I read 1984 while I was in high school, when the dreaded year was still a decade in the future. The book scared me and I never reread it.Scenes from it are still vivid in my mind and the awful feeling Orwell’s words gave me has never completely left.

Anyway, here we are in 2026, a fucked-up year (already) and the words are, sadly, relevant. And even more frightening.

at the Renee Good protest
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 1.11.2026