Everyone here at Voice of Witness has been grateful for the overwhelmingly positive feedback we've received in response to the newest book in our series, Voices from the Storm. We were elated to read Susan Larson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune describe it as "a powerful book with a clear agenda that draws its strengths from the real voices of real New Orleanians." To have a paper as respected by New Orleanians as the Times Picayune give the book such resounding approval really instilled us with a sense of validation (and relief).
Equally exciting have been readers' reactions. It seems like people are really responding to the way the book is structured. There is something about the day-by-day storytelling style that compels people. We're just glad that the stories in the book are finally being heard. Even with the amount of news coverage that Hurricane Katrina has received, there are still truly appalling events that most people don't know about. It's very rewarding for us as well as the people featured in our books to know that these untold stories are making their way out into the world.
With that in mind, we find ourselves with a strengthened resolve to move forward. We plan to release the third book in the series in the fall of 2007. With so many subjects worth exploring, it has been very difficult to narrow down the subject matter. We've managed to create a short list of five subjects that we are working on. Those subjects are:
1. The plight of undocumented workers in the United States. Immigrants who come to America illegally often find themselves subjected to dehumanizing conditions. What's more, if their employer wrongs them, they have no legal recourse. Should being an undocumented worker preclude a person from being provided their basic rights?
2. The human impact of industrialization in China. The world's most populous country is rapidly becoming the next superpower. However, in the course of China's fast-tracked industrialization, the poor are saddled with the environmental, social, economic, and political costs. This book will explore how wealth for some people can mean depriving others.
3. Voter disenfranchisement in modern America. Recent elections have demonstrated that voter disenfranchisement--both by design and accident--remains a problem in America. This book will explore the legacy of voter disenfranchisement through American history and its continuation today.
4. Torture in U.S.-held prisons. Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib have become synonymous with the torture of prisoners of war. Still, the victims often remain nameless and unheard. Voice of Witness seeks to humanize these people and allow them to tell their own stories.
5. Genocide, slavery, and displacement in Sudan. The story of Sudan has been a tragic one, plagued by civil war and punctuated only occasionally by periods of peace. As a result, millions of innocent civilians have been killed, enslaved, or displaced. Meanwhile, an alarmingly small number of countries in the world have intervened to help resolve the conflicts. Valentino Achak Deng--subject of Dave Eggers' novel What is the What--will lead a team of Voice of Witness interviewers to Sudan to record the unimaginable stories of men and women who have survived the country's troubles.
One of these books will eventually emerge as our release for fall of 2007, with the others being published soon thereafter. In the meantime, we'd really like to hear what our readers have to say about our potential subjects. We're very interested in finding out what is on the minds of other concerned Americans. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share with us, please send an email to letters@voiceofwitness.com.
Thanks again for supporting our project.
*Voice of Witness is a non-profit division of McSweeney's that aims to illuminate human-rights crises through oral history. For more information, please visit our website.