Partyism Without the Party.

When was the last time being on the left was fun? Even in the best of times, supporting socialism in America can feel like performing a grim duty in the face of almost certain disappointment. The chapter titles in Burnout, Hannah Proctor's investigation of the emotional landscapes of leftist militancy, are revealing: Melancholia, Nostalgia, Depression, Burnout, Exhaustion, Bitterness, Trauma, Mourning. One of the many virtues of Zohran Mamdani's remarkable campaign for New York City mayor was that it never felt this way, not even when he was sitting near the bottom of the polls. It was a year-long act of collective joy. Real joy—not the brief sugar high that surged when Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democrats' 2024 ticket. Volunteering for Mamdani never felt like a chore, even when the weather was bad and fewer canvassers showed up for their shift than expected. It was a blast from start to finish, and we didn't even have to console ourselves with a moral victory. This time, we actually won. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]