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.
Rise Speak Change: The Girls Write Now Anthology 2017
Stories from Inside "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
On Being Sixteen
This podcast will give you an insider's perspective on the lives of current sixteen-year-olds! Doesn't everyone want to know what we are doing besides being on our phones all the time?
Changed Lives
My podcast is about immigration and how it affects families. This episode sheds light on the difficult lives immigrants lead. My life as an immigrant inspired me to share this. This represents my best work in the program because this is a topic that I can relate to. I don't know what it's like to be separated from one’s family, but I can imagine how challenging it would be.
Following You
Our podcast will have all of the viewers of You thinking deeply about relationships. We will explore how the show glorifies stalking and possessiveness.
Times Square as My Backyard
I was born and raised in Manhattan, which has given me such an interesting and unique perspective on life. I have always wanted to document all my life experiences in a way where I can share my stories with everyone, and a podcast seemed like the perfect vehicle! A couple of months ago, Leela, my mentor, went to a Girls Write Now workshop and told me all about Anchor. Anchor became a place to record and publish all my interesting conversations with my friends! As I was recording my trailer for my podcast, I was surprised by the number of times I had to re-record it! As a perfectionist, I felt the need to restart every time I stumbled over a word. Eventually, I managed to record something I was proud of, trimmed the audio, and added music.
Miss Rona & Me
In quarantine, my mind can't help but gravitate back toward life outside: when I was undeniably happy. I pick out these little moments, and then I remember everything going on inside my head then. What I was feeling, and exactly why I was really happy. In this instance, I remembered a walk I took after school one day, past Trinity Church on a crowded street. This collision between a colonial past and the skyscrapers towering above me was exciting, so I wrote a little something about that feeling. Then I spoke, giving new life to these words.
Still She Rises
Being a woman and Black poet myself who is proud of my heritage and background, I felt inclined to dedicate a piece to that part of me. I incorporated four published and groundbreaking poets in my piece to spotlight a few writers that inspired me to pursue poetry.
My High School Experience: in the context of Girls Write Now
Why do college admissions view a holistic picture of a candidate's eligibility? Why is "contextualization" a key part of the College Board’s grading in AP History tests? Why do people say "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?" As writers or friends of writing, we value narrative. But more important than narrative is understanding it in the context of every other thread of narrative occurring simultaneously. As the one program that followed me through all four years of high school, Girls Write Now has the unique ability to measure my growth in the context of the rest of my high school life. My digital media piece is inspired by this.
bloom in
“bloom in” is a very serious piece, which is different from how I usually write and act. But it represents me. I took the piece and thought about all the videos and photos I had of myself, my family and my friends, and it was like two sides of me. The me that is figuring out who I am and questioning it all, and the me that shows my face every day.
My Home
When you think about living in the Bronx you may conjure up a vision of a nasty place. For me, it's just the opposite; it's a place of peace and comfort. I really hope my photographs and video get this message across.
Behind the Scenes of Nightmares
I was inspired when I had sleep paralysis for the first time, and I want other people to feel it as well, how nightmares love to play around. This represents my best work in the program this year. Women are not afraid of fear.
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.