The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity

De: Sarah Schulman

Narrado por: Rosalyn Coleman Williams

From award-winning writer Sarah Schulman, a longtime social activist and outspoken critic of the Israeli war on Gaza, comes a brilliant examination of the inherent psychological and social challenges to solidarity movements, and what that means for the future

For those who seek to combat injustice, solidarity with the oppressed is one of the highest ideals, yet it does not come without complication. In this searing yet uplifting book, award-winning writer and cultural critic Sarah Schulman delves into the intricate and often misunderstood concept of solidarity to provide a new vision for what it means to engage in this work—and why it matters.

To grapple with solidarity, Schulman writes, we must recognize its inherent fantasies. Those being oppressed dream of relief, that a bystander will intervene though it may not seem to be in their immediate interest to do so, and that the oppressor will be called out and punished. Those standing in solidarity with the oppressed are occluded by a different fantasy: that their intervention is effective, that it will not cost them, and that they will be rewarded with friendship and thanks. Neither is always the case, and yet in order to realize our full potential as human beings in relation with others, we must continue to pursue action towards these shared goals.

Within this framework, Schulman examines a range of case studies, from the fight for abortion rights in post-Franco Spain, to NYC’s AIDS activism in the 1990s, to the current wave of campus protest movements against Israel’s war on Gaza, and her own experience growing up as a queer female artist in male dominated culture industries. Drawing parallels between queer, Palestinian, feminist, and artistic struggles for justice, Schulman challenges the traditional notion of solidarity as a simple union of equals, arguing that in today's world of globalized power structures, true solidarity requires the collaboration of bystanders and conflicted perpetrators with the excluded and oppressed. That action comes at a cost, and is not always effective. And yet without it we sentence ourselves to a world without progressive change towards visions of liberation.

By turns challenging, inspiring, pragmatic, and poetic, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity provides a much-needed path for how we can work together to create a more just, more equitable present and future.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This book will save lives. How many is up to us.”
—ALEXANDER CHEE

“Sarah Schulman, already a great novelist and playwright, is lately a crucial historian of legacies and principles of solidarity. This is an essential book of its moment, and one you must read. It serves as a thrilling call both to reflection and action.”
—JONATHAN LETHEM


“There are many lessons here for our murderous present on how to act and act again (and again) in the face of fascism.”
—CHRISTINA SHARPE

“This book implores us to take solidarity seriously as a defining feature of the human condition. Schulman bravely traces the past, present, and future of empathy and action. She models vulnerability, ethical principles, and the call for dignity for LGBTQ folks, Palestinians, and other marginalized communities, both locally and globally. This is a must read for every activist and humanist. But be prepared to be challenged with the nuance and depth of Schulman's bold insights.”
—SA’ED ATSHAN

“Sarah Schulman's genius is that of a true humanist—a writer who doesn’t back down from dissent. She is wise and witty and her writing is a gift to us all.”
—HILTON ALS


“We are fortunate to have a mind like Schulman’s to help us wrestle with the many difficult dimensions of real-world solidarity. This text is challenging and invites challenges in return; I suspect few of us will emerge unchanged.”
—NAOMI KLEIN, author of Doppelganger

“Sarah Schulman is one of the most astute and insightful social and political critics of this or any era. She thoroughly unpacks the vital concept of solidarity in the face of inequality—unequal relations, resources, access, knowledge, and power. A brilliant new book by a brilliant novelist, playwright, critic, and activist, ultimately transforming our understanding of solidarity as idea and practice.”
—JOHN KEENE


“One of the great rebel thinkers of our time.”
—MOLLY CRABAPPLE, author of Drawing Blood and Brothers of the Gun

Absolutely vital book

A powerful and timely book, which I am so grateful Sarah Schulman felt compelled to write and publish so quickly. The time is now for voices everywhere to defend the rights of Palestinians.

I imagine the sense of urgency meant that there wasn’t a lot of time to finesse the recording of this book, but the actual reading is … not great. Fine, but not great. It often sounds like it is also the first time the narrator is reading the text, and sometimes gets lost in the sentence. The reading is at times over-performed and at other times seems to be missing meaning-making inflection.

Essential reading

This gave me so many helpful ideas with how to engage in current events. I feel lucky to have experienced it.