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!
mental illness teenage talk
My project about teenage depression is meant to let other teens know they are not alone. I want to bring this subject out in the open so other teens can be aware that this is a serious topic to deal with, but they can talk about it. This is my first time doing a project like this, and I want to continue my podcast in an effort to reach out to other teens to begin the conversation in a safe space.
Tiny Worlds
Oftentimes, it's easy to lose ourselves in the bustle of society. Easy to fall into the online world and never resurface. In this collection of poems, the beauty of nature is explored in a personal way, with the hope that you will find a new reason to stop and appreciate the world around us. These poems reflect on what can be seen, and describe the complexity of nature that I hope you find to ring true. These poems are dedicated to the sky, the flowers, the trees, and the ocean, who need our protection now more than ever.
Anatomy 125
This erasure poem is a visual representation of my own writing process. You can see the crossing out of words as well as the words I had to write back in. Sharing any kind of writing is an innately intimate experience, but this specifically feels personal for the way that it displays my mistakes as well as the final project.
Different Views
People who struggle with making friends or getting good grades will connect with this piece. Beware, the beautiful sunsets and powerful words might make some cry.
Project Silmo: Reconstructing a Nation
I've been analyzing and thinking about The Silmarillion for years now. After multiple rereads, hours upon hours of research, drafting, and redrafting, here are my final thoughts on Tolkien's legendarium.
Dear NYC: A High-Schooler’s Take On Life
Race, as a visual marker, affects our daily lives —whether it be through making snap judgments or the Model Minority stereotype. Discussions of race tend to be neglected in academic institutions themselves: the questions of both how to include rather than exclude and how to better diversify communities continually rise.
Dedicated to my Natural Hair
I wrote a letter to my natural hair because I recognized that I was dealing with some deeply engrained self-hate issues regarding it.
Sunrise
In the newest iteration of "Sunrise," I explore an acoustic arrangement featuring myself on keyboard and vocals.
Lordecast
My podcast, Lordecast, discusses the topic of Lorde's music and how it has affected my perspective and views throughout my life. This podcast is a joint conversation with my mentor about the way music has a profound way of shaping people, no matter how old or different they may seem to be. Lorde has always been one of my favorite artists, so it felt natural to do a piece about her.
The Wild Inside
My project is a compilation of several of my poems narrated alongside many photographs from my nature collection. I find that there are endless possibilities when depicting the natural world and its challenges: stories, music, light and shade, color, and poetry, to name a few.
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.