Queridos Amigos,
A nation without a vigorous arts and literature scene is like a person without an inner voice. Democracy is loud, messy, and contradictory. Nobody wants to hear only one viewpoint, especially when that viewpoint belongs to the commander-in-chief. Yet that is what President Donald Trump is seeking: to listen only to himself.
On Friday, May 2, 2025, at 9:38 p.m.—just before the weekend—a letter came in from the National Endowment for the Arts canceling our current grant. You can read it below. Like dozens of other arts and literature nonprofits in the country, all important in our ecosystem, we have received, for years now, support from the NEA, which is de facto tax payers’ money. The projects that the NEA chooses to support go through a rigorous selection process.
From the start, our work at Restless Books has been devoted to publishing superb international literature in English translation for children and adults, including novels, short stories, memoirs, poetry, theater, and travel writing, as well as immigrant writing from across the globe and reimagined literary classics for underserved communities.
The NEA grant we received this year was for $25,000, not an insignificant portion of our annual budget. When I received the letter notifying us of the termination of this grant, we had just received the final installment of the money. We are fortunate that the books supported by the NEA this year are already well into production, so we were able to request this money relatively early in the year. Others were not so lucky. We had also recently submitted our application for the next fiscal year. Clearly, our chances of receiving that grant are negligible.
I disagree with the NEA’s determination: like others across the ideological divide, ours too is a voice within “the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity.” If the NEA has been guilty of supporting an homogeneous left-leaning worldview, as President Trump and his cabinet suggest, the solution isn’t to dismantle the NEA as a whole. To destroy is easy: it takes little creativity and pays no attention to artistic heritage. It is harder but far more important to build a balanced palate.
Although we didn’t seek it, Restless Books now provides an official alternative to the numbing cultural revolution this administration is intent on orchestrating. Similar experiences in Pinochet’s Chile, Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, Hitler’s Germany, and other ideologically intolerant regimes serve as a lesson. America, we all believe, is exceptional. Is that no longer the case? Exceptionality is never a done deal: we must collectively work for it.
As the cofounder and publisher of Restless Books, I stand undeterred, not because I disagree with President Trump (actually, a few of his aims are indeed commendable) but because I believe a single, stultifying viewpoint, coming from the left or from the right, is antithetical to a pluralistic democracy. For decades, the Republican Party has advocated for less government. How ironic that nothing now falls outside the government’s purview.
For me, the best government is a small government, one that doesn’t seek to be the center of attention. The best government values art and literature for their independence and not as a propaganda tool.
Sinceramente,
Ilan Stavans
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <no-reply@arts.gov>
Date: Fri, May 2, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Subject: Notice of Termination: NEA AWARD 1933681-52-25, Restless Books Inc
Dear Ilan Stavans:
This is to inform you that the above referenced National Endowment for the Arts award has been terminated, effective May 31, 2025.
The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities. The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the Nation’s HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities. Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the Administration’s agenda.
Your project, as noted below, unfortunately does not align with these priorities:
Purpose: To support the publication and promotion of international literature.
The agency issued an award to your organization, subject to you agreeing to and accepting certain terms and conditions. You accepted the offer of funding, which was subject to the General Terms and Conditions (GTCs) that apply to all NEA awards. Per your award’s GTCs, the National Endowment for the Arts may terminate a federal award to the greatest extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities. These provisions were clearly and unambiguously specified, as required by 2 CFR 200.340(b), and are consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR 200.340(a)(4), and the NEA’s authorizing statute at 20 USC 954 and 959. Accordingly, because your project no longer effectuates agency priorities, the agency is exercising its ability to terminate this grant award in accordance with the GTCs with which you agreed to comply.
TERMINATION PROVISIONS
Period of Performance: The period of performance is changed administratively to end May 31, 2025. NEA support for this project does not extend beyond this date.
Payment requests (if applicable): If you have award funds remaining as of the date of this notice, you may submit a final payment request reflecting actual, allowable, approved costs incurred during the revised period of performance. A final payment request must be submitted by June 30, 2025. Failure to submit a final payment request by this date will result in the de-obligation of your award’s remaining funding.
Final Reports: You must submit a Federal Financial Report (FFR) for the award by July 31, 2025. The FFR must reflect actual, allowable, approved costs incurred during the revised period of performance. All other final and/or interim performance reporting requirements, including the Final Descriptive Report and the Geographic Location of Project Activity (GEO), are waived. Failure to submit an FFR by this date may result in your organization being ineligible for future National Endowment for the Arts funding opportunities. All other provisions of your award including record retention requirements remain in effect.
Appeal: You may appeal this determination within seven (7) calendar days of this notice if you believe your project meets one of the agency’s new priorities. Email grants@arts.gov and provide documentation that your project supports one of the specific priorities set forth above.
Sincerely,
The National Endowment for the Arts
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