Mission Statement

Everybody has thoughts on the 2016 presidential election and its results.  States of the Union is a book created to preserve the climate at this flashpoint in our country's history, to be a home for what Americans are thinking at this exact moment. States of the Union presents poetry, nonfiction, fiction, artwork, and interviews.  The intent of the book is to explore the reactions and feelings of all people.  With this book we are creating a safe space for expression—whether in opposition to or in support of the election, the only requirement for the work here is that it be shared without hate. 

The essential question guiding the book and its contributions is "How do you feel about the outcome of this election?" We want to capture the voices of all walks of life in their differing reactions.  The excited grandmother, the scared twenty-something, the trepidatious mother of four sons, all of whom have unique perspectives—they're all equally as valuable to the success and resonance of this book.  We want to preserve the feelings: hope, fear, shock, relief.  We want them all documented.  These reactions, spanning genres, comprise States of the Union, a time capsule of sentiments following November 8, 2016. 

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to 826 National, a nonprofit organization that helps students foster creativity through the power of writing.  Because so much of our project has been about encouraging expression through the arts, we want to support an organization that embodies this goal by empowering the next generation of writers.