Put On My Headset, Now I'm In A Different World by 826nyc

826NYC Books 372 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215 Put on My Headset, Now I’m in a Different World: Poems by 826NYC Students at Academy for Young Writers © 2021 by 826NYC and the authors. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. First 826NYC edition June 2021 Manufactured in the United States of Brooklyn 978-1-948644-79-2 The writing in this book was produced in the 2020-2021 school year at 826NYC’s Young Writers Publish project at Academy for Young Writers. The classes were run by Matthew Thompson with the support of Dave Weber and Sean Mattio, as well as 826NYC writing mentors Phil Cohen, Sophie Downes, Olivia Ensley, Ali Galante, Andrea Grassi, Arianna Rebollini, Misha Matalia, Danielle Sinay, and Ruth Weissmann. Designed by Rebecca Alvarez-Alcocer Edited and proofread by Chris Ahearn, Christine Corbin, Vanessa Friedman, Jeanna Kadlec, Melanie McFayden, Carly Schnitzler, Lauren Stefaniak, and Hillary Tacuri. Printed by Bookmobile This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, The Hawkins Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Kettering Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, and The Resnick Family Foundation. The program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. 826NYC is grateful to the many individuals who support our work. To see our full list of supporters or make a donation, please visit https://826nyc.org/donate-us/.

826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

Put On My Headset, Now I’m In A Different World

Poems by 826NYC Students at Academy for Young Writers

This book is intended for mature audiences, with some topics, themes, and language that may not be suitable for young readers.

Table of Contents

Section 1 — 11th Grade Students 25

Alberta Makayla Barrett

Put on my headset, now I’m in a different world Sanai Charles

Cyber Chase Ceonni Dunn

Ode to feet

My Poison Ivy

My favorite person

Occupation

Time right now

The pain and hurt

Hector Gonzalez

Jonathan Gonzalez

Analice Gutierrez

Sean Harris

Enoh Isiorho

Zenia White

Section 2 — 12th Grade Students 49

Freedom Cento Azmeri Akter

Ode To My Room Elizabeth Casimir

The truth will always be here Infinite Clovie

Elegy Chenicia Cummings

J. Valentino Gabriella Davis

Ode about Orange Juice Lori Eustache

Thoughts Cento Mya Faison

Promise Tinuade Falope

So High Tyquasia Frett

LOVE Zaniah Garner

Untitled Yeanli Gonzalez

Candle Nashea Green

In my mood Rivaldo Griffiths

I love sneakers Taylen Johnson

Shoe Laces Mohamed Keita

Donna Williams Imani King

I Wish I Knew Kinaya Mabry

What is elegy Atiyah Melville

The Silent Moments Shanau Miller

Freedom Cento Adam Mobley Jr.

Ode to vegetables Amaiyah Murphy

101

Wishing You Well Alex Pyle

103

Love Anayeli Rosario

105

Nurturing Briana Ross

107

Carry me slowly Jeremias Ruiz

109

Respect Image Samuels

111

Does the air hate words Janae Stanford

115

To be free Kayla Tovar

117

Absence Dearah Walthour

121

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free Maira Zapata

123

Notes on Centos

125

Acknowledgments

Foreword Put On My Headset, Now I’m In A Different World is an anthology invested in the digital. Like, we had no choice, but to be thrown to pixel, Zoom, and headsets; and somehow the writing sessions were nostalgia-tinted. We linked up across time zones huddled near webcams crusty from last night’s dreams. Let your romanticism rest, dear reader. I mean literal crust, and the webcams were blurred by thumb prints. The world we built in Sean’s 11th grade and Dave’s 12th grade literature classes was something like being in the back of a cafe during a group poetry share. Some students listened intently; while others geeked out about Nina Simone’s ability to welcome spirit, and put her arm-in-therim of a piano. Some students started writing their own personal manuscripts of poems, and shared bars to warm us up for writing. From Sean’s class, Sanai’s poem gifts us not only the title of our anthology, but a crisp snapshot of what Toni Morrison means when she says, “I must bear witness.” From Dave’s class we receive the wisdom of future leaders. This class packed with 12th grade poets changed me with lines of poetry I wish I wrote myself. The online schoolhouse was a new world for so many of us. However, what more does a poet want than a new landscape to explore?

Put On… really puts on for poetry. We studied four poetry forms that will be found in this book. First, we explored free verse poetry to flex our ability to write unencumbered. Second, odes filled my inbox as students responded to a prompt asking for strangeness, uncanny, odd, and weird. Angel Nafis and Dominique Christina served as our mentor text. We learned about oceans, hearts, and “dummies from Twitter.” Cento poetry was next. We collaged poems together and chatted about the language that won’t leave us. To then end with elegies. Atiyah asks in her poem, “What is elegy?” and I wonder what is mourning without lament? I stand corrected. Put On... is most invested in consolation. It is an offering from the world’s future artists to soothe as we adjust our headsets, and blaze fresh trails in new worlds. Enjoy this student work. Let it move you into an imaginative capacity that was beyond you before this reading. Matthew Thompson 826NYC Teaching Artist

Section Poems by 11th Grade Students

Alberta

Makayla Barrett

She rises like the sun, blessing us with her beautiful light See how her smile dazzles those who walk by The matriarch, respected, loved always sacrificing for others Watch her glow with each step never missing a beat Look at her stride with confidence knowing the power she holds For her family, she will go to any length For she is a force one so great and strong It is through us that her legacy will live on

Put on my headset, now I’m in a different world

Sanai Charles

Put on my headset, now I’m in a different world I see dinosaurs, huge ocean, giant people Dinosaurs pounding their feet on the ground. Swimming and jumping just by moving my head around I swam and went too far down And my feet are still on the ground It looks so realistic, like I drowned.

Cyber Chase Ceonni Dunn

Pose, *ka-chic* that one is cute, post it!! In a few minutes, they swipe up and point out how big my nose is. My “Homegirl” screenshots it and sends it to her close friends, you think they laughed? Sho-did. I posted a video of me singing “Heartbreak Anniversary.” A girl comments and tells me to shut up. What’s wrong? Did you not like it? How come Grumpy Cat got more likes than I did? Do you think Paisley would like this? “Pick your favorite photo for me to send, best friend.” My girlfriend is in her comments and likes, is she prettier? Ha. That girl couldn’t get skinnier. Scroll, double tap, comment, repeat. Why are we all trapped on this app? Society’s little game that all teenagers love to play.

Ode to Feet Hector Gonzalez

Ode to feet, u help me walk to places that I need to get to, ode to feet the soft smooth skin that’s wrapped around you and keeps me from getting hurt from certain objects, ode to feet i love how ur connected to my legs

My Poison Ivy Jonathan Gonzalez

It sucks, but what can you do Looking forward to moving on But yet I still seem to miss her scent The scent that was sweet yet toxic Nothing last forever is what I tell myself A mere band aid to cover the burns Burns from the sweet toxicity The toxicity I enabled The sorrow-filled truth a lot run from I tried to find a beautiful flower in you, the flower I knew you were But it turns out you were a poisonous plant In disguise My poison ivy, this is to you.

My Favorite Person Analice Gutierrez

My favorite person Always there for me The only one that understands me She gets my humor We like the same music The same shows We’re from the same place You take me everywhere Never embarrassed to be with me My favorite person whom I’ll always have love for Please stay with me forever And may we grow together

Occupation Sean Harris

My eyes are open, I cannot sleep. I am conscious, But I am in a dream. I see a million lives flash before my eyes. I could be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist. Really the possibilities are nearly endless. Ideas crash into my head like giant waves against the shore. What I really want I'm certainly not sure. Time is slipping through my fingers like tiny grains of sand. I'll run out of money and out of youth soon, but yet frozen in place I stand. Contemplating, wondering, what ifs are coming, take cover. I could just stand here looking at the sea until my life is over. If I choose one life I have to stop dreaming. What if I choose wrong and end up in a life full of grieving? My mind is clouded and I'm wasting away, I have no passion, no clear cut way. It must be easy to love something and have one goal. But I feel everything much too heavy on my soul.

Time Right Now Enoh Isiorho

Place: I got a bear in the pasture Graceful and gentle creation A pass by this sun morning, Grazing on the tallest shoots of Red stem and Queen Gamora Lace. She explains the three crowns My usual company, Mining for worms and other edibles Under the elms. Her intrusion warps Their routine forage And sets them off Now they are gone All have spread through the fields To finish what they began.

The Pain and Hurt Zenia White

If I could start my life over I would The pain and hurt I was put through The lies and tales I was told The weight lost and the stress From being a happy little girl To sad and depressed A dark place keeps stealing my soul I try to escape but it won’t let me go I cry for help but nobody knows The pain I go through everyday

I hide my hurt and tears Keep them inside hoping it'll go away But it doesn't. It eats me up Sucks me in I fear that no one will really understand the reason I’m the way I am So I stay to myself and write They say keeping it inside is no help But lately no one has had me like I have me If I could start my life over I would To go back to my normal self Depression I can’t do it anymore And the people are no help.

Section Poems by 12th Grade Students

Freedom Cento Azmeri Akter

My dear love If you don't come The day will get Smaller and smaller There will be no happiness The time will run faster As if I’m walking behind a fastest horse The sun may not shine as always There will be no green grass The wind will blow cold It will feel like a sharp knife cutting through my skin. And the night will be dark Without moonlight and stars For there will be No summer here If you don't come.

Ode To My Room Elizabeth Casimir

There for me through thick and thin These four blue walls That I reside within You are where my head falls At the end of the day When I can no longer stand tall Everything feels okay I don't have a care at all Once I step into your floral scented arms The welcoming silence Is one of your greatest charms We were made for each other like it was a science You’ve seen my growth You’ve seen my tears You and me both Have tended to each other over the years This is my ode To the room at the end of the hallway One whose love could never grow old I’ll love you always

The truth will always be here Infinite Clovie

The truth will always be here Never to be lost in its many forms The pain will never stop as we desire it indefinitely Even though the truth seems to never reflect our desires If they say “the truth hurts” Then we are simply masochists in disguise Maybe we like the pain Or maybe without the pain derived from truth We wouldn’t know the feelings of life We can alter the truth as many times as we want

And it will always be there Attached to our personalities Attracted to our cluelessness And Heightened by our Curiosity It is not what guides you It is what you are It is the reason you are nothing.

Elegy

Chenicia Cummings

Today I turned on the television and a game of soccer was on I instantly thought of you and the love that you had for the game I turned it off immediately because I didn’t want to think about you Tears started to stream down my face as memories clouded my mind I regretted turning the television on because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be shedding tears That day you passed was unexpected and hurt me more than I thought it would I refused to look at your pictures or anything that you loved The pictures you have without your family seems to be your happiest In those pictures you can see the happiness glistening in your eyes The pictures with us however tell a different story Your eyes didn’t glisten and your face didn’t show happiness Turning the game off was pretty easy I did this because I didn’t want to face the pain of losing you You lived your life to the fullest You accomplished most things You got your degree and master’s and traveled the world You did everything under the sun From cricket games to parties and then some You did everything but the most important job You neglected to be a parent However as hard as I may try I will never be able to avoid this pain You did your best to love the only way you knew how to Maybe it is was your upbringing, who knows In the end however it wasn’t enough I miss you but I refuse to grieve you

J. Valentino

Gabriella Davis

Why are you still here? Thinking of you makes my stomach turn. Love no longer lives here for you. I remind myself. I’ve written thousands of poems Wishing to be rid of you How many more will it take, At this point, I'll do anything. If I never spoke to you again it’d be too soon Your voice makes me tear up as soon as you part your lips. I wish I could print out all our memories, Put them in a pile, set them on fire, and watch them burn I write about being angry at you Being hurt by you What I thought was being loved by you. What else can I do? Looking at you makes me nauseous You are a termite Festering into my brain still long after you have gone. I miss you. Why can’t we go back to before? Was it so bad living in oblivion? I know it's wrong, but you and I feel so right.

I've written thousands of poems Yet I still seem to be stuck on you. I’m so sick of sitting at this table, Knowing every time I sit to write it’s about you. Every letter dedicated to the “thing we once shared” How many pages will I go through How much more to write to erase you from my psyche. My eternal infernal valentine from hell. Have you ever had a soul tie? Assuming you have a soul, of course What if you are mine and we are stuck here. I hate this. I still cry at night waiting for you to come back to me. I know you won’t no matter how much my girls hype me up. I am in the stage of grief called denial. I’ve written dozens of poems, the theme is always you. So why beat around the bush this time. J. Valentino, you were once mine, and I was once yours. I don’t hate you—I never could—that was the problem

Ode about Orange Juice Lori Eustache

Orange Juice is the tastiest fruit juice out there. Some say it's apple juice but I don’t care. Are apple juice drinkers unaware of the immaculate taste, the citrusy, the exotic taste of orange juice? The power fruit that starts our morning, keeps our heart pumpin’, gives us immunity from the disgusting plague of apple juice. Never would I force anyone to drink orange juice, that would be abuse, but I refuse to associate myself with anyone who likes apple juice.

Thoughts Cento Mya Faison

Conversations with myself I wish I knew how it would feel to be free Depleted but not defeated It’s the same way you showed me If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Shout it loud so they all know how you feel Pitch corrected computed emotion Under construction masterpiece until I heal Ask me how I’m really doing I’d rather chip my pride than lose my mind And I know it better than most people I’ll be just fine I can’t relate to my peers Still I smile I see some things that you might fear Adjust to pain I wish you could know what it means to be Young and reckless It’s so complex to me

Promise Tinuade Falope

Promise When I call out All my friends Are there I’ve been gone, Little too long Been on the move But I want people To come home to A new one Inside my body My age done changed But my crew Still do the Same thing I’m glad I have somewhere To go Oh my friends, Bloom, how you must We all follow the same road Don’t find end, There was no beginning Pave a way Get out that box We told So many lies

In an attempt To free ourselves Everyone we love Is still alive Hold our hands Because we need companions Bless our soul Though we’re sinners Stick to my people That’s people I know I’m spitting words Out my mouth These things are a drag

So High

Tyquasia Frett

Living high My world has a blue sky Me and my friends out at night Living high We'll meet up in skies No destination just drive Living high We can’t remember last night But for a lifetime our problems die Living High Now just you and I Time slows down and our hearts speed up Living high I escape to a wonderful land of dreams In the morning we return to 9-5’s

LOVE

Zaniah Garner

I can't believe I said I love you Was it the taste of your lips? The smell on your collar? The sound of your voice when you told me “I'll do anything to see you happy”? Was it the way you walked towards me when you reached in for a hug? How you touched me on my waist and pulled me closer to you The confusion of me telling you I love you Distracts me from the reality of life Do I love you or do I love how you make me feel.

Untitled

Yeanli Gonzalez

Childhood full of flapping doors or bad intentions I try my hardest just to see what I predicted I’m told that I’m overdramatic, that I'm paranoid Can't you see the tears in my heart Can't you see how tired I am I know my worth from the actions towards me Like a run down car I’m kept around for memories Until they've found something shiny and new and I’m tossed to the junkyard Abandonment is something I'd wish on all my worst memories Maybe that’s what I’ve been sent Like to the trial in the craft A spell of karma for my crime of my harm to others For existing I'm tired but my heart has room for others When will the hurt end

Candle

Nashea Green

You spark and flicker from the feel of heat You would think you were excited to see me You offer this calmness that is so upbeat And the smell of your sweet sweet lavender knocks Me right off my feet I breathe you in through my body And that sweet savory presence uplifts me Your presence takes over the room Soo confident in what you do. How can anyone not want to have you I guess I'm just more lucky that I found you

In My Mood Rivaldo Griffiths

In my mood by myself, feeling lonely need no help soaring high but so low you on my mind. Need you by my side need no help no help please feelings on high, lowkey need no help no help please need you by my side, lowkey. Please.

I love sneakers Taylen Johnson

I love sneakers I get so excited when I get a new pair I love the fresh new sneaker smell I love to hold them when I take them out the box I like how they come in different colors I like how some are high and how some are low And I don’t know what I would do without them

Shoe Laces Mohamed Keita

Hole after hole You're like a stream You’re surely underrated Because you are what glorifies my shoe Aren't you tired of it? Make people drippy Basically make the fit I am tired of it Because I truly am what makes this whole fit lit I’m angry Because I’m incapable of having a conscience You can be fly without me? Nonsense

Donna Williams Imani King

A name I will never forget. My mother’s name who died a year ago, leaving me heartbroken. A great mourn as the sun sets and all fear and worry, Leaving my body as I know she's in a better place, leaving me with a comfortable misery. The night was cold, dark, nothing but moon and stars. Losing a parent is the hardest thing and I certainly wasn’t ready for it. Her smile was like a bright sun, instantly lighting up the room. Her touch was soft as we embraced, feeling the warm motherly love I’ve missed. Fly angel, fly as high as your wings can take you, I would say when I look up to the sky. Donna Williams, the world's greatest sunshine.

I Wish I Knew Kinaya Mabry

After Nina Simone and Cameron Awkward-Rich I wish I knew That you don't always die when you’re supposed to I wish I knew I could be like a bird in the sky How sweet it would be if I found I could fly Oh, I'd soar to the sun a white door would open into a place queerly brimming with gold light so velvet-gold it would be like a world that hasn't happened yet. I wish I knew how it would feel to be free How the hours of the day would be beautiful How it would be Beautiful On this nameless planet.

What is Elegy Atiyah Melville

What is elegy? Feels like blehhh Mourning, sorrow poem What are poems? Positive things? What are poems? Good ol’ summer flings Elegy poem, to think Actual crazy twist But I rather Read sing along With a good poem What are poems?

The Silent Moments Shanau Miller

In silence I find peace, how wonderful it is Staring up in the midnight sky watching the naked tree dance around by the wind captured by my thoughts I sit in silence watching the void that was brought, by the midnight sky. In silence I find peace, listening to music Closing my eyes, I watch the notes dance around my mind, Slowly capturing me with its melody With a sigh, I welcome it

with open arms Slowly submerging into its meaning. In silence I find peace, smelling the oldness of the book pages As I scan, the lovely pages I slowly picture the character, the colors, and the scenery of where their place In that moment awe-filled I watched the word become clear while, it played out in front of me.

Freedom Cento

Adam Mobley Jr. Inspired by “Ego Death” by Ty Dolla $ign, “Problems” by Kaash Paige, and “Regret in Your Tears” by Nicki Minaj

All I want is to live in this world, express the love that may live in me but They keep tearing me down because they don’t understand my “sound” More than lust, more than sex and love, Imma come clean: I’m addicted to you These the kinda thoughts I been having for three days You wear this look on your face so much animosity I admit it’s exciting In time we’ll be fine, don’t confuse You’re hesitant wish you could give me more

I can feel that you’re scared, I am scared too I’m scared to go to hell, smoke it to the peace I hop in the ride my heart do a dance-dance when it hit it And when the world don’t understand me Pure, lovely allure But in life there are things that we just can’t maintain I don’t wanna, don’t need nobody Silence right now sounds so loud Deep thoughts of my life on replay To feel a little more and give a little less

Ode to Vegetables

Amaiyah Murphy

Oh green veggies You’ll forever watch the young ones push you away Wondering why they are better mixed When we grow old we know they’re there to stay Eating them separate may be a better fix Don’t we just love veggies

Wishing You Well

Alex Pyle

101

Pain is something that is short-lived and dies by happiness But for you, pain made you succumb to nothingness However, for me, your lyrics were never too hard to digest the hopelessness that you felt was heavy on your chest Drugs brought the demise that you seeked solace in You taught me that there is truly power in a pen Your words was something that I would run to confide in You were somebody that was honest until the end I know that life, even with its heartache, is worth living It is important to give love when it’s worth giving Love for others is what kept you together until your final breath You loved everyone who loved you, died with no regrets

love

Anayeli Rosario

103

no one told me love isn’t only a feeling. that’ll have you cry at 3 AM while you look at the ceiling. how sometimes it isn’t what you might think. the feelings get so intense it’ll make your heart sink. love can be two arms and a heartbeat. love can make you feel like the rose that grew in concrete. love can be a universal language. but with horrible communication it can be a disadvantage. love is oftentimes a person. the one who makes sure your pains never worsen. the one who makes you their “perfect” view. the person who wouldn’t know what to do, without you.

Nurturing

Briana Ross

105

Be kinder to yourself. Remember the life you’ve been working so hard to provide for yourself is coming. I’m proud of you, And you no longer have to be afraid to look at yourself in the mirror. Now, your mistakes don’t overpower all that you’ve accomplished. Acknowledge your wrong and nurture it.

Carry Me Slowly Jeremias Ruiz

107

After Nina Simone

Carry me slowly so I know how it would feel to be free from all the chains holding me To you dark place Torn up (rusty old storage facility) Old toothless storage house manager Continuously whispered in my ear You can’t save them. Old books. iPhone 5. Smelly shoes. But I say Fill up that storage facility with nasty shit Carry me slowly then should I say my truth, say it loud, say it clear For the lost ones to hear

Respect Image Samuels

109

Respect I see your body full of hate Though I’m way overdue, I’d be starting anew Oh, I’d know how it feels A little respect it feel better than love I wish you could know what it means to be me Then you’d see and agree You watch another so hard Do you ever

Does The Air Hate Words Janae Stanford

111

Does the air hate words Floating around Here come the humans With their bad vibrations Breaking up the air Making noise Disturbing the peace is a crime But we get away unscathed Who is gonna save the air Does the air hate living things Breathing things Eating the mother Plants Then have the nerve to eat them too Producing CO2 A facetious cycle People say

The air knows our secrets The air hates us It uses our secrets against us We say Don’t put it into the air We say Two can’t keep a secret No one thinks about the air It travels because the air carries They say air rises But I think When we go low They go to hell

To be free

Kayla Tovar

115

To be free Like you said Through the night In my heart You could die On the cold Heart break In my soul Told myself Shame on me For being me

Absence Dearah Walthour

117

Absence I’m tired of it I’m tired of people leaving when they promise they were going to stay In all of their grandeur, they still sit with their head held high even after they leave Wanting to start anew is something that is acceptable I’m happy that you started to accomplish your dreams But forgetting where you came from is another thing You forgot the community you grew up in The friends you made and swore to be there for The family you created The streets you walked upon everyday Now you look at us as tourist attractions I’m sick of people taking a leave of absence from life From their people From their community “I needed a change” A change from your occupation, not your life “I had to do what’s best for me” But you always do things for you What about me? What about everyone else who depends on you? We are here to help Not to up and leave when things get rough

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder But it only makes me angry It make me angry that everyone that left me, left with a piece of me It makes me angry that I wasted my precious time on everyone who left I’m angry that I still care Why leave when you could’ve stayed? What’s the point of making your mark one day if you’re going to be absent the next? You sold me all these big dreams that we were starting to slowly accomplish and then left me All everyone did was lie and leave and I can’t trust that I’m tired of people taking a leave of absence from me Now I’m taking a leave of absence from them

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free Maira Zapata

121

After Nina Simone and Cameron Awkward-Rich I wish I knew how it would feel to be free my honeyed kin honeyed light beneath the sky While I fall apart and all my pieces crumble into the sound of the drum a white door opens into a place brightness brimming Then you seed and agree that everyone should be free And thinking I’m way overdue and soon be starting soon Ohh dear friends everyone we love is still alive gathered at the lakeside like constellations until we be free Or wish we knew how it would feel to be free.

Notes on Centos

123

From the Latin word for “patchwork,” the cento (or collage poem) is a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets. Some poems in this collection came from an exercise in creating centos; the mentor texts used in class included “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” by Nina Simone and “Cento Between the Ending and the End” by Cameron Awkward-Rich. Students were also encouraged to seek out their own inspiration, so you may find collaged lines in some of the poems in this book that you recognize from poems and song lyrics. This is intentional and honors the cento form.

Acknowledgments

125

In our Young Writers Publish program, 826NYC works with classes of students and teachers on creative writing projects around and beyond New York City. Students from Academy for Young Writers explored multiple styles and forms of poetry this winter, bringing together personal experiences with inspiration from music, theater, and more.

Put On My Headset, Now I’m in a Different World is a compilation of the original work of these students. A huge thank you to the 826NYC teaching artist, Matthew Thompson, for creating virtual classrooms where students were able to explore different texts and experiment with different styles of poetry. Your support, encouragement, and consistency helped our young writers tap into their imaginations and memories to produce such moving work, and your care in helping them brainstorm, write, and revise each week was invaluable. We are particularly grateful to Sean Mattio and Dave Weber for their support of this project. Thank you for inviting us into your classrooms and facilitating such a smooth collaboration. Your hard work and steadfast dedication to your students allows them to flourish as young writers and thinkers. Thank you to our asynchronous writing mentors, Phil Cohen, Sophie Downes, Olivia Ensley, Ali Galante, Andrea Grassi, Arianna Rebollini, Misha Matalia, Danielle Sinay, and Ruth Weissmann, for keeping up with these young writers from a distance. At 826NYC we depend on the dedicated volunteer editing and design cohort that make our publications a reality. Thank you to Vanessa Friedman for overseeing the editing, proofreading, and design of this

book. Thank you to Rebecca Alvarez-Alcocer for designing such a beautiful book for our students. To copy editors and proofreaders Chris Ahearn, Christine Corbin, Jeanna Kadlec, Melanie McFayden, Carly Schnitzler, Lauren Stefaniak, and Hillary Tacuri for their careful attention to each of the student’s pieces, thank you. A big thank you to The Hawkins Foundation, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, The Kettering Foundation, The Minerva Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, The Resnick Family Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts for their generous support, which allows us to publish our students’ work. Thank you especially to the 826NYC staff for their behind-the-scenes support of this project, from curriculum development and the bookmaking process to volunteer recruitment. Finally, thank you to the students at Academy for Young Writers for taking risks with your writing and sharing your words with us. Writing can be a challenging and hopefully fun process, and your dedication to your craft and your vision shines through in these poems. We are all excited to see what books you’ll produce in the future!

826NYC

Programs

Write After School Reading and writing go together like peanut butter and jelly. Write After School students work alongside 826NYC staff and volunteers to build their reading, writing, social-emotional skills and unleash their imagination as they play and learn about the power of language. Three times a year, students revise their creative writing for publications that are printed in English and Spanish and shared with families, volunteers, and community members at celebratory readings. Write Away Workshops Young writers come together in Write Away Workshops to explore a multitude of genres and subjects and to develop their voices. Groups write freely and participate in imaginative writing activities and lessons. Whether it’s a song, a piece of climate justice sci-fi, or a nature guide, young writers leave the workshop with a piece to be proud of, as well as a newfound understanding of the topic, and new friends. Young Writers Publish Turn your classroom into a creative writing lab. During Young Writers Publish residencies, 826NYC teaching artists collaborate with educators on creative, impactful, curriculumaligned projects that transform students into published authors. Residencies run from six weeks to a full year, depending on the project. Each Young Writers Publish culminates in a book, newspaper, zine, podcast, film, or performance featuring your students.

Write Together 826NYC hosts classes across New York City for Write Together: an interactive writing experience that encourages creative expression, explores the elements of storytelling, and strengthens writing skills. Elementary-aged classes collaborate on illustrated children’s books, middle schoolers choose their own adventure, and high schoolers learn the art of memoir writing during a fast- paced and whimsical 90 minute narrative program. Teen Writers Collective Teens are the next generation of literary leaders. That’s why we launched the Teen Writers’ Collective. The collective brings together young writers from around the city to explore the art of writing and literary citizenship. They are a community of passionate and creative peers, serve as 826NYC youth leaders, and inspire younger students and peers across the network. Student Publications Through our programs, our volunteers work with students to help them create stories, poems, and ’zines. Because we believe that the quality of students’ work is greatly enhanced when they are given the chance to share it with an authentic audience, we are committed to publishing student works. By encouraging their work and by guiding them through the process of publication, we make abundantly clear that their ideas are valued.

826NYC Location and Leadership

826NYC and The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. 372 Fifth Ave Brooklyn, NY 11215 718.499.9884 www.826nyc.org Staff Joshua Mandelbaum, Executive Director Naomi Solomon, Director of Education Corey Ruzicano, Programs Coordinator Summer Medina, Community Engagement Strategist Julianna Lee Marino, Programs Coordinator Jesusdaniel Barba, Programs Coordinator Lauren Everett, Communication & Fundraising Coordinator Chris Eckert, Store Manager Board of Directors Michelle McGovern, President Ted Wolff, Vice President Ray Carpenter, Treasurer Kathryn Yontef, Secretary Michael Colagiovanni Jen D’Ambroise Liza Demby Jamal Edwards Amir Mokari Arjun Nagappan Tammy Oler Katie Schwab Danielle Sinay Andrew Sparkler Alyson Stone Maura Tierney Thom Unterburger