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!
The House
Spaces have personality; spaces can be unkind.
Starman
A story about martians, but mostly, about humanity.
Therapy
This poem expresses a deep longing that the author had for a longtime friend.
Bifurcating Trees
This was written in a bout of nostalgia. Looking at old family albums, and how my relatives were a sea away, but it felt much further and I wondered what time will do to us.
Shopping List
The musty glass doors slid open and half-heartedly welcomed me into my local King-Soopers…
The Hill
We all live in a world of constant turnover and change. All it takes is a moment to recognize that every change lives inside of us.
Batteries Not Included // To Those Who Can’t Go Home for Christmas
These two poems may sound familiar at first but they may surprise you in what they are actually about. These are for the days when you’re missing home.
Static
This is a zuihitsu that reflects how overwhelming life is and uses the different meanings of the word "static."
Unspoken Things
"Unspoken Things" is about being in a gray area with someone and not knowing where you stand with them.
“Did you hear her Spanish?”
A short story about my relationship with language and Puerto Rican identity. Una breve historia sobre mi relación con el lenguaje y mi identidad Puertorriqueña. Izabell estaba muy emocionada de tener la oportunidad de trabajar con Fellow de Girls Write Now, Sally Familia, en la traducción de su historia del Inglés al Español.
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.