10/02/2026
As a bookstore, we highlight and amplify books that lead or spark conversation. We would be remiss to ignore that there are books on our shelves from picture books to middle grade, YA, and memoirs, that speak about sexual harassment and assault across ages and relationships, including harm by people we’re taught to trust and people who earn our trust. This isn’t a new problem, and perpetrator’s accountability too often falls short or is nonexistent.
The conversation around the Cornell 7 has turned toward legal standards, police reports, and what a survivor did or didn’t say. But where is the conversation about human decency and empathy? About the responsibility to help someone who appears incapacitated, not rejoice and exploit their vulnerability?
Consent is more than a word someone says. Consent can be muddied through pressure, manipulation, fear, and incapacity. And why does the burden of preventing harm fall solely on the person being harmed?
So many people are asking the hard questions and losing sight of what really matters… why is it so hard for people to show up with decency, empathy, and respect? When will society stop blaming and doubting victims when they speak up against their perpetrators?
