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  Alexis Cheung

  Mary Darby

  Emma Delaney

  Erica Drennan

  Melanie Ehrenkranz

  Mary Kate Frank

  Kristen Gaerlan

  Hermione Hoby

  Jisu Kim

  Maya Millett

  Erica Moroz

  Kate Mulley

  Livia Nelson

  Carol Paik

  Nikki Palumbo

  Emily Present

  Hannah Sheldon-Dean

  Marissa Silverman

  Lauren Spencer

  Lenna Stites

  Carina Storrs

  Jen Straus

  Maryellen Tighe

  Lauren Vespoli

  Megan Wood

  STAFF

  Kelsey Adolphs, Operations Coordinator

  Nyasiah Colon, Intern

  iemi Hernandez-Kim, Senior Community Outreach Coordinator

  Kelsey LePage, Development Coordinator

  Molly MacDermot, Director of Special Initiatives

  Maya Nussbaum, Founder and Executive Director

  Lisbett Rodriguez, Community Outreach Coordinator

  Erica Silberman, Director of Community

  Amara Thomas, Community Outreach Coordinator

  Kyndal Thomas, Community Outreach Coordinator

  Contents

  THE GIRLS WRITE NOW 2019 ANTHOLOGY

  Cover

  Praise

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Foreword by Phoebe Robinson

  Introduction by Tomi Adeyemi

  A Note from Anthology Co-Chair, Catherine Greenman

  Anthology Editorial Committee

  JOURNALISM

  AGUILAR-COLÓN, SOLEDAD

  In School Brown Boys Wear Green

  FICTION

  ALEXANDER, JAN

  The Girl Who Could Do Anything

  MEMOIR

  ALI, GRACE ANEIZA

  On Storms and Survival

  POETRY

  ALLEN-KEFALINOS, KATERINA

  Cuba I

  POETRY

  ALMS, ANNEMARIE

  The Therapist

  MEMOIR

  ANDERSON, ALEXUS

  Moribundo con un Corazón Roto

  POETRY

  ANDRE, SADE

  Two sides of the Black Storm

  POETRY

  AVERY, CLEMENTINE

  Sir Leo

  FICTION

  BABB, MAXINE

  Gone Boy

  POETRY

  BAILEY, KECIAH

  Two sides of the Black Storm

  FICTION

  BANNIGAN, AGNES

  Gone Boy

  MEMOIR

  BARASCH, EMILY

  Inherited

  POETRY

  BAUER-MAGLIN, NAN

  Pink Toe Shoes

  JOURNALISM

  BLACK, ROSALIND

  The Outcome

  POETRY

  BROOKES, JANEIN

  Persephone of High School

  MEMOIR

  BRYAN, ANNIE

  blank wall

  FICTION

  BURCHARD, ELISE

  How to Feed a Monster

  FICTION

  CABRERA, NATHALIE

  In This Moment

  JOURNALISM

  CARLIN, SHANNON

  The Secret Life of Bee Sting Therapy: An Excerpt

  MEMOIR

  CARPENTER, JULIA

  Dedicated

  SCREENWRITING

  CASTILLO, SAONY

  Guy Problems

  POETRY

  CESPEDES-MORA, GENESIS

  Our Super Power

  POETRY

  CHAUDHURY, NUPUR

  People

  POETRY

  CHE, JORDAN

  Insignificance in Numbers

  POETRY

  CHEN, DARYL

  Awe on the MTA, or The Boldest Thing I Ever Saw on the New York City Subway

  MEMOIR

  CHODOROV KAMINSKY, JILL

  My Husband Is the Man in Our Marriage

  POETRY

  CHRISTOPHER, JAYLI MILAN

  Tip Tap Tips

  POETRY

  CHU, NICOLE

  Ode to My Grandmother

  POETRY

  CHUIRAZZI, SARA

  untitled

  MEMOIR

  CLARKE-ARIAS, BRIANNA

  An Investigation on Affect

  POETRY

  CONAN, VIVIAN

  Milestones

  MEMOIR

  COOPER, LILA

  Sunday Scaries

  POETRY

  CORMAN, LINDA

  Ode to My Mittens

  FICTION

  CUNARD, CANDACE

  The Goddess of No

  FICTION

  CUSTEN, SARAH

  Fear Beyond the Future

  POETRY

  DA’COSTA, BERNA

  [yellow …]

  FICTION

  DALEY, SHARI-JADE

  the inner workings of a black girl

  FICTION

  DARBY, MARY

  The Question

  FICTION

  DE LA ROSA, LORENA

  Top Secret Surgery

  MEMOIR

  DIHYEM, MANAR

  An Open Letter to Ignorance

  MEMOIR

  DOLA, LAILA

  I Have Faith in My Father

  POETRY

  DOMINGUEZ, KIMBERLY

  Elegy to My Mother’s Perfume

  MEMOIR

  DONAYRE, STEFANIE

  A Punch of Confidence

  FICTION

  DRAKE, ILANA

  NYC Girl

  FICTION

  DRENNAN, ERICA

  Girl Abroad

  POETRY

  DUBOSE-MORRIS, JOLIAMOUR

  winter v. spring

  FICTION

  ESTRELLA, YADYVIC

  Coffee Chocolate

  MEMOIR

  FLYNTZ, AMY

  Five Months

  MEMOIR

  FOYE, HASINA

  Deaf

  FICTION

  FOYE, MEGHANN

  Breaking the Chain

  POETRY

  FRANCOIS, SIARRA

  Didane

  POETRY

  FRANK, LUCY

  FIFTY YEARS AGO

  MEMOIR

  FRANK, MARY KATE

  In Memory Of

  POETRY

  FRASER, KAYA

  Esther Is Her Name

  POETRY

  FREEWIND, KARA

  Control

  MEMOIR

  FULFORD, CAROLINE

  Borderlands

  MEMOIR

  FULLER, JAIME

  An Open Letter to Writing Open Letters

  MEMOIR

  GAERLAN, KRISTEN

  The Imposter

  MEMOIR

  GALCHEN, GABRIELLE

  What It’s Called

  MEMOIR

  GALINDO, MARIAH

  Setting Precedent

  FICTION

  GARCIA, KIMBERLEY

  Grey

  POETRY

  GAYEN, SENJUTI

  Senjuti Gayen Is—

  FICTION

  GERINGER-BASS, LAURA

  The Object of Desire

  MEMOIR

  GOLDEN, STEPHANIE

  Horse-Crazy

  FICTION

  GOLDHILL, OLIVIA

  Coming in

  POETRY

  GOLIGHTLY, ISABEL

  subway miNd

  MEMOIR

  GOUDA, SARAH

  Best Friends, Forever.

  MEMOIR

  GREENBERG, JAYLA

  Beachbound

  MEMOIR

  GREENE, ANIYA

  An Open Letter to Teachers Who Hate the Hard Questions

  POETRY

  GUERRERO, ANALISE

  Relapse

  MEMOIR

  GUITY, GYANA

  To All the Friends I’ve Loved B
efore

  POETRY

  GUZMAN, GIANNY

  Glass

  FICTION

  HABTU, LENA

  Song in the Silence

  POETRY

  HABTU, NAOMI

  Cycles, Words, Spirits, and Flow

  POETRY

  HAO, IRENE

  the day never looked so red

  FICTION

  HAQUE, SADIA

  All-Consuming Reality

  FICTION

  HARRIS, AGUSTINA

  Waves

  FICTION

  HARRIS, NYLAH

  Daniel

  FICTION

  HART, LOLA

  The Inheritance

  FICTION

  HEILIGMAN, DEBORAH

  Dance Steps

  POETRY

  HERNANDEZ, RUBIT

  Efflorescence

  FICTION

  HESSE, LAUREN

  All of the Women Who Will Inevitably Have to Ask the Man in the Coffee Shop to Move His Bag

  MEMOIR

  HILBRING, VERONICA

  Destination World

  POETRY

  HILL, DONNA

  There All the Time

  FICTION

  HOBY, HERMIONE

  Extract from Small Gods

  POETRY

  HUMPHREY, ANNA

  Time to Be Brave

  MEMOIR

  HYMOWITZ, CAROL

  Learning to Be Older

  MEMOIR

  JACOBS, KATE

  Home

  POETRY

  JAGIRDAR, WAEZA

  Untitled

  MEMOIR

  JAMES, SARANE

  Nothing to Fear

  MEMOIR

  JEFFREY, BIANCA

  Letter to You

  MEMOIR

  KARGBO, AMINATA

  The Pink Hijab with Sparkles … I Wore Only Once

  MEMOIR

  KHANOM, FAIZA

  A Proposal

  FICTION

  KIEL, LAUREN

  A Vision in Red

  POETRY

  KLEINBUB, LINDA

  Relic

  MEMOIR

  KOSTER, ELIZABETH

  How Can You Not See This?

  FICTION

  LABUE, SAMMI

  Song in the Silence

  MEMOIR

  LADSON, SIMERA

  Assuage

  JOURNALISM

  LECLAIR, CATHERINE

  Millennial Men, on Joining, and Then Leaving, the Priesthood

  MEMOIR

  LOZADA, JADE

  Learning to Be Myself

  POETRY

  MACA GARCIA, LORENA

  A Bouquet of Symphonies

  JOURNALISM

  McARDLE, MOLLY

  State of the Nation

  POETRY

  McKAY, CIARA

  Death Walks Through New York

  POETRY

  MILLETT, MAYA

  The Things We Carry

  MEMOIR

  MOREL, ANGELY

  Home

  POETRY

  MORGAN, AMINA

  An Ode to Tears

  MEMOIR

  MORRIS, EMILY

  Glory

  FICTION

  MUKHTAR, AMINA

  All Is Good in His World

  FICTION

  MULLEY, KATE

  The Bridge

  MEMOIR

  NAPOLITANO, KATE

  Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Woman Who Listens to Music

  MEMOIR

  NAZAIRE, SARADINE

  An Educated Woman

  MEMOIR

  NELSON, LIVIA

  The Exley

  FICTION

  NESBAT, HANNAH

  Breaking News

  POETRY

  NEWMAN, KATE

  Recycled Reasoning

  POETRY

  ORTEGA, YAMILET

  child.

  FICTION

  PALERMO, GABI

  The Puerto Rican Snow White

  POETRY

  PALUMBO, NIKKI

  An Ode to My Short Hair

  FICTION

  PANTALEON, LESLIE

  Re: Hazel Moss

  POETRY

  PARKER, RIA

  The Day I Realized

  MEMOIR

  PIFER, CARLY

  Shoe Thrower

  POETRY

  PRESENT, EMILY

  A Dulled Match

  MEMOIR

  QUINTERO, STEPHANIE

  A Bold Moment in My Life

  MEMOIR

  RAGHURAM, NANDITA

  Ajji

  MEMOIR

  REESE, LYNDSEY

  Arrival

  MEMOIR

  RINALDI, EMILY

  One in a Melon

  POETRY

  ROBINSON, CECILY

  A Seat at the Table

  POETRY

  RODRIGUEZ, DANIA

  The Elements of Fashion

  POETRY

  ROLAND, JUDITH

  Ode to an Avocado

  POETRY

  ROWE, JENNIFER

  u can’t control a bad b

  FICTION

  RUBIN, JULIA LYNN

  Messages in Candy

  FICTION

  RUPNARAIN, ROSHNIE

  Warrior of the Ring

  MEMOIR

  SALEH, DALEELAH

  In Flux

  POETRY

  SANDERSON, ISABELLE

  Bleached

  FICTION

  SANTOS SABINO, KAYLA

  Uncle (Let’s Say) Bob

  FICTION

  SCHEINER, KATHLEEN

  The Beast

  MEMOIR

  SCHMIT, CAROLYN

  The People You Meet

  POETRY

  SCHNEIDER, ASHLEY

  Orientation

  MEMOIR

  SERLIN, JAMIE

  Most Improved

  FICTION

  SHELDON-DEAN, HANNAH

  The Swerve

  POETRY

  SHEUBA, SANJIDA

  Dead Flowers & Forgotten Souls

  FICTION

  SHICKMANTER, MARGO

  Tides

  POETRY

  SHOPE, RACHEL

  Ode to San Vicente

  POETRY

  SILVERMAN, MARISSA

  The Warrior

  POETRY

  SLON, MAEVE

  The End

  MEMOIR

  SMITH, AYANA

  The Fluidity of Language

  POETRY

  SPENCER, LAUREN

  An Ode to a Certain Age

  POETRY

  STEIN, SYLVI

  Song of the Sea

  MEMOIR

  STRAUS, JEN

  Second Self

  MEMOIR

  STRICKLAND, HEATHER

  Toe Prints

  MEMOIR

  SWANSON, HALEY

  I Want Some More

  MEMOIR

  SYDNEY, CAROLINE

  Dearest

  FICTION

  TAN, JOANNA

  Ripples

  MEMOIR

  TAYLOR, JANIAH

  From Past to Future Me

  POETRY

  THOMAS, ALANTA

  Color Me Gentle//False Healing

  POETRY

  THOMAS, ELIZABETH

  Recently Unearthed Microsoft Encarta Entries (Circa 1998)

  MEMOIR

  THOMAS, HANNAH

  My Pooh Is My Best Friend

  FICTION

  TORRES, KENIA

  The Legend of the Immortal

  FICTION

  UNCINI, KIMBERLY

  Wednesday

  POETRY

  VESPOLI, LAUREN

  Bright Spot

  POETRY

  WEJKO, ALEXA

  Villanelle Against Backsliding

  POETRY

  WELCH, ASHLEY

  Carmen

  POETRY

  WHELAN, MARIA

  Wicked and
Bold

  MEMOIR

  WILLIAMS, SHANAI

  Who wants to be great?

  POETRY

  WILLIG, ROBIN

  Crystal Bowl

  POETRY

  WOOD, ALIKAY

  Alikay Wood Is—

  MEMOIR

  WOOD, MEGAN

  You Can’t Sit with Us: Havana

  FICTION

  YANG, KAITLYN

  The Day the Nothings Came

  POETRY

  YU, CLAIRE

  You, She

  FICTION

  YU, GRACE

  used matches

  FICTION

  ZHANG, EN YU

  One Night

  FICTION

  ZYADA, BASMALA

  Finite

  Ctrl + B: Prompts and Writing Exercises for Individuals and Groups

  THE GIRLS WRITE NOW

  2019 ANTHOLOGY

  SOLEDAD AGUILAR-COLÓN

  YEARS AS MENTEE: 3

  GRADE: Senior

  HIGH SCHOOL: Beacon High School

  BORN: Bronx, NY

  LIVES: New York, NY

  PUBLICATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: Silver Keys and Honorable Mention