WINTER 2018
THE
INSIDE
SHORT STORIES, SPECIAL DEDICATION, + AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY MCPHERSON
the IRL issue
MADE-UP STORIES BASED ON REAL LIFE
BRONX ACADEMY OF LETTERS
the IRL issue.
IN THIS ISSUE PG. 3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR PG. 4 IN MEMORY PG. 10 TALL BOY - JASON SALGADO PG. 14 A FRESH START - CENA SALEM
EDITOR IN CHIEF/WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE CANDICE ILOH
PG. 16 WITH A SENIOR - ALIZE RIVERA PG. 17 TOO DARK - YASMINE JOHNSON PG. 18 INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONY MCPHERSON
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/PRINCIPAL ERIN GARRY
PG. 21 THIS IS AN ODE - EDWIN SOTO
STAFF WRITERS BAL RAVEN ZINE & LIT CLASS STUDENTS
PG. 25 MARIA - CHRISTOPHER LIRIANO
ART DIRECTOR CHRISTINA KIEL
PG. 22 7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN - AMY COSTE PG. 26 HIGH - JOEL RAMOS PG. 28 IT WAS ALL A DREAM - ANGY MARTINEZ
CONTACT US BRONX ACADEMY OF LETTERS 339 MORRIS AVENUE BRONX, NY 10451 WWW.BRONXLETTERS.ORG
COME CLOSE. READ CLOSER. GET LOST AND FIND YOURSELF IN REAL LIFE. Above Text about the article photo would fit perfectly here.
3
THIS ISSUE IS
DEDICATED TO...
ZEVIN AGOSTO
JANUARY 18TH, 2002 - OCTOBER 29TH, 2018
ARNECIA SIMPSON JA N UA R Y 8 T H , 2 0 0 5 - O C TO B E R 3 1 ST, 2 0 1 8
TALL BOY “Are there any rules that I need to know about? You know, like getting jumped in?” Tall Boy asks.
11
YOU CAN LOSE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE WITH JUST ONE BAD DECISION.
Your silence will not protect you.
“Are you new? You look new,” the girl asked Emery.
a fresh start
The bell rings.
“My silence will not protect me,� Emery said to herself.
15
with a senior. (an excerpt)
Her name is Nova... Especially since her crush Elliot is no longer her crush, but her rapist.
“Why would her parents even let her come to school?” “She wanted it to happen, why would she get drunk then?”
“She's so young, how could she let it happen with a senior?”
“Hello. Wonder what you girls are doing out so late at night.” The smirk on the guy’s face gets wider and wider as he inches closer to them. Sam backs up bumping into Carter. Carter isn’t bothered by it. She knows it’s an accident. “Um, we have to go. It's been a long night,” Aisha nervously states. She grabs Sam’s wrist and pulls her walking. Carter begins to follow as well. Suddenly, she comes to a stop. The white man holds a secure grip on her shoulder.
TOO DARK Yasmine Johnson #STREETHARASSMENT #FRIENDSHIP #SISTERHOOD
“You’re really gonna leave me alone. You’re a pretty girl, did you know that?” He asks. Both Sam and Aisha stare. Carter rips the guy’s hand off. “And you’re a pervert. Did you know that?!” she runs to Aisha and Sam. “Come on!” she shouts. All of them run toward the park gate.
The light sky disappears and darkens as seconds go by. There’s barely any noise on 17 Granite Street besides some music blasting from the building next to the old park. Carter sat on a swing and listened quietly to the other girls’ conversation.
Carter’s thinking is interrupted when a whistle is heard not far from them. She turns her head and looks at the entrance of the park. Aisha and Sam are too busy laughing about something to even notice a figure walking slowly towards them.
The unknown guy still follows. He whistles and continues to say comments that were highly inappropriate. All three girls run as the guy gets closer. Minutes later, it’s silent. Aisha lets out the huge breath she had been holding. The guy must have given up. He was nowhere in sight.
“Guys, we should go,” Carter speaks standing up. Aisha looks at her concerned.
“Samantha, now you see why we barely go anywhere,” Aisha explains to her sister.
Aisha slides off the swing standing up. Carter zones out as, once again, the sisters talk about something that isn’t so interesting. She looks through the holes of the park’s gate, staring into the dark night. She sees a few people pass by. Even though her home is literally across the street, she still feels uneasy about being out. At least I’m not alone.
“We weren’t even out here for long,” Sam whispers and stands. “Why do we have to leave—” she starts and realizes why when an unknown voice enters the conversation.
Sam gulps. “I wanna go home.” Aisha nods. “We will after we take Carter home. I’m not gonna let her walk alone.”
17
ANTHONY MCPHERSON
WE HEARD YOUR POEM “ALL LIVES MATTER: 1800S EDITION” WENT VIRAL. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IMPORTANT AND INSPIRING TO OTHER PEOPLE?
HOW DID YOU YOU GET INTO WRITING POEMS?
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY? HOW DOES THAT INFLUENCE YOUR WRITING?
19
WHAT WAS HIGH SCHOOL LIKE FOR YOU?
IT’S HARD TO STAY MOTIVATED IN HIGH SCHOOL SOMETIMES. IF YOUR BIGGEST MOTIVATION WAS SUDDENLY GONE, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT?
WHEN AND HOW DID WRITING BECOME IMPORTANT TO YOU?
DO YOU CONFRONT FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT RACE OR PRIVILEGE? IF SO, DO YOU THINK CONFRONTATION ACTUALLY WORKS?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE PRIVILEGED GROWING UP? WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE A POEM WITH (DEAD OR ALIVE)?
N A S I THIS ODE
21
7 MINUTES IN HEAVEN #TEENPREGNANCY #SEX #PARENTHOOD #FAMILY
AMY COSTE
“Que fue Mami? Ya ‘toy listo.” What happened Mom? I’m already ready. She screams from her project bedroom as her mother rushes her out the house for her first day of sophomore year in Haywood Bay High School.
HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID? 23
"Mami, this is Amber."
MARIA MARIA MARIAMA CHRISTOPHER LIRIANO #lgbtqia #identity #transkids #mentalhealth
JOHN:
MARIA:
MARIA:
JOHN:
JOHN:
MARIA: JOHN:
MARIA: JOHN: MARIA:
MARIA: JOHN: MARIA:
JOHN: MARIA: JOHN: JOHN: 25
JOEL RAMOS #DRUGS #SMOKING #PEERPRESSURE #FRIENDSHIP
“Bro shut up.” replies Aaron, as Aaron and Felipe start laughing together. Jason wonders why they always take him as a joke. *cute girl walks past them as they converse* “Yo Edward hop on that,” suggests Jason. Felipe is walking to school tardy as usual, until he gets stopped by a police officer with his eyes red. The officer took him to the precinct around Mitchel Projects. This wasn’t his first time either. Felipe later gets asked questions about where he lives, how old he is, what school he goes to. “I’m from Mitchel Projects, I’m 16 years old, and I go to ERA,” he tells him. “Hold on a minute, you go where?” replies an officer right after Felipe. “It’s an abbreviation for Ezekiel Richardson Academy.” The police then drives him to school. Felipe arrives to school at 11:36am. It hits 1:10pm, the time everyone usually leaves to go out for lunch. “Yo yo yo bro, the opps turned me in for being smacked,” Felipe tells his friends with big eyes. “Bro, why you always smoking in the morning?” he responds, laughing. “I just be feeling like doing it. I need something to turn me up, my guy.” Jason joins the conversation.“Why smoke, period?”
“Yeah bro hop on that,” the other two agree. Her name was Mya. “Copy that.” Edward runs to her and he tries to shoot his shot. “What’s your number?” Is the first words they hear, but that’s not the first words he says to her. They just couldn’t hear it. She gives it to him. Edwards runs back smiling. The next day goes by and Edward and Mya have been texting overnight, as Edward tells his crew, “Bro we out to that party on Saturday.” Felipe and Jason look confused. “What party?” “Mya party. Her birthday’s on Friday but she’s having a party the next day.” “Say less!” says Felipe. Jason and Aaron agrees too. “Ooo these girls boutta see my waistline,” Jason announces with a signature dance move as they laugh. “Y’all better get sturdy today," Edward instructs.
“Man you know me,” says dapping him in agreement. They now arrive at Mya’s floor, hearing the dancehall music blasting immediately from the elevator. Aaron, usually the calm one, is excited for some reason, smiling as they walk in. Edward asks Aaron why he’s smiling so much. “Nun bro just excited for the party, feel me?” Aaron’s usually the flyest outta everyone. As they walk in the party, the group of boys notice some people from their school, people dancing to Party Animal, a dj by the windows, food, alcohol and juice in the kitchen. They scan the room for all the baddies and everything just seems like great vibes so far for them. As one girl grabs Aaron by the hands to dance with her, Jason gets passed a blunt by a different one. “Nah, I don’t smoke.” “Okay, that’s cool.” By the time Jason turns around to see if Aaron is still dancing with the girl, Aaron is sweating bullets. Felipe and Edward start doing the same. “Them girls couldn’t keep up with me,” says Jason. “You too cocky bro,” replies Felipe. “It’s facts tho bro.” “We’ll be right back,” said Aaron. Edward and Jason take a break. “Yo bro, peep,” says Edward pointing toward their other two friends. Jason looks and sees Aaron and Felipe smoking. Jason was pissed to see them smoking. He thinks they’re much better than that. He can’t stop watching. Aaron and Felipe can’t see Jason, so Jason takes advantage of that and studies them. Jason begins to feel light-headed from hookah smoke surrounding him and the music the dj starts playing becomes annoying. “Yo bro I’ll be right back,” says Jason.
“Where you going? You good?” 27
IT WAS ALL A DREAM ANGY MARTINEZ
#domesticviolence #partnerabuse #dating #love
Emily always wanted a person who would appreciate her for her. She constantly had to deal with people telling her that she was no good and that she was a basic nobody. Her best friend Blue would advise her that she shouldn’t listen to any of those rumors and start focusing on what’s important to her. There was this one boy in Emily’s class who would be so genuine and sweet to her. She loved the way he would talk to her. She felt this connection instantly. From talking in the classrooms, to talking on the phone every night, she immediately felt like she was appreciated. She’d never felt like that before. She was scared but she was excited to share this feeling with him. His name was Kevin. One day Kevin actually had the courage to ask her out and guess what she said? Yes. Days passed, then weeks, and finally, months. She was so happy. But one day Emily had went to school with Kevin and felt this disconnection. She realized that he wasn’t the same anymore. She began to question if she was the one that was making him act this way. She then asked him what was wrong. Emily didn’t know that Kevin was capable of even touching her the wrong way but he struck her in the face. She cried. He knew what he was doing but he had to play it off and apologize to her.
Every single day would be the same thing. Hitting her, making her cry, and then apologizing.
Blue had given Emily a drink that only she knew what it could do. “Whenever you’re in danger, just ball your fists and watch what happens.” Blue hugged her best friend and thanked her for the potion. Kevin was right around the corner when he saw Blue give Emily something. He didn’t like that Emily was sneaking around him talking to others. He grabbed Emily and pushed her into the locker. He screamed at her, poking his finger into her chest. Kevin was so close to punching Emily and then she remembered to ball her fist whenever she would be in any trouble. Emily balled her fist so fast and woosh. Emily woke up from her dream so fast, she thought that she was actually in the dream.
She came home with scars, bruises, cuts, and even missing pieces of her hair. Emily wanted to tell her best friend but she didn’t know how. She just avoided her best friend whenever Kevin would do something to her. Blue suspected something was wrong. She didn’t like the way her best friend would walk away from her whenever she would come up to Emily. Blue went up to Emily and realized what was going on with her. Blue had seen all the cuts and bruises on her skin.
“That was weird. I could have sworn that mess was real!” She immediately checked her body to see if she wasn’t bugging.
“Why do you let him do this to you? This ain’t cool bro. You know better than this. What did I tell you?” she pressed. Emily didn’t know what to say. She just stood there tearing, looking defenseless. “Here. Drink this.”
29
ABOUT OUR WRITERS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM