Countdown To More Public Disclosure
We Are Two Weeks Out From The Biggest Event in Galloway v. A.B.
Dear Reader
Thank you again for signing up for Truth or Consequences. The enthusiastic response to my introductory post has been nothing short of invigorating, as have the notes of encouragement—my favourite being advice on what I should publish, and how I should do so, complete with caveats that I should not be offended but… “please, please XYZ.”
I can assure you, no offence taken. In fact, it’s my propensity to not be offended that lead me to start this newsletter in the hopes of making it essential reading for Canadian writers and readers, at a time when to even enter into an important public dialogue in good faith can be seen as an act of aggression, or (ironically) an act of bigotry.
What I do take from everyone’s enthusiasm for this newsletter is hope. People are starving for unfettered, honest communication and a sense of community that we may have taken for granted just a few years ago but now have trouble finding.
The writers I know who have been “cancelled” are now outnumbered by writers I know who find themselves in acceptable standing among today’s digitally-minded literati but have indicated to me that the state of our literary community is such that they are not sure “how” or “if” they will continue publishing. I can’t imagine a bleaker symptom of an ailing community.
So what is the cure? I’m hoping it is as simple as honest and generative dialogue that leads to proactive community building. That is what I promise to deliver to you and with that aim in mind let me present a snippet from a subscriber with astute advice.
“Something I'll be watching for in your reporting on the SLAPP phase [of the Galloway trial] is tone, which you got right in your Quillette expose. By that I mean you never delighted in the facts you presented, never got giddy or schadenfreudey but presented them evenly, irresistibly. “Tone” more than anything brings out the worst in a dialogue, and is a huge contributor to our extreme culture. Like you say, this will be an important trial and I would hate to see your coverage looked back on as reflective of the hysteria and hyperbole that has come to characterize the worst of our auto-exhaustive moment.”
What I appreciate about this advice is that it informs us how we can and should discuss the Galloway case specifically, while also working just fine as a broader challenge to move our public dialogue from a place of hysteric pinging on Twitter, to a place where ideas can be debated with decorum and an appreciation of competence, knowledge and, well, truth.
I was asked recently by a family member why I am so heavily invested in the Galloway case. The answer is because that for me it’s not just about Steven Galloway, nor is it about any of the defendants. Yes, everyone directly involved in the litigation is a character in this specific drama but if you take a few steps back and squint you can see that above all “the Galloway case” is actually a portrait of the Canadian literary community, and by studying this portrait we can better understand how to do the work that will allow us to honestly call ourselves a just community.
But of course, to understand the macro view we must also understand the micro view that is Galloway v. A.B., which you are all, I’m sure, eager to be updated on.
A lot has happened in and out of court since Steven Galloway filed his defamation suite and I’m working on a series of updates and legal reference guides so you can quickly get brought up to speed. The complexity of the case is such that posting them one at a time will create more confusion than insight, so rest assured I’m hard at work and will send out another post the minute these resources are available.
I will be ensuring that all subscribers have what they need to follow along but will also be posting premium content for paid subscribers who want to deep dive into all the ins and outs with full commentary.
You can click this button to sign up and thanks to all who have already done so.
As for the immediate details? There will be an eight-day SLAPP hearing starting on April 6th. By that time you will have all the resources you need to understand all aspects and implications of this SLAPP motion which is being brought forward by A.B. and ten other defendants. For now, let me just briefly let you know what to expect in April, which is in essence a “mini-trial” that will test the defendants’ defences to determine if Galloway’s case has substantial merit.
If the SLAPP motion is approved, then Galloway’s case will be dismissed and if the motion is denied then the case will move to a full trial, which I’m guessing would be a six-to-eight-week trial that would deep dive into all aspects of the case. If you read my coverage in Quillette then I can assure you that you can expect similar content from the SLAPP trial, two weeks from today.
So please spread the word, keep your eye on your inbox for the upcoming resources and thank you again for signing up for Truth And Consequences.
Brad
PS. I will also be periodically sending out writing, art and commentary that has been purged or “cancelled.” The first piece being the photograph at the top of this post. It is a photograph I took in Montreal circa 2002 and it was removed this month from geist.com along with my entire Geist writing archive. And to anyone who has sent me notes of condolence on this issue, I thank you for your thoughts but I’m doing just fine. ; )