Lunch Hour
By Alice Kresberg
Every day at school, I get lunch from the same place, just to see the grandma who works there. It’s the highlight of my day.
Smells of many different cuisines hit my nose all at once,
dumplings that gave me food poisoning,
rice bowls that made my stomach churn,
chicken noodle soup that has an artificially yellow broth.
Every school day I come here for lunch.
Despite the poor food selection, there’s one thing that’s good about this place.
“Next. Oh, hi!” The Korean grandma calls out to me with a wave, ushering me over.
We greet each other with cheerful eyes, smiles hidden behind our masks.
She types the price of the items into the register, and I pay.
I wait for a second before I leave—usually she asks me one question per day:
How long is winter break?
Where’s your friend today?
What color do you like?
Do you like BTS?
She quickly reaches for something next to her.
“What’s your name?” she asks as she sets down a receipt, back side up, and a pen.
I write both my English and my Korean name.
She sounds them out, and I’m curious to see which one she’ll use.
“이름이 뭐예요?” I ask her the same question, but in Korean.
“Call me Mom.”
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.
Process
Last year, I wrote a poem about where I’m from. I found that I had more to say about my Korean American identity. I wrote down a list and wanted to expand on this particular moment since it’s so special to me. After writing the first draft, my mentor and I spent the next couple of sessions editing it. Once I was satisfied with how it sounded, I called it done.
Alice Kresberg
Alice Kresberg is a senior at a high school in Manhattan, NY. She transferred in her sophomore year from a high school in Brooklyn, NY. She enjoys writing, crocheting, sewing, listening to music, baking and sleeping and she loves collecting miniature things. She has two cats, Charlie and Lola, who she enjoys spending time with.
