The first time I realized my parents did not hold the answers of the universe in their palms was not when I was asking obscure questions about aardvarks or pirate ships.
Her Palms
Coming of Age
I used to hate the rain
Acceptance comes after the storm. It poured and poured.
Sheltered
The day I was born is the day the twin towers fell.
‘You Don’t Owe Anyone Anything’
The reality of missing school for a whole two weeks and dealing with the stares of society.
a lesson in pressure & prestige
Written after submitting my Early Decision application, this essay shares the epiphany I was already having—one expedited by a choice that held so much weight over my future.
Stories from the Shag
My time-out rug was white, with blue squares and tassels at opposite ends.
Racing
I’ll get there one day.
Golden Age
This piece was born during an eight-minute freewrite—a ritual at the beginning of our pair sessions.
Millennials vs Gen Z
The generational battle made famous by TikTok. But can we at least agree to fight the system together?
citrus youth
citrus youth is a blog filled with present tense moments of a friend group, as well as memories from one of those friends. this idea came from my own friends and how funny i think we are, but also the question of how i will decide to remember us now when i’m older. this represents my best work because i think it comes at a time where many individuals my age are questioning what’s going to happen. a big part of our stability is our friends, and i think it’s going to be nice for us to remember these moments.
Because This is My First Life
This is a piece about being a seventeen-year-old. An ode to myself reflecting on the experiences of my teenage years while acknowledging some of my personal heroes.
Disorient
This story is an excerpt from a larger coming-of-age piece involving themes of friendship, sisterhood, and romance.
childhood archeology / Teenage Fever Dream
These are two poems that reflect back on our younger selves.
As a Woman
This piece is about the double standards that plague society and force women to be small.
Letters To A Young Poetess
Inspired by Rilke’s Letters To A Young Poet, Letters To A Young Poetess is the feminized and updated homage by Kiki Tom and Gabriella Calabia. Beginning a written correspondence upon being paired as mentor and mentee, the two delve into sharing thoughts, questions and feelings about writing and what it takes to share one’s voice.