The title of my novel “united states” is lowercased because we are anything but a united nation. To confront our deeply contentious times, we must do what disparate players in my novel find themselves compelled to do in the chaos of a near-future America: unite in common purpose. The urgency of this truth is made only more apparent by every passing day as we witness senseless, fracturing violence, horrific terrorism, and poisonous political rhetoric. Without compassionate community, we become fatally diminished.