Elaine Sexton invokes the ghost of Benjamin Franklin, the first postmaster general, to witness an America unravelling. In a contemporary one-room U.S. post office, a blistering conflict erupts between co-workers about gay marriage, free speech, the country' s racial and class divide, and democracy itself. Here readers will find an America, in its gorgeous and messy diversity, that is looking for reason where there seems to be none.

This collection of poems that constitute the libretto for a timely chamber opera features photographs and other representations of the United States Post Office, in its many forms, and excerpts from the original score. Written in collaboration with composer Laura Kaminsky, The Post Office will premiere at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) in May 2026, marking the debut for a bold, new creative team of Kaminsky, joined by Sexton and architect Charles Renfro, of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.