Leo

It’s been <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/you-deserve-a-tech-union-book/">a little over a month</a> since <a href="https://abookapart.com/products/you-deserve-a-tech-union"><cite>You Deserve a Tech Union</cite></a> came out. I’ve been getting out in the world a bit more than I’m used to — no, a lot more. I wrote <a href="https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2023/08/15/hollywood-writers-actors-strike-generative-artificial-intelligence-ethan-marcotte">my first op-ed about “generative artificial intelligence” as a labor issue</a>; I’ve chatted about the book on various social media sites; I even went so far as to open <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thatethanmarcotte/">an Instagram account</a> to share the occasional update. It’s been a bit of a blur. And amid that blur, I’ve been doing a few interviews. I haven’t done many in the last few years — due to the whole [gestures around] — and I’ve never done interviews about organized labor. Thought I’d take a moment, and share a few links from the last few weeks. <hr /> First, A Book Apart did <a href="https://abookapart.com/blogs/press/get-to-know-ethan-marcotte-again">a little “meet the author” interview</a> with me. <blockquote> A Book Apart: What tool, object, or ritual could you not live without to get you through a week? Ethan: I mentioned this <a href="(https://abookapart.com/products/you-deserve-a-tech-union)">in the book</a>, but running really has become something I build my weeks around. It’s not so much about the physical fitness, though there is some of that. But in the last few years of the pandemic, I’ve found that running alongside the river has become a real balm. If I don’t do it a few times a week, I really do miss it. <footer>A Book Apart, “<a href="https://abookapart.com/blogs/press/get-to-know-ethan-marcotte-again">Get to know Ethan Marcotte (again!)</a>”</footer> </blockquote> Gripping stuff, I know! But it was really nice to talk about the things that bring me a little joy right now: books, writing, kittens, getting outside. As it happens, those things were what got me through <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/notes-from-a-dining-room-chair/">the most difficult parts of the writing process</a>, so it felt nice to revisit them once the post-launch dust had settled a bit. <hr /> Shortly after that interview was published, I was invited on <a href="https://www.rooftopruby.com/">the Rooftop Ruby podcast</a>. I’d never been on the show before, and I wouldn’t have guessed the show <a href="https://www.rooftopruby.com/2108545/12088530-1-the-first-episode">launched in January 2023</a>: <a href="https://collindonnell.com/">Collin Donnell</a> and <a href="https://ruby.social/@joeldrapper">Joel Drapper</a> were marvelous hosts, and asked sharp questions on unions, “artificial intelligence,” and what it means to be a tech worker. I extremely enjoyed getting a chance to chat with them both. You can read <a href="https://collindonnell.com/tech-unions-with-ethan-marcotte-on-the-rooftop-ruby-podcast">Collin’s blog entry about the episode</a>, or <a href="https://www.rooftopruby.com/2108545/13574569-25-you-deserve-a-tech-union-with-ethan-marcotte">listen to the episode</a> yourself. <hr /> <a href="https://workerorganizing.org/">Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee</a> (<abbr>EWOC</abbr>) is a joint initiative by <a href="https://www.ueunion.org/">United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America</a> and the <a href="https://www.dsausa.org/">Democratic Socialists of America</a>. They offer tons of <a href="https://workerorganizing.org/resources/">training and resources for organizing your workplace</a>, and I can’t recommend their work strongly enough. That’s why I was just incredibly honored when <abbr>EWOC</abbr> <a href="https://workerorganizing.org/tech-workers-deserve-a-union-6904/">published a profile of me, and of the book</a>. Here’s one excerpt: <blockquote> The book includes material drawn from interviewing workers from across the tech industry at every level of union formation, discussing why they unionized, how they structured their campaigns, and what challenges they faced. Several workers mentioned they felt overwhelmed at first and that they weren’t sure how to get started. “That’s something I want this book to help with: to make the process more clear to others, while shining a light on the people who have unionized their workplaces,” [Ethan] says. “My hope is that these two things will help readers see ‘forming a union’ as something that’s possible for them, while giving them some resources and materials to get them started on their way.” <footer>Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, “<a href="https://workerorganizing.org/tech-workers-deserve-a-union-6904/">Tech Workers Deserve a Union</a>”</footer> </blockquote> It was just such a delight to sit down with <a href="https://workerorganizing.org/author/cshon/">Christina Schon</a> for this interview. <abbr>EWOC</abbr> went so far as to call <cite>You Deserve a Tech Union</cite> “a compelling and galvanizing read — not just for tech workers, but for anyone who is union-curious (or even union-skeptical).” I don’t have the words to describe how happy that made me. <hr /> And finally, I did my first interview on Instagram! <a href="https://strikeforourrights.org/board-members/#:~:text=Sarah%20Moe">Sarah Moe</a>, the executive director of <a href="https://strikeforourrights.org/">Strike For Our Rights</a>, invited me to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxbDk70rJZO/">sit down for an interview</a> about <cite>You Deserve a Tech Union</cite>. <figure> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxbDk70rJZO/"> <img srcset="https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/sfor-interview.jpg, https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/sfor-interview@2x.jpg 2x" src="https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/sfor-interview.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="" /> </a> <figcaption>Watch Ethan Marcotte and Strike For Our Rights’ interview on Instagram.</figcaption> </figure> Thanks so much to Sarah for the invitation, and for being such a generous, gracious host. (Also, keep your eyes on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/strikeforourrights/">Strike For Our Rights’ Instagram feed</a>! They might be announcing a little giveaway soon.) <hr /> That’s it for now! Like I said, the book’s been getting out in the world a bit more, which means I’m getting out in the world a bit more. After several years of relative quiet, it feels like a big change. But so far, it’s been a happy one. I’ll say it once more: if you’ve read the book, shared any of these interviews with your friends, or <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/street-team/">supported the book in any other way</a>, I’m in your debt. Your support means the world to me, and I genuinely hope <a href="https://abookapart.com/products/you-deserve-a-tech-union"><cite>You Deserve a Tech Union</cite></a>’s helpful to you. <img class="figure" srcset="https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/ydatu-spread.jpg, https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/ydatu-spread@2x.jpg 2x" src="https://ethanmarcotte.com/media/ydatu-spread.jpg" alt="Two copies of You Deserve a Tech Union, a book by Ethan Marcotte. One copy is spread open to the first page of Chapter 4, “Every Tech Worker Deserves a Union.” The open copy is resting on a closed copy of the book, which shows a deep red rose-colored cover, with the title set in imposing white capital letters." />

<hr /> This has been “<a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/out-in-the-world/">A little book and its author, out in the world.</a>” a post from <a href="https://ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/">Ethan’s journal.</a> <a href="mailto:listener+rss@ethanmarcotte.com?subject=Reply%20to:%20“A little book and its author, out in the world.”">Reply via email</a>