Dear Readers,

Over the past year, we have seen growing threats to the robust exchange of ideas. Social media networks and digital publications have doubled down on monetizing their content through advertising. Lots of publications have closed down. And more than 98 percent of online publishers now use a paywall of some kind, restricting access based on the ability to pay.

Boston Review refuses to play by these rules. Independent and nonprofit for 45 years, we are dedicated to fostering the open and engaged exchange of ideas essential to a flourishing democracy. To advance this ambitious purpose, we have adopted a basic rule: No ads, No paywalls. We are able to stick to that rule because of the generosity of supporting readers like you—some who become members, and some who make tax-deductible donations.

Our case for support is based on a core conviction: when more people read Boston Review­—and we have more readers than ever—all of us are better off. We are not in business to make money. We are in business to bring great content to more readers. To expand our readership, we need to preserve free and open access.

We know this is not the conventional way to run a publication. But it is the right way for us. And to sustain it, we need your support. Our goal is to reach 2,500 new supporting readers by the end of the year. If each new supporter contributes $25, we will be in very strong shape going into 2020.

Apart from helping to keep our website ad-free and paywall-free, your contribution ensures we can continue producing excellent writing, engaging events, and expansive forums on ideas that matter. We believe in the power of collective reasoning and imagination to create a more just world, and we know you do too. With your support, Boston Review can remain a democratic place for a reading public—drawing together a range of voices and views, putting poetry alongside politics, and subjecting it all to the constructive scrutiny of a diverse and discerning public.

Please join us in this work. Become a member or make a donation today.

P.S. As a Boston Review reader, you will always have unlimited access to all our content, including our rich archive, which stretches back to 1975.

Sincerely,

Dan Manchon
Development Manager
Boston Review