I keep asking myself: What sequence of events, in all human history, was stranger, more bizarre, more tragically ridiculous than this?

— William Gibson (@GreatDismal) January 20, 2017

Things are getting weird. Yesterday, I noticed a certain panicked expression on the faces of commuters. People answered the question "how are you?" by averting their eyes and mumbling that they're doing okay, considering everything. You know that moment when you suddenly realize that you've been clenching your jaw for the last 24 hours? That's what yesterday was like.

Today, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States of America. He doesn't like to read. He could defund the NEA and privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If you think of an institution that you hold dear, chances are good that institution will be under attack over the next four years. It's going to be brutal, and it's going to happen on multiple fronts.

So here's what you do. You pick the areas that you care the most about, that you understand really well. And then you fight for them. Donate to your local ACLU. Make some noise. Explain why the thing you love matters. Inspire people around you, and allow yourself to be inspired. Take care of yourself. Ask for help if you need it. Hopefully, if you're up for it, you'll join us in the streets for the Womxn's March on Saturday.

And look for writers to lead the way. Read Elisa Chavez's great poem "Revenge" again. Local poet Jeannine Hall Gailey just published a moving poem called "Failure, 2016" at Nice Cage. There will be many more — thousands more, tens of thousands more — in the days and weeks and years ahead. Read what they have to say and take it to heart. And if you can't find the thing you want to read out there, write it yourself. With words and actions, by example and with love, today is the day we start taking the country back.