I have just finished a young adult novel-in-verse, WISTERIA AND WEEDS, with Ukrainian poet Vasyl Makhno, and now it is about to go into the world, and hopefully find a home in a publishing house which appreciates not only the art, but the weight of this situation. Daily I wake up to the news-a bombing, a drone strike. I see thousands of displaced people fleeing their homes and seeking shelter. And though we, as Americans, are doing something, it feels insufficient, the way it once did during World War 11. Now Putin is threatening Nuclear War. What would this mean in Ukraine and the rest of the world? How can he mercilessly make these threats, while he continues to bomb, playgrounds, hospitals, schools. This war, like any war, is an ugly one, and innocent civilians are left without homes, food, shelter. When I started this book, I felt hopeful--how long could this war possibly last? Now it is almost a year, and it seems to be accelerating. For those in power, it is never enough, and it fills me with deep-seated despair. And what about the people there? What does the rest of the world intend to do about this situation--watch and walk away, while innocent people die?
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