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!
Taken Out
Often, culture enforces us to make decisions that we don’t want to make for the sake of family reputation.
Falling into the Disease’s Arms
This piece is about a fictional outbreak in 2005 without the usage of smartphones and social media, and speaks about how diseases separate families. I was inspired by the coronavirus outbreak happening now in 2020.
Evacuation
I have the craziest dreams, and this story was inspired by one I couldn’t understand. So, I wrote it down.
Encounters
This poem is meant to capture the unfortunately timeless experience of girls who find themselves powerless and shamed by an attempt at romance. We can take our place in history by acknowledging these sometimes uncomfortable realities even when others refuse to do so.
put your elbows into it
I've lived in the same home in Queens my whole life, and everything—from cabinet doors to cereal boxes—reminds me of my childhood. This is a poem about my parents and how I fit into our family.
For You
The following are lyrics to a song I wrote for someone I will forever love dearly and hold close.
Crossing Over
This poem explores the generational gap that is felt by first-generation Asian immigrant parents and their children. While communication may seem difficult at first, it is still possible to find hope and reconciliation.
Morning Routine
A young girl of color is having a hard time educating her religious mother about the depression she silently struggles with.
Rough Edges
This poem speaks to all the forgotten women: the women with stories, with histories. I aim to give a voice to women who should have a place in history and should be recognized because of their struggles and how vital they are to society.
Two Worlds
A memoir, a thought, a realization. Finding and defining my own identity.
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.