ANTHOLOGIES
Taking Our Place in History: The Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership with Dutton, who produced this year’s anthology. A special thanks to the team at Dutton—Christine Ball,Maya Ziv,Marya Pasciuto and Hannah Feeney, and to Feminist Press and Jamia Wilson, who produced the e-book. Thank you as well to Amazon Literary Partnership for their continued support and for recognizing Girls Write Now as a 2020 grant recipient, which directly funds the production of our anthologies.

The Girls Write Now 2020 class of mentees are using their voices for change in one of the most uncertain periods of modern history. This book invites you into their homes and families, their schools and neighborhoods, their hearts, hopes, and fears. Enter a world where clay creatures take on aluminum oppressors. Get thrown against an elevator wall in the midst of a horror story. Go backstage with a rock band, say goodbye to relatives as you start a new life, stand with an engineer solving a coding problem. Stare out from a coffin—or up at whales in the sky—and fall in love with the color of your skin. Experience tragedy in a mosque, feel the wounds of slavery, know the terror of glass shattering in a World War II village, and see how this next generation of leaders look to the past and write their present to create a better future.
Introduction by
With a Poem 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 "Taking Our Place in History" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Taking Our Place in History" 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.
Taking Our Places in History
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.