We’re kicking off our second season with a conversation between mentor alum and debut author of The Waves Take You Home, María Alejandra Barrios Velez, and Mentee Fiona Hernandez.
Heartwarming
A Necklace of Pearled Dreams
“A Necklace of Pearled Dreams” narrates the story of my grandmother’s beautiful pearled necklace, a cherished family heirloom, and how its meaning transformed and developed through generations.
blooming through two cities
Daniela and Shoilee both live in New York City. Shoilee grew up in Queens, and Daniela moved to Brooklyn after growing up in Chicago. The following poems depict their journeys of life in the city.
Sweetest 16
This is a tribute to me for my 16th birthday
Love as Fragile as Time
A young woman and a mysterious old god pay each other visits to the forest every now and then, and this time the woman asks the masked god a more personal question…
i miss you
I attended a program over the summer and met people from all over the world. They showed me what genuine and crazy friendship looked like and I continue to miss all of who they were.
When You’re Ready to Talk
This is a story about two long-distance sisters. One struggling with anxiety, and one who desperately wants to help but doesn’t know how.
To My Younger Self
Your fingerprints are engraved in my soul. This is a letter dedicated to you, my dearest friend.
My Names
Growing up, I would use any name except my own. It was partly because I didn’t feel worthy of my full name, Emanuelle, and partly because I didn’t like my nickname, Emmie. Eventually, I grew.
Batteries Not Included // To Those Who Can’t Go Home for Christmas
These two poems may sound familiar at first but they may surprise you in what they are actually about. These are for the days when you’re missing home.
The Road Trip
One trip that tests their relationship, will Connie and Alex survive?
The Postcard Monologues
A small story of a girl’s romantic encounters, mannerisms, and meetings told through her own POV and the perspective of a postcard she keeps in her room.
Nostalgic Smells
My grandmother was diagnosed with dementia in 2020, I remember her through memories we shared years ago, and I wrote about these memories, by continuing to remember her as she would want me to.
A New World
This is the story of a young girl, uprooted from her familiar, comfortable home in New York City and placed in what was to her an unbearable new world.
Welcome To The Neighborhood
This story is an excerpt that explores the effects gentrification can have on a community and its foundational members. Clem has been living in this neighborhood forever, and it suddenly changes before her eyes.