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!
Mr. Rochester Is Punished
This is an alternate ending to Jane Eyre, in which Bertha, the Caribbean outsider and “madwoman” who was forced to marry Mr. Rochester, is humanized, and Jane’s strength is found in resisting Mr. Rochester, not returning to him.
Moments
I love photography because I think it's beautiful how one second can be caught in one picture. It's one of the few ways where time can be still. This collage shows many seconds of my ironic life on different occasions.
Looking for Mercy, Stuck in a Nightmare
These poems explore the injustices of the criminal justice system in America. Too many people have been targeted. Too many people have been wronged.
Rise Up
Poetry is an art that explains feelings in a different way. It's a type of dialect. When you can't really say something straight out but you have to get it out, or when you just feeling some type of way and just want to speak out—you can rant, encourage, argue, let out frustrations, and more.
To The Ones With Skin As Dark And Beautiful As Night
"To The Ones With Skin As Dark And Beautiful As Night" comes from a time when I didn't feel so confident. Lupita Nyong'o is a huge part of me realizing that I am beautiful as she took her place in history, and I soon took my own place in history.
The Brief But Passionate Life of Green Tea and Cherry
I originally planned to create snippets of various Valentine's Day scenarios. I think I gravitated towards that idea because that day for me was pretty dull. On a random walk, I decided to make my animation more cartoony and less serious. I made my characters personified food instead of people. By the way, green tea is my favorite flavor of ice cream, and I hate cherry-flavored everything.
Erasure Poetry of ‘The Danger of a Single Story’
This digital media piece is about what it means to be a woman in today's society. This piece is also about my take on erasure poetry with a mix of feminism. I emphasize the words by highlighting them instead of spotlighting the words by redacting others.
In the Books
"In the Books" is a short clip about trying to find myself and who I want to be. This video is worth watching for those who do not know who they want to be and want some type of inspiration. This is coming from a girl who does not know what she wants to do in her career path, but at least knows where she wants to start. This work made me feel vulnerable and can help others understand that there are other women to look up to.
Sculpt-apocalypse
This stop-motion animation is about two members, Goob and Cy, from a rebel group called the Uglies who seek to overthrow the oppressive Aluminium Regime, who hate and deem clay impure and routinely have "cleansings" to get rid of any remnants of clay throughout the land of Scupltipica. After one of these cleansings, Goob and Cy find one sole survivor.
Revolutionizing My History
What would you do if you found ancient eyeglasses on your commute to work or school? What if those ancient eyeglasses showed you your history and how you became who you are? Through this project, I am revolutionizing my history from my ancestors, who were probably activists and storytellers; to my parents, who had to struggle growing up; now to me and how I formed my identity in school, family, and society. This project represents who I am and how I am taking my place in history, including yours.
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.