February 9, 2023
Adina Talve-Goodman was born with a congenital heart condition and survived multiple operations over the course of her childhood, including a heart transplant at age nineteen. In 2015, Adina joined the Girls Write Now community as a mentor in the Writing and Mentoring program, which would later evolve into Writing 360. She was a constant supporter of young women’s dreams and ambitions, and a beloved writer in the community. Adina helped her mentee, Kristine Veras, develop her own unique voice. During the 2016 CHAPTERS reading, she co-presented a piece that Kristine wrote. Kristine read her piece in Spanish, and Adina read the translated version in English.
Adina tragically passed away in 2018. Her book of essays, Your Hearts, Your Scars, chronicles the solemn, bewildering, painful, and at times humorous, aspects of her chronic illness. This year, her book was published posthumously by Bellevue Literary Press, and speaks as a testament to the warmth and ferocity of Adina’s life.
As the author Ann Napolitano wrote, “Adina Talve-Goodman walked a tightrope, for much of her thirty-one years, between life and death. Perhaps for this reason, Adina embodied life more than any person I’ve ever met. She lit up rooms with pure joy and kindness and, although this phrase is often overused, to know Adina was to love her. I’m grateful this beautiful book exists, so everyone else can know her, too. Adina was a brilliant writer, and these pages are imbued with her exuberance, her sharp humor, and both versions of her spectacular heart.”
In celebration of her life and work, Girls Write Now will be receiving copies of the book, courtesy of a generous donation. We hope to keep Adina’s spirit and memory alive through the powerful writing that she left behind.