The Hard Work of Hope takes you into the heady days of 1960s and 1970s activism, chronicling the hopes and strategies of the young people who created the movements that rocked the country.

Michael Ansara was on the front lines. In this fascinating memoir, he traces an arc of discovery: from the hope and moral clarity of the Civil Rights Movement to the ten-year struggle to end the war in Vietnam, with its sit-ins, marches, confrontations, and antiwar riots.

Ansara takes the reader into the minds of the activists detailing their successes as well as their mistakes. The Hard Work of Hope shows how he learned to become a more effective organizer and build the Massachusetts Fair Share organization. The book explores issues that remain urgent. How does a movement build support when large parts of the country are opposed to its goals? How do you connect with people who disagree with you? How do you build organizations that unite across racial lines? How can we make progress on the unfinished business of the hard work of hope?

Michael Ansara spent many years as an activist and an organizer, starting with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, going on to be a regional organizer for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). He spent 10 years organizing opposition to the war in Vietnam. For 15 years, he was a community organizer, including directing Mass Fair Share. He has worked on political campaigns, coordinated voter registration efforts, and trained many organizers. He owned and ran two successful businesses. He is the co-founder of Mass Poetry. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Redress Movement and the organizing team for Volunteer Blue. His poems have appeared in numerous journals, and his essays have appeared in Vox, Arrowsmith, Solstice, and Cognoscenti. Cornell University Press will publish his memoir, The Hard Work of Hope, on July 15th, 2025.

Purchasing information

Available at your local book store (Paperback 23.95): 

Gibson's Bookstore, 45 South Main St., Concord, NH 03301  603-224-0562 Needs to be ordered

Main Street BookEnds of Warner, 16 East Main St., Warner, NH 03278 (603) 456-2700 Needs to be ordered

Toadstool Bookstores, 12 Depot St., Peterborough, NH 03458   (603) 924-3543  Needs to be ordered

Water Street Bookstore, 125 Water Street, Exeter, NH 03833 (603) 778-9731  Needs to be ordered

Open Democracy Executive Director Olivia Zink (as well as Board Chair Edward Taylor) will speak at the UU Action annual Meeting on Saturday, April 25.  Event runs 10am to 2pm and includes lunch.

Free and open to all.  RSVP HERE

Women Who Vote and Open Democracy invite you to join them on Monday, May 18th at 6pm at the Moultonborough Library for an informative talk with Open Democracy Executive Director Olivia Zink.

Learn the basics of our new voting laws and how to make your voice heard.

SAVE THE DATE!

Planning for the 4th Annual 2026 Granny D Walk and Democracy has begun!  It will be August 1, 2026.  The walk will begin at 9 am near Granny D's former home on Cobb Meadow Rd in Dublin and will cover approximately 6.2 miles to Putnam Park in Peterborough for an afternoon of celebrating democracy with music, speakers, entertainment for the kids, food and CAKE!

Donations are gratefully accepted to help pay for the festival.  You can make a tax deductible donation HERE.