As they stand up, slow down, form unions, leave an abusive relationship or just stir up good trouble, the characters in this multi-generation novel entertain and enlighten, make us laugh and rage, and encourage us to love deeply, that we may continue the fight for justice.
Praise for Standing Up: Tales of Struggle by Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller:
A love story, a tale of parenting, friendship, and solidarity — and a wonderful depiction of stepping into power.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
I felt as if Norma Rae or Studs Turkel had written a novel.
Steven Greenhouse, author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor
Wonderful story of class, class struggle and regular people, about change and also joy.
Bill Fletcher, Jr., author of The Man Who Fell Out of the Sky and Solidarity Divided
These powerful tales of struggle will enrich our real and daily lives.
Gloria Steinem, activist and author
An essential novel for any union organizer or labor movement enthusiast.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
Great storytelling about standing up to injustice, filled with hope, powered by love and interdependence.
Ai-jen Poo, director of National Domestic Workers Association
Buy your copy: http://hardballpress.com/fiction--poetry.html
About the Authors
Ellen Bravo is a lifelong activist, she is the former director of 9to5 (the group that inspired the movie,) and co-founder of Family Values @ Work, a network of state coalitions working for family-friendly policies. Ellen is the award-winning writer of three non-fiction books, including Taking on the Big Boys, or Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business and the Nation. Her first novel, Again and Again, won praise for being a “riveting page-turner that tackles some of the most important issues of our day — campus sexual violence, male privilege, and beltway politics.” Among her commendations is a Ford Foundation Visionary award. For more information, visit https://ellenbravo.com/.
Larry Miller has lived in a number of cities as a union and community activist. Over the years he has been a member of 8 different union locals, including AFSCME, Machinists, Steelworkers, Teamsters, Transportation Workers Union and the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association. After being laid off in his late 30s, Larry got a college degree and then taught high school for Milwaukee Public Schools for 17 years. He loved learning from his students and delighted to see many of them fight for social justice. He also became an editor at Rethinking Schools.
Standing Up: Tales of Struggle is published by Hard Ball Press
Tim Sheard is the Executive Editor of Hard Ball Press
Veteran nurse Timothy Sheard is a writer, publisher, mentor to writers and union organizer with the National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981. After writing 7 mystery novels featuring hospital custodian-shop steward Lenny Moss, he launched Hard Ball Press to help working class people write and publish their stories. Timothy believes that when workers write and tell their stories, they build rank and file solidarity and union power, as well strengthening the fight for social justice solidarity. Their stories help to combat the anti-labor and anti-working class assaults by the One Percent. Hard Ball Press is the premier publisher of working class life.
You can watch EML’s interview with Tim Sheard here: https://www.empathymedialab.com/post/pandemic-nurse-s-diary-a-tribute-to-healthcare-workers-fighting-covid-19
About Empathy Media Lab
The Harmony of Interest Book Talk series explores ideas that positively shape our world.
Empathy Media Lab is produced by Evan Matthew Papp and we are a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network. Support media, authors, artists, historians, and journalists, who are fighting to improve the prosperity of the working class.
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