Generation F. Girls Write Now

      Photo Credit: Michael Creagh

      In the fall of 2017, I had the privilege of speaking with you—this year’s class of mentees from Girls Write Now, and the authors in this anthology. You were bright and rigorous. As I spoke of my journey to becoming a writer and the obstacles I overcame—familial pressure, going broke, stereotypes, and fear—you nodded, recognizing your own journey in mine. It was an honor to speak to you, and after the event, several of you asked me how I got the courage to do what I do. Like me, many of you experience pressure to conform to certain ways of being, whether from your families or from the people around you. Use the art of writing to figure out who you really are—and use the support of the extraordinary mentors at Girls Write Now to take all the creative risks you can.

      Shyness. Fear. Shame. Humiliation. Sadness. Ridicule. Social pressure. These are all feelings that stop women from writing, especially young women. Generations of women have held back their real feelings and experiences for fear of what could happen should they speak their truths both large and small. Women’s interiority has historically been obscured by society’s expectations about what it means to be a woman.

      Not anymore. You are Generation F—the latest generation of girls using words to speak truth to power, share your experiences, and change the world. After the 2016 election, there was a sea of change across the world: We saw some of the largest public demonstrations in history and they comprised women, mothers and their daughters, daughters and their grandmothers, sisters, wives.

      The marches were multigenerational, but it is the young women, the girls, who are carrying the torch. Generation F—perhaps F for “fuck” or “feminism” or “future”—you are asking the difficult questions that are leading movements to fight against gun violence, sexual assault, and police brutality.

      What a time to be alive. You are navigating what it means to have the most freedom of any generation before you while also recognizing that sexism, racism, and other -isms still hold hostage your sense of self and your futures.

      These confusing times call for self-reflection, and for sharing, and there is no better way to do that than through the written word. Girls Write Now is revolutionary in confronting the reality that women’s voices are often overlooked, forgotten—or, worse, silenced. While the writing industry can continue to feel like an ivory tower, Girls Write Now creates space for diverse girls to workshop ideas, and by being a part of this organization, you are able to tell your stories.

      So what happens when you find the space to express your inner lives? Fabulous transformation. It is through the telling of our stories that change happens, that our existence is written and our lives begin to matter to forces bigger than ourselves.

      I’m beyond excited and privileged to introduce this ground-breaking collection of voices in Generation F: The Girls Write Now 2018 Anthology.

      SAMHITA MUKHOPADHYAY is currently the executive editor at Teen Vogue. She is the coeditor of Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance and Revolution in Trump’s America and the author of Outdated: Why Dating Is Ruining Your Love Life.

      RACHEL ABEBE

      YEARS AS MENTEE: 1

      GRADE: Junior

      HIGH SCHOOL: High School of American Studies

      BORN: Bronx, NY

      LIVES: Bronx, NY

      MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: Working with my mentor has been such a great experience not only because we get a lot of work done, but because our meetings truly inspire me to write more. We have explored new genres and forms, and it makes me feel very lucky to be in a community where creativity is celebrated.

      MARYELLEN TIGHE

      YEARS AS MENTOR:

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