ANTHOLOGIES
Rise Speak Change: The 2017 Girls Write Now Anthology
At the QWERTY Digital Media Exhibition, our mentees showcased projects that are changing the way we tell narratives. A video overlaid with powerful poetry, thoughtful podcasts, and interactive games created with Twine — our mentees used the skills they learned in our digital workshops to create these multi-platform masterpieces.

Our mentees are defining the digital age by bringing the craft of writing into the 21st century. In our Digital Media Mentoring Program, we boost girls’ tech savvy and creative potential through digital media. In bringing our curriculum and writing approach into the digital age, we prepare the girls we serve to truly be the next generation of writers—on whatever platform they choose. Students are paired one-to-one with a digital media professional and together they transform their writing into digital art. All workshops are facilitated by graduate students at Parsons The New School for Design. Our workshops feature writing and digital skill-building exercises, prompts, and share-outs to diversify participants’ modes of self-expression. At the end of a program year, girls are equipped to tell a story in GIFs, a poem in HTML, and take their words to the next level.Together we embark on a journey of creative workshops, public readings and showcases, opportunities for publication, and more, all to give girls the tools to advance their writing through different mediums.
Introduction by
Foreword by
Moderated by
Read What's Inside
Browse our collection of stories from inside the book. Complete with notes from the author and anecdotes from our mentees and mentors.
Stories from Inside "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
Where Are the Children?
We wrote stories based on old nursery rhymes, giving them a new twist. Ivy's story "Where Are the Children?" is a reimagining of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin," which Kathleen has illustrated.
She and the Remnants of Plants
Exploring themes of mental illness specifically within the Asian-American immigrant community and isolation, She and the Remnants of Plants centers around a teenage girl’s relationship to plants and death.
High School Students Across the Country Start Projects During Quarantine
The article centers on five high school students in the US who are pursuing their hobbies to create projects that are bringing people around the world together during the pandemic.
Twenty-One (audio play)
A short audio play about influence, being under the influence, and the influence of parents' choices on their children.
King of Kings
Who decides what a text means? And how much can be lost in translation?
The Side They Never See
Captured in a moment of pain, this poem was a way for me to release my emotions onto the page. I hope to show anyone who encounters this piece that they are not alone.
Deadly Militia
A short story that portrays the life of a young child soldier during the Congo War.
The Ocean’s Depths
Based off of my love for the ocean but fearing what is underneath the waves.
Stages of Isolation
This co-written poem reflects our journaled memories of the year 2020, as well as our conversations with each other about our lives in lockdown.
And There I Was
An autobiographical comic about gender identity, coming out to yourself, and finding your way.
Praise for Rise Speak Change
From the Literary Community
Intersectional Voices in Editorial Print Committee
Every year, the Intersectional Voices in Editorial (IV Edit) Print Committee brings their talents to the task of editing, producing, and promoting this fresh collection of writing from today’s emerging voices. The committee is made up of mentors, mentees, and other volunteers who are passionate about diversifying the publishing landscape.