Molly Crabapple is one of the most determined and gifted political voices of our time. Her illustrations and writing on the Occupy Wall Street movement, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and the Syrian War make human and visceral what can often seem distant and abstract. She spoke to Huck Magazine about what we can all do to enact real change.
1. “Be yourself, with as much rigor, pragmatism and passion as you can,” says Crabapple. In other words, having the confidence and conviction to create your own path is the first step to dismantling the system.
2. Principals are always more important than money. “I tend not to work for people I truly loathe,” she says.
3. Don’t beat yourself up: “The world is filled with injustice, and no one can be aware of everything all the time. Pick an area that personally affects or appalls you … focusing is one of the better ways to avoid burnout.”
4. Resistance is everything: “Authoritarians everywhere are on the ascent. This is not some sort of dress rehearsal; we are fighting for our lives, whether or not we admit it.”
Crabapple’s latest book, Brothers of the Gun, is a bracing and powerful collaboration with a Syrian journalist about growing up in a warzone.
