The Story Behind These Designs
In 2020, during a moment of global upheaval, I turned to design as a way to steady myself. I began creating artwork inspired by the chapter titles from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder’s 2017 book on resisting authoritarianism. What began as a private creative exercise gradually evolved into something larger.
A fellow listener of The Daily Beans podcast saw one of my designs shared in a Facebook group and encouraged me to reach out to Dr. Snyder for permission to share the work more broadly. Around that same time, I was honored with a Gold Medal at the Nebraska Book Awards for my cover design of Feisty Righty, a memoir by my friend J.D. James. That moment gave me the confidence to imagine bringing this series into the world.
With that encouragement, I reached out to Dr. Snyder—and to my great appreciation, he responded with enthusiasm and granted his permission. After coordinating with his agent, I began the process of developing this project into a fully realized collection.
As a one-woman operation, I manage every aspect of this work myself—from design and production to packaging and communication—I appreciate your patience as I respond personally to you.
If you haven’t read On Tyranny, I highly recommend it. You can also find the audiobook version on YouTube which is a powerful listen.
Excerpts from On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. © 2017 Timothy Snyder. Used with permission.
All designs and related content are the intellectual property of Courtney Beth Keller and are protected under copyright by 970 Creative LLC. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use is strictly prohibited.
For wholesale and media inquiries please get in touch.
Threads of Resistance:
Wear the Words. Defend Democracy.
Discover the collection of apparel inspired by Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny, and offered for sale with Dr. Snyder's express permission. Each design represents a powerful rule for resisting authoritarianism, crafted to inspire action and spark conversation.
Together, we can make a statement that matters.