If ever an anthology was appropriate, this collection, edited by Jonathan Santlofer, serves as a powerful antidote to a country mired in controversy. Our rich and varied American community, reeling from the bifurcation of “us” and “them”, hardly seems able to protect the very foundation of democracy. There’s a new language, a reconfiguration of identity, the rebirth of nationalism, formerly white-sheeted men repackaged in suits and ties, brawling at public gatherings, bearing tiki torches instead of flaming crosses, “dog whistles” echoing across the land.

The contributors to this weighty tome speak to the ideals of this country, the foundation that has resisted assault from without- and now, sadly, from within. The literary community responds to a call for sanity, to courage and clarity; modern artists and graphic authors celebrate freedom in the face of scorn, diversity in the face of ignorance.

There are stories by such authors as Michael Cunningham, Louise Erdrich, Alice Hoffman, Walter Mosely, Elizabeth Strout, Alice Walker and Paul Theroux; and stunning, often shocking images by artists, cartoonists and graphic novelists like Art Spiegelman, Marilyn Minter and Eric Fischl. Under the umbrella of The American Civil Liberties Union, these diverse voices seek to calm the troubled souls of citizens, remind us that we have endured before and we have prevailed.

There are stories by such authors as Michael Cunningham, Louise Erdrich, Alice Hoffman, Walter Mosely, Elizabeth Strout, Alice Walker and Paul Theroux; and stunning, often shocking images by artists, cartoonists and graphic novelists like Art Spiegelman, Marilyn Minter and Eric Fischl. Under the umbrella of The American Civil Liberties Union, these diverse voices seek to calm the troubled souls of citizens, remind us that we have endured before and we have prevailed.

In his introduction, Viet Thanh Nguyen reminds that "those who seek to lead our country must persuade the people through their ability to tell a story about who we are, where we have been and where we are going… a fight over whose words will ignite the collective imagination." There is a "choice between building walls and opening hearts". Two stories in, a shocking image by Jane Kent is a stark reminder of what's at stake: It is The Declaration of Independence, nearly all the text redacted with broad slashes of black ink.

Each essay, story, graphic tale and artwork carries a message, a powerful collection as varied as those who have contributed, suffered, assimilated and celebrated the grand ideals of America. Like a patchwork quilt, It Occurs to Me that I Am America is a delicious feast of the many-colored and diverse, each contribution a fresh perspective. This collection lifts the spirit, soothes the daily contention and reminds us who we are. It is a single cry answered by many, a joining of hands, a tentative note become an anthem, a great idea refusing to relinquish its promise.