WriteGirl Launches Online Literary Journal on 20th Anniversary
“Today is a celebration of the WriteGirl community,” WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor said in her opening remarks during the launch event for the new WriteGirl Literary Journal Lines & Breaks on Saturday, December 4, 2021. “And at the heart of a community is both the acts of giving and receiving – in a vibrant community, people contribute and benefit.”
The event also marked the 20th anniversary of WriteGirl, which was founded in December 2001 by Keren Taylor.
More than 100 WriteGirl teens, alums and mentors gathered on Saturday, gathered on Zoom to celebrate the literary journal’s inaugural issue on the theme of “My Hometown.” Featuring more than 30 pieces of poetry, fiction, songs and scenes from teens and alums, this first issue is an ode to everything that makes a hometown home. Click here to read Lines & Breaks!
Throughout the launch event, attendees heard readings and performances from 11 of the teens and alums published in the first issue of Launch & Breaks. To kick everyone off, WriteGirl mentee Jazzmin Joya wowed with her poem “She Reminds Me of Everything”, which spotlighted her heritage:
“We all stare, at the beauty
Pozole and champurrado dance in the air
tempting our bellies.”
WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor & NBC4 Journalist Beverly White
Mid-way through the event WriteGirl staff asked the audience to share one thing they love about their hometown! The chat was immediately flooded with everything from cacti by the pool to rooftops, and WriteGirl Digital Content Coordinator (and WriteGirl alum) Sofía Aguilar went to work incorporating their words into a larger, collaborative poem to perform later in the event – by the community, for the community!
Everyone also had the honor of hearing from special guest and NBC4 journalist Beverly White, who read “Stones in Paris, Italy” on behalf of WriteGirl mentee Noa Opeyemi:
“Rivers of dirt and debris will take me somewhere more beautiful.
But I’ve heard that we are in a drought."
“Thank you WriteGirl teens & team members! You make our world a better place at a time when we all need reassurance,” Beverly added.
Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate Jessica Kim also made a special appearance on video, introduced by Exposition Review Co-Editor-in-Chief Annlee Ellingson. Jessica shined through the rendition of her poem, “DEAR LA” – perfect for the issue theme!
“and it is okay to watch the horizon fade into the ocean
and let the waves call your name
and let your home be home.”
Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate & WriteGirl Mentee Jessica Kim
To follow up her performance, WriteGirl welcomed Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson to the virtual mic, who read an excerpt from “Ndolé” on behalf of its author and WriteGirl mentee Hyla Etame in honor of Black History Month! She also read one of her own original and stunning works to close out her segment.
WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor then led a panel discussion where WriteGirl alums Sofía, Sydnee Blueford and Lena McElroy shared some advice for WriteGirl mentees on both writing and life:
Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson
“Don’t throw any of your writing away,” Sydnee reminded teens.
“Try everything. I found all of the different genres waiting for me at WriteGirl,” said Sofía.
“Embrace your weirdness!” Lena added.
Following the panel, Sofía read the collaborative community poem she’d been working on behind-the-scenes, entitled, “this is the place”:
“this is the place i always return to
the city i hurry down
the town i take to heart
the place i still, will always call home.”
To help bring the Lit Journal Launch to a close, WriteGirl held its traditional Threads moment, when all attendees can share what they liked, learned, or loved about the event!
“I am so impressed with the writing here tonight. Congrats to all of you inspiring artists!” said WriteGirl volunteer Megan Mercier.
Morgan McIntosh, a WriteGirl mentee, said, “Loved hearing everyone’s unique and beautiful experiences growing up in their hometowns!”
But that wasn’t the only way the WriteGirl community ended the evening! In the last 20 minutes, Keren and the event host Rhonda Nicole held space for a fun writing experiment! Dubbing the activity “Manhole Covers”, they showed pictures of various manhole covers throughout the world and helped attendees draw their very own! The challenge? Draw one that you’d like to see in your hometown and incorporate symbols and words that are emblematic of the city or neighborhood you chose! What a perfect way to end this celebration of WriteGirl and all the different hometowns the community comes from!
“We absolutely love the range of voices and cultures represented in Lines & Breaks,” Keren said. “We have dreamed about this, and now it is here!”
The WriteGirl Literary Journal Launch was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.