ANTHOLOGIES
Girls Write Now Unmuted: The 2021 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership again this year with Dutton, who produced this anthology. A special thanks to the team at Dutton—Christine Ball,Maya Ziv, and Lexy Cassola, and to Feminist Press and Jamia Wilson, who produced the ebook. Thank you as well to Amazon Literary Partnership for their continued support, which directly funds the production of our anthologies.
In the 2021 Girls Write Now Anthology, our mentees give voice to fear and silence, demand justice, and hold nothing back. To be unmuted right now requires a new brand of bravery, and these writers show how it’s done. Using stories, poems, essays, fiction, drama, interviews and more, they report on a global pandemic, a climate crisis and the movement for racial equality. They also invite us on their personal journeys through the labyrinth of young adulthood: feeling the rich soil of a neighborhood garden beneath their fingers; traveling through time in search of their parents; inhaling the charged air where young love is brewing. In a world pushed to the precipice of change, in a society that values the tried and true over the dynamic and new, the Girls Write Now class of 2021 is breaking the chains and showing what it means to speak loud, clear and true—to be unmuted.
Foreword by
Introduction 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.
Girls Write Now Unmuted Print Anthology
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Things Forgotten
Dana Schwartz reminisces with her husband Harold at the hospital every Thursday. As his memories fade, he realizes she's not the same Dana from their first date—and he's no longer the same Harold.
Sapogi
“Sapogi” is a tender yet heart-wrenching examination of a mother-daughter relationship and a testament to the nuance of the cultural divide, or conversation, between immigrant parents and their children with shoes as the centerpiece.
I Smile Lemon Peel
"I Smile Lemon Peel" is a heart-wrenching, at times sour (no pun intended) journey of a woman finding her place in the world as she navigates her relationship with her body and her struggle to reclaim her agency over it. An homage to the image of the 1950s housewife baking a lemon meringue pie, this poem depicts the untold story of women as survivors, not victims, as they witness sweets curdle before their eyes, refusing to crumble when people pillage their bodies/souls.
My Will
To the people out there who are painted by injustice…like myself.
Her Blunt Persona
Interested in taking a deep dive into one of my AMUSING personalities: Bluntness. I view the positive and negatives being a blunt person has had on my everyday life and interactions with people. This is a personal account. I didn't intend to talk about this side of myself, but here I am sharing it with you…enjoy.
Adventures of Olive and Comet: Valentine’s Day
Olive starts Valentine's day expecting a fulfilling day with her best friend, Comet. However, her day quickly changes trajectory when unforeseen circumstances arise.
Bright Eyes
This poem is dedicated to all the women out there who struggle with the stress of parenting but are still able to find the love that comes from it.
Ventricles
The bottom of a heart is in two. The left ventricle cradles oxygenated blood, but the right ventricle is deoxygenated, craving.
Blue Sun
"Blue Sun" takes an escapist journey to the soul in order to figure out what love really means, what self-worth means and finding that inner validation of self-love.
Capes and Cancer
Coming of age is a painful process for all of us—even superheroes. In my story, I learn to embrace that pain and find a few superpowers along the way.
Praise for Here & Now
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.