How do we keep going? The hard work of hope.
Dear Friends,
We are excited to share this: Hard Work of Hope, a new memoir by longtime activist and organizer Michael Ansara.
This is not a nostalgic look back. It’s a gripping, clear-eyed account of how movements are made—and why they matter.
Michael takes us deep into the heady, turbulent days of 1960s and 70s activism: the civil rights movement, the ten-year fight to end the Vietnam War, and the hard lessons of organizing in the years that followed.
We meet the young people who believed they could change the world—and often did. Through sit-ins, antiwar marches, and confrontations with power, they struggled, made mistakes, and kept going.
Michael was there, and his reflections offer something rare: a memoir that’s as concerned with strategy as it is with memory. He writes candidly about what worked, what didn’t, and what today’s movements can learn.
👉 The book launches July 15 — pre-order now and be among the first to read it:
In the coming weeks, we’ll share more about the book, upcoming launch events in DC, Boston, and New York, and reflections from Michael himself. Check out the book’s website for a sample chapter, an introduction video, and more.
For now, we hope you’ll join us on this journey. The hard work of hope isn’t done—and this book reminds us how to keep on keeping on today.
In solidarity,
Meg Ansara, Michael Ansara, Barney Arnold, Heather Booth, Sue Chinn, Nicco Mele, Robin Parker, Miles Rapoport, and the whole Hard Work of Hope Team
PS. We’ve got two upcoming events – one in DC and one in Boston: July 15, 2025 at 7pm at the Harvard Book Store, 1256 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA and July 21st, 2025 at 7pm at the Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Conn Ave. NW, in Washington, DC. Hope to see you there!
