At Electric Literature, Je Banach explores how literary discourse can “break down barriers” in a time of political extremism:

Literary discourse, the active process of carefully considering the words and ideas of others and then speaking thoughtfully and critically about them—let us not confuse the words “critical” and “negative” here—provides a model of thoughtful, considerate, and intelligent action and dialogue that the world needs. For the person on the receiving end, whose most cherished ideas and beliefs may be criticized, literary discourse offers a lesson in how to receive criticism graciously and then go on and how to see and accept how one might improve.