The New Futurist is a collection of poetry that began forming following the loss of Bernie Sanders in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. A pandemic was killing millions of people, my mother was dying of cancer, and America seemed to be trapped in a cycle where "nothing would fundamentally change."

Following my graduation from college in the fall of 2021, I was directionless and ended up working various jobs in nonprofit and education before eventually burning out at the end of 2023.

All throughout that time, I struggled to maintain my interest in writing, believing that I was bound to public servitude by people with more power and influence than me.

Nevertheless, I never gave up hope. I always knew that I would eventually return to poetry and resume my dream of becoming a great and renowned writer. For the first time in my life, I have no way of putting into literal words what my future may look like. This is all I know how to do.

Olivia Thomas is the pseudonym of an author and poet born and raised in rural North Carolina. They currently reside in Austin, Texas.