Mariann Edgar Budde, Marilynne Robinson and Paul Elie offer voices of courage

On Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, a full audience eagerly gathered to hear authors Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Marilynne Robinson and moderator Paul Elie discuss what is happening in the United States.

The talk was part of the 2025 Words, Ideas, and Thinkers Literary Festival (WIT), presented by the Authors Guild.

Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild, introduced the panel, saying, “With the growing tyranny and attacks on democracy, what can we do? Budde and Robinson will give us reason to hope.”

The day after the inauguration on Jan. 21, Budde ascended to the pulpit at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to ask the new president “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” She is bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., and author of three books.

Marilynne Robinson, well known for her four-book Gilead series, is the recipient of many awards for her fiction and nonfiction, including a Pulitzer Prize.

Moderator Paul Elie, a regular contributor to The New Yorker and author of several books, has twice been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Elie began the talk by asking Budde what considerations she had when speaking to the current president.

Budde said she “worried about the consequences of speaking to a country that had been barreling toward division.” She wanted to “speak for those being dehumanized” and to offer “a gentle exhortation” on their behalf.

Elie asked Budde to define bravery and Robinson to define courage. Robinson said, “Courage celebrates all the other virtues.” Courage answers the question: “How generous can you be at your own cost?”

Budde answered, “At times in life, you may be called upon to do something you haven’t done before which involves a risk. At those times, we are invited to be brave.” She continued, “Courage is of the heart, when we become aware of that summons that beckons us.”

Elie commented, “Courage is a learned trait, but courage is not encouraged.”

Robinson said, “People need a meaningful measurement of courage and honesty on which to judge themselves.”

“People that should be traditional guardians of democracy continuously backpedaled. We need courage,” she continued. “We should be screaming in the streets about people starving who counted on us. We’ve made concessions until we feel there is nothing left to defend.”

Budde said, “Movement-building is critical.” She spoke of a “quiet network working to protect people” in Washington, D.C., including lawyers, people helping with food and those walking children to school when their parents are afraid to — fearful of being detained.

She advised, “I try to never violate the dignity of people who see the world differently. This is part of the solution. We have to overcome the reflex to see people in the worst possible way who oppose us.”

Elie asked, “How can we make more pointed recommendations for action? What can we do now?”

Budde said to ask ourselves, “What is being summoned from me now? What should I be doing? The next right thing will be revealed to us.”

Robinson said, “No one has power now except the people. There is no salvation now except democracy, and that is what I hope for.”

For more information, go to authorsguild.org