<8 year old>
By Eris Carson

A poem about witnesses who have kept their mouths shut.
They dive into the ground, yet they can’t swim. Dirt on my fingers, spirits fly to the sky. Heaven seems fairly close, when arising with a bee, cease with a bird. Their wings resemble angels there. Are they dying? Possibly not. Depriving them of the will to exist, the more power running in my veins.

Taking Root: The Girls Write Now 2022 Anthology

For more than two years, our young writers have weathered an adolescence shaped by an ongoing global pandemic. But a harsh climate can also produce work of rare depth, complexity, nuance and humor. The Girls Write Now mentees in this collection have found new ways to build community and take root. This anthology is a catalog of seeds—each young writer cultivating a shimmering, emergent voice. In short stories, personal essays, poetry, and more, they reflect on life-altering topics like heartbreak, self-care and friendship. The result is a stunning book with global relevance of all this generation has endured and transformed.

Eris Carson
Eris Carson is interested in pursuing writing horror, crime drama, documentaries, as well as creative writing, science fiction and more! Eris also loves taking photos, something that may come in handy with a career in journalism. Also a dedicated soccer player—a goalie!—Eris is a sophomore in high school and is dabbling in a love of public speaking.