“People always think recovery is either you’re completely abstinent or you’re in full chaotic use, and there is a world in between.” —Jess Tilley, president of the New England Users Union.
Media coverage has established a clear narrative of the overdose crisis: In the 1990s, pharmaceutical corporations flooded America with powerful narcotics while lying about their risk; many patients developed addictions to prescription opioids; then, as access was restricted, waves of people turned to the streets and began using heroin and, later, the dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl.
But that’s not the whole story. It fails to acknowledge how the war on drugs has exacerbated the crisis and leaves out one crucial voice: that of drug users themselves.
Across the country, people who use drugs are organizing in response to a record number of overdose deaths. They are banding together to save lives and demanding equal rights. Set against the backdrop of the overdose crisis, Light Up the Night provides an intimate look at how users navigate the policies that criminalize them. It chronicles a rising movement that’s fighting to save lives, end stigma, and inspire commonsense policy reform.
Told through embedded reporting focused on two heroic activists, Jess Tilley in Massachusetts and Louise Vincent in North Carolina, this is the story of the courageous people stepping in where government has failed. They are standing on the front lines of an underground effort to help people with addictions use drugs safely, reduce harms, and live with dignity.
Light Up the Night was published by the New Press in January 2022.
“Through the lenses of two heroic women on the front lines of America’s drug war, Lupick has written a masterful, propulsive book about the overdose crisis, full of heart, humanity, and hope.” — Beth Macy, author, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America.
“Anyone who cares about addiction should read this profound, beautiful, and inspiring book. Travis is one of the best writers on this subject, and this is a story everyone needs to hear.” — Johann Hari, author, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs.
“Light Up the Night is a chronicle of the damage wrought [by the war on drugs] and a vivid testament to the intrepid work of those trying to undo the harm it caused.” — Los Angeles Review of Books. (Continue reading.)
“The book’s greatest strength is the intimate portrait of two indomitable women who have dedicated their lives to helping others. This is a must-read for those on the front lines of the opioid crisis.” — Publisher Weekly. (Continue reading.)
“On the topic of drugs, I trust Travis Lupick more than any other journalist. He details the heroic efforts of everyday people fighting to save the lives of those deemed expendable. We learn that failed governmental drug policies, not drugs, are killing us, and what we can do about it. Please read this book.” — Dr. Carl Hart, author, Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear.
“Travis Lupick is reporting from the front lines of the opioid epidemic like no other journalist out there. Rather than parrot the talking points of politicians or police, he’s given a megaphone to people who use drugs. This book offers invaluable advice on the overdose crisis.” — Sean Baker, writer and director, The Florida Project; and Red Rocket.
“An intimate portrait the unsung activists who are doing what it actually takes to fight the overdose crisis.” — Maia Szalavitz, author, Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction.
“The author’s riveting profile of two ‘heroes walking among us’ serves as a hopeful perspective on an enduringly grave predicament that is only getting worse. Potent, illuminating reportage on a public health crisis of epidemic proportions.” — Kirkus Reviews. (Continue reading.)
“Gripping, vividly told dispatches from the front lines of drug addiction. A true antidote to the insanity of the drug war and to punitive approaches to human suffering.” — Dr. Gabor Maté, author, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction.
“An extraordinary book and critical perspective. The war on drugs is a war on people, and Travis Lupick takes you inside the emerging movement pushing back.” — Ryan Hampton, addiction recovery activist and author, American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis—and How to End It.
“Light Up the Night weaves together user narratives to show how our drug policies and treatment systems are flawed. A rare advocate for users on the margins, Lupick makes a strong case for much more compassionate and informed care.” — Ben Westhoff, author, Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic.
“The war on drugs is a war on people—and the activists in this book are our people. I hope that their stories will inspire for years to come.” — Monique Tula, executive director, National Harm Reduction Coalition.