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!
Speaking on Finding Joy in the Mourning
In this episode, you’ll hear a lovely conversation between mentee Allison Sengkhounmany, a high schooler from New York, and mentor Davia Schendel, a musician and performer.
I Am Mother Nature
Earth is often referred to as Mother Earth. I wanted to explore this idea: how "Mother" Earth would sound speaking to humankind about the atrocities inflicted on her. The use of repetitions appealed to me.
dear mother
A speaker reflects on their treatment of their mother.
Dear You
Dear You By Julia Mercado Dear You, You are the one who never washed your hair, wore the same sweater
Speaking on Brushing Up on Your Comedy (Literally)
In this episode, you’ll hear Mentor Tracy Morin, a magazine writer and editor, talk with Mentee Ava Fung, a high schooler from New York City, about her humorous non-fiction piece, “Toothache.”
See It When You Believe It
In this piece, I explore how a change in our mindset can influence our experience of reality.
Technopocalypse
This poem was inspired by the March 9 workshop "Think Like an Elite Athlete." It explores the game Technopocalypse and its attempt to rid our addiction to technology.
Exile of the Innocent
When I look at this piece, I see someone who is maturing and moving forward with their life, but first, they have to let go of something holding them back. I can also envision a parent letting go.
A MONTH IN REVIEW: ABROAD IN COPENHAGEN
Excerpts from a travel blog about studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Speaking on Being ‘Virus Overachievers’
In the very first episode of “Speaking In First Draft,” host Kathryn Destin interviews Mentor Martina Clark about the first draft of her memoir and audiobook “My Unexpected Life: an international memoir of two pandemics, HIV and COVID-19.”
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.