When Donald Trump claimed victory in November, the US literary world erupted in indignation.

In a widely circulated cri de coeur published the day after the November election, New Yorker editor David Remnick labeled the result “an American tragedy” and called on the public to struggle “honorably and fiercely in the name of American ideals.” Later that month, the cast of Hamilton broke the fourth wall to address Vice President–elect Mike Pence and speak on behalf of “the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not . . . defend us and uphold our inalienable rights.”

Not to be outdone, poet Erin Belieu jumpstarted an initiative called Writers Resist that promotes grassroots literary action in defense of the “most basic principles of freedom and justice for all.” PEN America Center answered the call, organizing a star-studded national launch for Writers Resist in New York City on January 15.