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A successful book launch!

Plus, an update on our Charlottesville survivors fundraiser

Nora Neus

Sep 8, 2023

Reading from *24 Hours in Charlottesville* at our Cville launch event!

Hi friends,
What a whirlwind last few months it has been! 24 Hours in Charlottesville came out into the world on July 18 with an enormously successful, sold-out community event. We welcomed hundreds of people to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, sold almost 200 books just at the event itself, and raised hundreds of dollars for A12 survivors. The book was reviewed and quoted in The New Yorker, Kirkus Reviews (which gave it a star, the highest rating!), LitHub, Ms. Magazine, C-Ville Weekly, and many other publications. But most importantly, I’ve heard from so many witnesses and survivors who say they finally feel like their stories have been told, that their voices have been heard, and that the book has helped them in their healing journeys.

I’ve been distributing some of the profits from the book to survivors (in addition to compensating my sources for their time), and partnered with non-profit Congregate C’Ville to raise additional funds for survivors. Together, we’ve distributed over $3,000 to survivors who requested help paying for rent, emergency car repairs, medical and therapy bills, and furniture for a new apartment. However, A12 survivors still need so much financial help. Many folks, who I know deeply and have sat in their living rooms and heard their stories, still can’t work due to injuries sustained in 2017.

So, we’re going to hold one more round of fundraising for A12 survivors! You have two options to donate.

Contribute directly to the 24 Hours in Charlottesville Mutual Aid Fund, by sending money directly to me. I’ll then re-distribute the cash directly to the people in need, bypassing the need for third parties. (I’ll share donation receipts for accountability, while preserving privacy.)
Ways to contribute:
Venmo: @nora-neus (profile picture is the book cover)
CashApp: $NoraNeus
Physical check in the mail: 223 Bedford Avenue, P.M.B. 306, Brooklyn, NY 11211
If you aren’t comfortable with a mutual aid model, or want a tax deduction, you can contribute through Congregate C-Ville, which is a registered 501(C)3 nonprofit. Congregate will then distribute among folks who officially apply for help. Click here to donate directly to them.

Even a small donation of $10 or $20 can go a long way for folks who are trying to move past the trauma of A12. I also see these donations as a way of thanking folks for physically standing up to the white supremacists and neo-Nazis, something that so many of us did not do.

Please contribute if you’re able.

I have a lot of other exciting projects coming up, many of which I can’t talk about yet. But I do want to mention my first-ever online workshop, How To Start Freelancing!

We held the live session back in July and really had a great conversation about not only how I went from a CNN staff producer to a full-time independent freelance writer, but also how other folks can find freelance opportunities and get paid for their writing. If that’s something you’re interested in pursuing— or are just interested in how the sausage gets made— consider purchasing the webinar replay on my website now.

Thank you all so much for supporting my work, and for supporting the brave survivors of A12. 24 Hours in Charlottesville is still available anywhere books are sold.