitute for them. Nor can their impact be reliably predicted, or programmed. Who knew in the spring of 2011 that the word "Occupy" would soon make the the pillars of great wealth tremble? And who could have foreseen that pink knitted caps with floppy pointed ears would be the symbol that shook an arriving, arrogant regime? Imagination and creativity are, in my view, better conveyed by images, by verse, and best of all by story. Among the oldest stories in Western culture is one of resistance to oppression and a quest for liberation. For my part, I have written stories for almost forty years. Most have been set in my religious community, that of the Quakers, and many relate to our own rich and complex history. They were not written with a plan in mind, beyond the intent to tell pieces of truth in ways that could the attention of readers. Yet going back over them as the clouds gathered for this difficult time, I saw that many are in fact about, or involve, resistance. It may be resistance to slavery; to any of several wars; unjust imprisonment; spy conspiracies; and more. And several of the story also involve ghosts. I don't know whether I believe in ghosts. But I more than believe that my American life has unfolded in a haunted society; and my encounters with some of those many specters are reflected here. Among those encounters, possibly the most welcome one has been with Quaker Lucretia Mott, a great 19th century Friend. She survived and resisted the ravages of war, personal loss, struggles with her own co-religionists on the one hand, and proslavery mobs on the other. And through it all, it could truly have been said of her, that as an advocate for the rights and full humanity of all, but especially women, "She has persisted." One of her most ringing affirmations echoes repeatedly now, with special resonance: "I have no idea," she declared, "of submitting tamely to injustice . . . . I will oppose it with all the moral powers with which I am endowed. I am no advocate of passivity." Neither are these stories. They are examples of imagination, creativity, and courage. If they provide any readers with a spur to find and express those elements now, this collection will have been a success.
About the Author: Chuck Fager has been a writer, a reporter, a historical researcher, a peace activist, and a Quaker for more than fifty years. His activist work began as a junior staff member for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Alabama in 1965. Among his many books are histories of the Selma voting rights campaign and important antiwar struggles, plus novels and numerous short stories. Like many another writer, Chuck's career has encompassed many day jobs, including stints as a congressional staffer, a postal worker, and a cab driver. He also spent the decade after 9/11 directing a Quaker peace project next door to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Chuck now lives in Durham NC, and blogs at www.afriendlyletter.com