Dear Reader,

I’ve been writing my dystopian novel since last year and have grown increasingly frustrated by the Trump Admin’s attempt to realize the tyrannical Regime of my story before I can publish it.

Like everyone with eyes and a functioning moral compass, I was outraged by the footage of ICE murdering Renee Good and Alex Pretti on top of the firehose of other violations and atrocities reported by protestors, observers, and whistleblowers. Clearly, this isn’t just about immigration anymore. The question is, do we want to live in an authoritarian police state like China or Russia, or stand up and fight to enjoy what actually makes America great?

Given what’s at stake, if there was ever a time to speak up, to get involved, to resist, now is the time. This is Big Brother vs. We The Proles, and it supersedes every other cause we care about. As you can tell, this has made me feel activated, but also useless; I’m living in Portugal. There are no protests nor strikes for me to join. I don’t have much money to donate.

When I started scribbling in my notebook the other night, it was pure self-expression— to let out my indignation and try to make sense of what was happening, and why. What I wrote drifted between poetry and prose, logic and emotion.

I called them “protest poems,” and when I was done, I decided that I should share them as an expression of solidarity with all the brave patriots fighting for our rights, combined with potent images from Minneapolis to make them more impactful and more share-able if they happened to resonate with anyone.

Somehow, I’m only just now realizing that in doing so, I turned my protest poems into protest memes. It was so instinctual, I didn’t even think about it. I wonder what that says about me. Anyway, I took the time to design and post some of these just to have TikTok break for a few days, crushing their reach. Like many, I assumed it was political suppression given the new ownership, but now it seems it might’ve been a glitch…Or maybe, just maybe, my protest poems/memes were so powerful, they broke the app themselves…

Probably not, but making them did help clarify my feelings/thinking on the situation, and perhaps they will for you too. Feel free to repost, or download and share them online or directly with friends. Stay safe, call your senators, get involved, and donate if you can.

In my last post, I reviewed and compared the original dystopian novel We with 1984, which it directly inspired. If I had made that post a few days later, I would’ve drawn a more direct connection to what’s happening in the States, to emphasize how important these stories are today, but I suppose that is implied.

Here’s a link to my video version on YouTube, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to help me re-launch that channel.

Do them a favor and forward them this newsletter! I’m working on some digital products (think ebook and courses) designed to help authors and creatives make progress on their projects. More on this soon.

You or they might also appreciate my TikTok, where I post about writing, creative tips, etc (almost) daily.

Sublime Port is offering visionary design, brand development, animation, websites, and more at affordable rates. Don't hesitate to get in touch via the contact button on our page or website to help grow your brand in 2026! 🔥🐈‍⬛

Thanks for reading!

-Brendan