RISE SPEAK CHANGE:
The Girls Write Now 2017 Anthology
“Now, more than ever, the luminous and necessary work of Girls Write Now is essential in encouraging girls and young women to author their own narratives, a form of empowerment that lasts a lifetime.”
—HALA ALYAN, author of Salt Houses
“The power of words has created my entire past, present, and future. How we articulate the world around us shapes reality. There is nothing more important than the next generation of women using the power of language to impact their own lives and the lives of others.”
—SOPHIA AMORUSO, founder and author of #Girlboss
“This year’s Girls Write Now anthology continues to exemplify the power of words and the power the ladies who wield them have to make their voices known. Uplifting to read at any age and by anyone, this compendium showcases the voices of a generation ready to persevere because they deserve to be heard. I hope we’re all listening and listening intently.”
—JENNIFER BAKER, creator and host of Minorities in Publishing podcast and Girls Write Now mentor alum
“There is power in telling a story, and immense power is given to those with the permission to tell them. Women and girls have long had their power usurped, but Girls Write Now gives power to young women whose stories not only deserve to be told, but need to be heard. By everyone. The revolution is on the page, in black and white, in their own voices.”
—TRACEY BAPTISTE, author of The Jumbies
“Each word in this volume is a whisper in the dark—a lifeline to a fundamental truth that the world, again and again, hides from girls: that you matter; your story matters; your voice matters; your impact on the wide world matters. The path from girlhood to womanhood is dark and twisted and terrifying, and it is ever so easy to become lost, or injured, or diminished. What helps us make it through are stories. They are maps, lamps, sturdy boots, swords, shields. Stories defend us, nurture us, bind us to one another and bind us to ourselves. I can think of no greater gift to give to a girl about to make this journey. Godspeed to you, my darlings!”
—KELLY BARNHILL, author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon
“Girls Write Now is a gift to young women who want to explore their artistic and comedic voices. I was so impressed by the honesty in each young writer’s piece, as well as the girls’ commitment to helping each other. These ladies have the goods!”
—KRISTEN BARTLETT, writer for Saturday Night Live
“Girls Write Now is both parts platform and advocate; for voices of young women writers, emerging and becoming their own.”
—MAHOGANY L. BROWNE, author of “Black Girl Magic”
“Encouragement is essential in every girl’s life; every time I have been given a moment to speak and express myself, I have grown. Girls Write Now gives girls these moments to grow into creators, speakers, and leaders who believe their stories are important.”
—RHEA BUTCHER, creator and star of Take My Wife
“Girls Write Now showcases the power of what happens when we set young women’s voices free. This anthology is full of essential, passionate, and creative writing that will motivate you, too, to Rise Speak Change. I know I will sleep better at night with this important reminder that the future is female.”
—JULIE BUXBAUM, author of Tell Me Three Things
“These girls inspire me to be better, stronger, more liberated, to take more risks, to love completely, to use suffering as a catalyst for poetry and stories, and to persevere through the darkest nights of the soul. They are beautiful, and they will run the world some day. When they take over, we’ll be in good hands.”
—ROSANNE CASH, author of Composed
“Girls Write Now is doing deeply important work—young women, now more than ever, must claim their own stories.”
—EMMA CLINE, author of The Girls
“Girls Write Now is the kind of program you hope is around for the next gabillion years. The young women in this program are so intelligent, funny, and inspiring. I hope that their voices will only get louder.”
—JO FIRESTONE, writer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
“The urgency that fuels the writing in this anthology—the passion and fury and hunger for change—is as inspiring as the words themselves. These dynamic young women demand that we sit up, open our ears, our minds, and our hearts. We would all do well to heed their call.”
—GAYLE FORMAN, author of If I Stay
“This book is a resounding affirmation of young female life, in all its multiplicity.”
—TAVI GEVINSON, editor of Rookie
“Through Girls Write Now, girls are given the most important gift: a courageous voice. Through their stories and writings, the young women in this program become powerful agents for change and transformation in their own lives, their communities, and the broader world.”
—KARINA GLASER, author of The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
“When women have the agency to write stories, they take back the power of creating narrative—no matter what gender those narratives represent. Girls Write Now is helping to foster that power in the next generation of women writers.”
—ILANA GLAZER, co-creator and co-star of Broad City
“Dear Future: Meet your leaders. Girls Write Now is training a generation of blazing, brilliant women who prove in this anthology that they are already sharp advocates for themselves, for their communities, and for the world at large, thank goodness. I can’t wait to see what these young women will do next.”
—LAUREN GROFF, author of Fates and Furies
“Once again we are reckoning with just how profoundly our world is affected by the stories we tell and retell. Girls Write Now ensures that young women get to be the authors and the protagonists of those stories. It is more important than ever that girls have the tools to tell their stories and the audiences who will listen. In a world that is gleefully silencing women, we must encourage them to shout, and scribble, and rhyme, and narrate, and imagine. I am honored to be in solidarity with Girls Write Now.”
—MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, editor at large of Elle.com and Maya Angelou presidential chair at Wake Forest University
“The female point of view is so vast and diverse—it is essential that more women create stories from their personal perspective to help further reflect the world we live in. Girls Write Now provides invaluable support in this mission.”
—ABBI JACOBSON, co-creator and co-star of Broad City
“When you give girls the tools and space to share what lights them up, they set the world on fire. The spirit, the passion, and the undeniable talent of the young women who are a part of Girls Write Now offer up the hope we need right now—the kind of hope we always need. Brave, bold, and bright.”
—KELLY JENSEN, editor of Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World
“In a year that has seen women and girls on every continent marching in the streets, one thing has become increasingly clear: a girl’s voice is the most powerful part of her body. A voice gives a girl the power to call others to action, to speak truth to power—for herself and on behalf of others—and to demand real change. Girls Write Now brings together some of the most potent and passionate young voices on issues of personal and political import. Make no mistake: they will be heard.”
—LACY M. JOHNSON, author of The Other Side
“There