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!
What would you even call what you see outside the window.
Someone once told me they saw me looking out a window and there was a lot going on inside. The floor was made of clouds and I was scared to jump.
Trauma
Trauma honors a woman who lost her life to a moving train at the 42nd Street terminal station in New York. This is my heart, rage, and tears in your hands.
Uncoordinated Silhouettes
Sometimes individuals wish to be blinded by reflection, distraught by the truth that lived in their childhood. This poem explores the duality of recollection and humanizes each perspective.
Secretly Special
Being on my school’s running team has been one of the most formative experiences of my life. This essay tells the story of one of the important lessons I learned about leadership.
Excerpt from “Shattered Glass”
Seventeen-year-old Darla has lived in the small town of Silver Lake her whole life, surrounded by memories of her family's history of abusive relationships.
House of Lies
House of Lies is the beginning of a thriller novel that Janiya plans to complete. It speaks to love, lies, revenge, and the consequences of choices.
My Names
Growing up, I would use any name except my own. It was partly because I didn't feel worthy of my full name, Emanuelle, and partly because I didn't like my nickname, Emmie. Eventually, I grew.
Winnie, Untitled
This is a character study of a woman named Winnie from the perspective of her friends, family and peers.
The Bracelet
This story, is about a teenage girl, who lives vicariously through the bracelet on her nightstand.
Freedom through the pages
Finding a breakthrough in the form of writing. Looking up to other writers that have inspired me to no longer allow myself to drown in my own mindless thoughts.
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.