From Nate Powell, the National Book Award-winning artist of March, a
collection of graphic nonfiction essays about living in a new era of
necessary protest
In this anthology of seven comics essays,
author and graphic novelist Nate Powell addresses living in an era of
what he calls "necessary protest."
Save It for Later: Promises, Protest, and the Urgency of Protest is
Powell's reflection on witnessing the collapse of discourse in real
time while drawing the award-winning trilogy March, written by
Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, this generation's preeminent
historical account of nonviolent revolution in the civil rights
movement. Powell highlights both the danger of normalized paramilitary
presence symbols in consumer pop culture, and the roles we play
individually as we interact with our communities, families, and society
at large.
Each essay tracks Powell's journey from the night of the
election-promising his four-year-old daughter that Trump will never win,
to the reality of the Republican presidency, protesting the
administration's policies, and navigating the complications of teaching
his children how to raise their own voices in a world that is becoming
increasingly dangerous and more and more polarized. While six of the
seven essays are new, unpublished work, Powell has also included "About
Face," a comics essay first published by
Popula Online that swiftly went viral and inspired him to expand his work on
Save It for Later. The
seventh and final essay will contextualize the myriad events of 2020
with the previous four years-from the COVID-19 pandemic to global
protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder to the 2020 presidential
election itself-highlighting both the consistencies and inversions of
widely shared experiences and observations amidst a massive social
upheaval.
As Powell moves between subjective and objective
experiences raising his children-depicted in their childhood innocence
as imaginary anthropomorphic animals-he reveals the electrifying sense
of trust and connection with neighbors and strangers in protest. He also
explores how to equip young people with tools to best make their
own noise as they grow up and help shape the direction and future of this country.
From Nate Powell, the National Book Award-winning artist of March, comes Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest, a deeply resonant collection of graphic nonfiction essays that examines how ordinary people navigate extraordinary political times.
Blending personal narrative, cultural critique, and visual storytelling, Powell chronicles what it has meant to raise young children, create meaningful art, and remain civically engaged during a period defined by polarization, protest movements, and a rapidly shifting public conscience.
Across seven interwoven comics essays, Powell traces the arc from the 2016 presidential election through the social upheavals of the early 2020s. As he witnesses the breakdown of civil discourse while working on the landmark March trilogy, he interrogates the rise of extremist and paramilitary symbolism in everyday American culture and reflects on the responsibility each of us holds within our families, communities, and public spaces.
Powell's storytelling moves fluidly between the intimate and the societal-from the promises he makes to his young daughter on election night, to the lived realities of an increasingly authoritarian political climate, to the challenge of teaching children how to recognize injustice and raise their own voices safely and effectively.
His widely circulated essay "About Face" appears here alongside new and expanded work, culminating in a final piece that contextualizes the defining events of 2020-including the COVID¿19 pandemic, the national and global response to the murder of George Floyd, and the presidential election-within the larger continuum of American protest culture.
Rendered with Powell's signature emotional acuity, the book portrays his daughters as imaginative anthropomorphic characters, illuminating the hope, fear, and resilience that coexist in times of collective uncertainty. As he documents protests, conversations with neighbors, and moments of cross¿community solidarity, Powell reveals both the fragility and the power of social trust-and what it takes to nurture it.
Save It for Later stands as an essential reflection on how families, artists, and engaged citizens continue to confront disinformation, extremism, and cultural fragmentation. It is a vital call to equip the next generation with the tools, context, and courage they need to shape a more just and compassionate future.
