This website features a few of the projects I have done in Girls Write Now 2019-2020. They all focus on “small” moments and objects which are normally seen as unimportant. The purpose of these pieces is to highlight the importance of each part of this world, whether or not they may leave their footprint in history.
Class of 2020
Erasures of ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ & ‘Lift Every Voice’
These pieces are erasures of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the national black anthem. My mentor gave me prompts to erase both of them, side by side, after noticing the differences between them.
Homemade Constellations
Homemade Constellations By Blake Coniglio So, if you’re like me, you live in the city. And every night, you can’t…
Armed Allegiance
My erasure poem “Armed Allegiance” represents the immigrant experience. I moved from Mexico to America when I was young, and I know how hard it is to adapt to a new place. The Naturalization Oath is important to me because it reflects the sacrifices my parents made to give me more opportunities in life. I know many undocumented immigrants dream of becoming U.S. citizens and see it as the ultimate achievement. I also wanted this poem to convey how important it is for me to make my parents proud and show them that their hard work was worth it.
Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Who Else?
This year, I decided that I was going to improve my mystery-writing skills, as I had always been an avid mystery reader. I think my podcast sums up my love for it and what I’m trying to do with my works!
Your Weekly Dose with Mareesa and Abena
In this podcast, I give you a taste of my love for South Korea and present two delicacies of South Korean culture in a fun and calm way!
Storytime
This podcast is for those who like fairytales and myths and all types of stories being explained. Many people have heard of the Disney movie Anastasia, based off of the Russian princess, but many people do not know that instead of getting married in the end as depicted in the movie, the real Anastasia passed away as a young child. “Storytime” will uncover mysteries and answer questions about stories from A to Z.
Sanjida’s Style
This video is a representation of my identity and the culture that I come from. It represents one of the things I love most: fashion. Fashion shows everyone who I am as a person. I love wearing certain colors to showcase more of my personality and skin tone. When I look good, I feel good. I hope this video inspires you to change how you look at fashion.
A Self Portrait Of Some Sort
This is a self-portrait. It’s inspired by anime and my decision to wear niqab, and I think it’s one of my best works because it truly represents me.
Dreams (a short film)
No matter the stress, anger, or sadness, Hamlet was right by identifying sleep as an escape. It can be something beautiful or terrifying. We are all like children. We dream and make up our own beautiful worlds and our own monsters. Imagination and dreaming is something to keep close to you!
Iron Bars
This song is a tribute to Gorillaz’s nonsensical ingenuity.
Building a Healthy Relationship
Are you struggling in your relationship right now? If you’re getting exhausted and unhappy, I’m here to help. In my relationship advice podcast, I talk about the top three factors you need to build and maintain a healthy relationship.
Culture Loss Prevention
My podcast is about many things, hence the name. I talk about many topics, from problems with social media to the lack of success of arobeats. I hope you enjoy it—you just never know what to expect with Gifty.
Our Words, Our Voice
You read and write everyday, whether it involves your favorite song lyrics, a grocery list, crafting a text to your best friend, or projects for school or work. In fact, we use our literacy so much that we often take it for granted. What about the centuries of people who were denied this powerful tool?
Rainbow Shoelaces
“Rainbow Shoelaces” is a poem about the complexity of friendship, presented in digital form. It discusses a girl who used to be my best friend, and how I felt—and still feel— jealous of her. However, beneath that, a feeling of longing and regret still exists because she was someone I was once close to. The specific details I used to describe her are fictitious, as I wanted her to seem familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.