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!
We’re on the Same Page
Two curious kids, Isabella and Imogene, each find a fantastical journal hidden beneath a tree at their local park and unknowingly unlock a correspondence with each other that transcends time, space, and perhaps even reality.
Climate Activism is Hard
Why is advocating against climate change a difficult journey, especially for youths?
Pieces Of Me
"Pieces of Me" unfolds as a series of letters from a soldier to different family members, offering glimpses into the emotional toll of war. It moves through themes of suffering, guilt, love, and redemption.
Eating (God) Disorder
This poem is about my experience growing up being forced to be Kosher.
Remembering Joy
These pieces share an insight into the challenge of finding joy in the world after coming out of the strangeness of mental illness.
ImaginEater
In a futuristic society, ImaginEater is a gadget that conjures food for people to consume without adverse health impacts, but Quasara discovers that unanticipated uses of ImaginEater can have serious repercussions.
102, 103, 104, 105 Word Stories
Here, you’ll find four flash fiction pieces that highlight moments of loss, love, and joy, written over the course of the past year. Short pieces to remind us that we’re all human
The Happiness Mandate
In high school, relaxation is a crime. Guilt regarding an upcoming homework assignment or exam often overshadows true happiness. Yet, as the anonymous narrator soon discovers, a dystopian 'Happiness Mandate' is not the answer either.
Let’s Be Five
Let's Be Five is a story about reflecting on the first semester of college and having to make the decision to be your own person.
Hayat
This poem reflects the resilience of the Palestinians people who are struggling for justice, dignity, and peace.
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.