GRADE: Junior
HIGH SCHOOL: Millennium Brooklyn High School
BORN: Brooklyn, NY
LIVES: Brooklyn, NY
MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: I remember the first time I read my poem to Keciah. I was filled with pressure because I usually don’t share my writings with anyone. I’ve also never written much poetry before meeting her. But while she was reading it her face slowly became filled with joy, and she loved my writing. Since I hold her opinion very dear, knowing that she likes my writing makes me more comfortable with sharing and makes me more willing to write more even if it’s out of my comfort zone.
KECIAH BAILEY
YEARS AS MENTOR: 1
OCCUPATION: Communications Associate, Hebrew Public
BORN: Kingston, Jamaica
LIVES: Brooklyn, NY
PUBLICATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: Canarsie Courier
MENTOR’S ANECDOTE: I think of Sade as “the lion and the lamb.” At first glance, she is this shy and unassuming teenage girl. Then she writes, and someone fierce, bold, and powerful emerges. She is so strikingly self-aware with a perspective on life that is far beyond her years. While I can never craft a perfectly written poem in twenty minutes (which she does effortlessly), she is exactly who I was in high school. It is truly rewarding to take this journey with her yet offer her a wiser, more evolved version of myself as a mentor and as a writer.
“(F)ear” is about my outlook on how life should be perceived. I know many teenage girls who sometimes take life too seriously. At this age, we should think of life as more of a big picture that is still unfolding, rather than as a micro-moment.
Taught from young that the pit in her stomach, the sweat on her hands, and the pain in her chest will always be there no matter what. The feeling of being lost in a place full of people who already have their opinions and intentions for her. They’ll all hurt and destroy her, adding more things to her demise. Although she’s remained strong through mental, physical, and sexual abuse—she knows that it’s coming.
The strength is dwindling
The light at the end of the tunnel is
No longer twinkling.
For it is pitch black, cold, and she’s numb.
She is sweating and shuddering
Because everything is out of her control.
Yet, inevitably, she endures a breakthrough
And the blue devils become invisible
Like gravity, her infelicity into the galaxy . . .
Taught from experiences, she knows that even though these experiences may be dark, she must go through them. Not because she’s terrible or deserves the worst—but because these hardships, sufferings, are nothing but lessons and experiences. The scars and burns are stories to tell someone who needs it. From this she learned a lesson—maybe even a philosophy—that without fear there would be no function, no motivation to get out of where she is. But we must pull positivity from our experiences because we don’t know our expiration date.
So why live in the darkness and not chase the light? Why take everything while we’re young as such burdens and not lessons? There’s no need to view teenage years as if they are negative times, because this time we have is for lessons. Shaping. To formulate the best versions of ourselves. Generation (F)ear is the generation of hope and strength.
Quite often, it’s the story we tell ourselves about our past and our experiences that keeps us bound. Through my own inward journey, I’ve found that the path to true freedom is to revisit the past, reconcile the good with the bad, then redefine our identities so we can fully embrace the promise of the future. Generation F is Freedom.
I went back into my past and planted a garden there—
The memories were dead and dried.
And all along the fields
Where dreams laid buried,
I gathered up their bones
And prayed them back to life.
In an old shed I found a bucket of tears,
Locked up in frustration and failure.
With it, I watered my garden
Parched with regret and shame,
And sowed seeds of faith,
Where there grew weeds of fear.
Now when I revisit the memories are sweet
Fragrant with life, laughter,
Hope and promise.
The dreams are alive,
Singing and dancing with praise,
And the grains of faith are ripe for the harvest.
I went back into my past and planted a garden there . . .
Now as the future blooms eternal—
She rejoices.
ASSATA ANDREWS
YEARS AS MENTEE: 2
GRADE: Senior
HIGH SCHOOL: Hillside Arts and Letters Academy
BORN: Queens, NY
LIVES: Queens, NY
MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: At first, I was afraid to start all over with a new mentor because it is tough for me to meet new people. However, Kate was able to take all of my worries away and I am able to talk to her about topics that I wouldn’t with my friends, making me enjoy meeting her every week. She gives me criticism that gives me the ability to think about what I want my work to become. Also, Kate makes sure that I understand my goals. I appreciate her hard work and the good atmosphere that she brings every week.
KATE BRYANT
YEARS AS MENTOR: 1
OCCUPATION: MFA Candidate at Queens College
BORN: Marietta, OH
LIVES: Queens, NY
MENTOR’S ANECDOTE: Assata’s creativity is really inspiring and I’ve been impressed and amazed with how she plans out her stories. I have learned a lot from talking to her about time management and relating about our shared perfectionist tendencies. We’ve both been juggling lots of deadlines this year, so we are really ready to plan something fun. I think often about how much braver she is than I