Perspectives

Perspectives is an anniversary compilation of Women Writers (WWW) youth writings including poems, essays, journal entries, and open letters dating back to 2011, when WWW piloted its first The Write of Your L fe after-school program in east Riverside, an hour east of Downtown Los Angeles. All proceeds will benefit WWW's after-school mentoring cultural arts and writing programs for at-risk youth. The poems and writings in this anthology come from the exercises completed in The Write of Your L fe programs since 2011 through the guidance of WWW Instructors and Inlandia Literary Laureate Gayle Brandeis and volunteers. The students were asked to dig deeply inside themselves to explore what they want to let go of, who they were at their core or how they could stand up for themselves. The students shared different perspectives, exploring topics such as relationships, food, style and future. They wrote poems, journal entries, essays, quotes, open letters to (and in the voices of) bullies, victims, perpetrators, and future-selves, and letters to Holocaust survivors (who visited to share their stories). The students shared their own dreams and fears, views on respect, and the lessons they hoped to pass on to their next generation. The work contained within this anthology is published anonymously to protect the identity of our students who wrote with bravery and open minds and hearts to express difficult things; it is through their stories that they help others break free. Most of these youth have dealt with challenges that children should never have to face, yet they persevere, show resilience and share their perspectives in hope others will learn from their stories. Expressing these things help the youth understand their past, but not let it define who they are or limit what their future holds. When youth are exposed to pain and hardship, it creates a burning desire within them to break free, get back up and keep going. By providing them with mentorship and tools to express themselves, WWW youth can shed the pain from their pasts to move forward and thrive. Visit WomenWonderWriters.com for more information about the organization.