Pledge of Allegiance: Revised” is a subversion of the American Dream through the lens of mental wellbeing; “gifted” is a gilded promise unraveled by statistics and a vow to embrace the strength of vulnerability.
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Elizabeth Shvarts
Mentee
Elizabeth Shvarts is a 16-year-old writer hailing from Staten Island. An avid spoken word poet, Elizabeth is an NYC Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador and finalist in Climate Speaks, a climate-themed youth spoken word program, highlighted by PBS, the Apollo, the New York Times and more. An advocate/entrepreneur as well as an artist, Elizabeth is the co-founder of the nonprofit Bridge to Literacy, which fosters a love for language through literacy in underserved kids from around the world. On the writing side, she's the co-founder of the international literary journal and youth community Aster Lit and its companion podcast Ad Aster.
Favorite Authors & Artists
Ada Límon, Dana Terrace, V.E Schwab
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Adonis
Fusing intricate, yet gritty imagery and allusions to Greek mythology, “Adonis” is a reimagining of beauty as a birthright and burden of the first-gen gifted American kid as they reclaim their narrative with humanity.
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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.
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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.