A World That Could Be and Should Be

Writing about current events is often disheartening. Progressives want to turn America into Venezuela, while conservatives seek to transform America into a Christian version of Iran. In recent years, my writing has shifted from a world dominated by irrationality to a world that could be and should be. I am writing less nonfiction and more fiction.

While my fiction addresses many of the same issues as my nonfiction, there is a crucial difference. In nonfiction, I tell. In fiction, I show.

For example, in my book on housing policy, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I examine the flawed framework that has dominated housing policy for more than a century. I present both theoretical and historical evidence to explain why that framework has only made housing less affordable, and then I tell the reader the consequences of adopting a new framework. However, in fiction, I can show the effects of a new framework.

As an example, my novel Justice Inc is set early in the COVID pandemic. After the devastating consequences of the government’s response become clear, I show what could have happened if a new framework were adopted. Similarly, in The Three Amigas I show how the proper framework demolishes claims of cultural appropriation.

It is important to understand why negative consequences result from irrational ideas; however, it is more important to show the results of rational ideas. Fiction allows me to do this in a way that is often impossible in nonfiction.

For example, my Shattering Paradigms series examines issues of racial equality and justice during the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras. I show what might have occurred if the rights of Blacks had been recognized and protected. That would be impossible to do in nonfiction because it did not occur.

In the past month, I have been writing more nonfiction. The increasing calls for censorship are alarming, particularly for those of us who challenge the dominant ideas in the culture. If I do not defend my right to free speech today, tomorrow I may not be able to write about a world that could be and should be.