Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the Classroom

We Will Not Capitulate to Bullies

Even though it's scary. Even though we are watching others do it.

Abby Maslin's avatar
Abby Maslin
Sep 20, 2025
∙ Paid

It’s a dangerous moment in American history to be a writer.

This week, for the first time in over 13 years of writing publicly, I was visited by a deep sense of unease about what is safe to share online.

This feeling was influenced, in large part, by the abrupt cancellation of the Kimmel show, which, for me, symbolized a swift fall off the cliff of democracy, but was also triggered by an anecdote shared by writer

Jo Piazza
, who was detained prolongingly (and with no explanation) by customs on a return trip from Japan, and who reminded her Substack readers this week of the importance of paywalls to protect writers’ safety.

When I posted innocuously about having sold my Disney stock and canceling our streaming services, I did not expect the torrent of conversation that would follow, not to mention the wave of hate it would receive.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Beyond the Classroom to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Abby Maslin
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture