"Creativity has always been one of the most powerful weapons against authoritarianism, against injustice, against dehumanization. Art is wild and unruly. It defies political proclamation, it does not respect authority, and it refuses subjugation. Once released into the world, it cannot be contained or legislated away." John Pavlovitz

Katherine Billings Palmer strongly agrees that creativity is the antithesis of fascism. Poetry is her creative outlet for coping with events unfolding in the United States and the world at large. One Small Voice: Poems of Resistance Against the Radical Right is a collection of 25 poems prompted by the helplessness and despair she experienced watching dictators and despots around the globe commit atrocities against their citizens. 

When Donald Trump was re-elected and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 initiative became a reality, her poetry began to focus on the destruction and lawlessness of the radical right fascist movement in the United States. As the administration assaults the country with daily “flood the zone” tactics meant to overwhelm its citizens and keep them in fear, Katherine’s poetry is motivated by the headlines. 

She writes against the dismantling of citizens’ rights; ICE raids and the violence, death, and destruction they bring to our cities; the racist attacks against “vermin”; Trump’s “Department of War” attacks on oil-rich countries, the murders of innocent civilians at sea, and his administration’s increasing list of war crimes against nations world-wide.

The courageous citizens of Minnesota, the No Kings protests, and Bad Bunny’s inspiring Super Bowl performance inspired more positive poetry as the nation rises to battle the fascist movement.

Focusing on creativity and writing poetry helped Katherine verbalize her feelings of dread and serve as a reminder that we all need to maintain our sense of creativity and joy in day-to-day existence, despite living in the midst of chaos. 

Our artistry and voices are a powerful weapon. Katherine maintains hope that the radical right movement and the current regime can be halted through the power of our voices, so the country can be redefined and made better than it was before. In the meantime, she’ll keep writing and protesting until that time comes. 

We must speak out while we still can.