As a kid, I always covered my hands under layers of oversized and long-sleeved shirts, making sure that they were hidden from the gaze of the world.
Story
Adelle Xiao
(she/her) Mentee
Born and raised in New York City, Adelle Xiao is currently a sophomore in high school in Manhattan. She most often writes personal essays, memoirs and poetry about experiences that are important to her. When she is not writing, Adelle spends most of her time making art, playing the violin and doing various forms of volunteer work.
Favorite Authors & Artists
Ashley (“Best Dressed” on YouTube), Nicola Yoon
Artist‘s Statement
I write to process and remember the important experiences in my life, both the good and bad. My writing tends to be really honest and raw, as I want to share why my stories mean so much to me and leave an impact on my reader. I am compelled to share my stories in order to build my own autonomy and find my voice, but hopefully also to create something that others can resonate to and use to help themselves as well.
Story
I’m Not Hungry
This piece was based on an experience I had a few years ago with a boy who constantly commented on my body and weight, and my journey in separating how he defined me with how I saw myself. There were a lot of things I had to say about this relationship, and I had to experiment a lot with the flow and format of the story.
Story
Floating
Floating is a piece about how my perceptions of strength changed throughout my life, and how I’ve found my own strength through “floating.”
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City Girl
This piece talks about my relationships with nature and my parents in order to explore my feelings toward living in New York City.
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Roots
A piece about my relationship to my cultural identity that explores my feelings about being Chinese and raised in America.