Plus, spark your creativity in a Community Studio this July!
July 7-13
Hope Lives In Our Words
Featured Media
Paper Dreams
By Angel Jackson
I decided to focus on my family background and
childhood memories, so I could paint a picture of how I present myself in the world today. I was also inspired by many of the Girls Write Now Community Studios, one of which was The Adventures of Storytelling. In this Studio, I was able to bring my poetry work to life as I focused on my past and considered how I might combine my memories into a single piece that represented me.
Register for a July Community Studio in the Girls Write Now Portal.
Mic Drop: Community Spotlight
LIFE@GWN
Make the World Feel A Little More Hopeful
Intern Ayah Al-Masyabi's Life@GWN
Introducing the Girls Write Now interns! We asked our group of interns to interview each other for our LinkedIn newsletter, Life@GWN, giving them a platform to share all of their incredible contributions to our mission. In this first part of the series, Kayla Dudley interviews Ayah Al-Masyabi, a Girls Write Now mentee since 2021 whose journey through creativity and self-discovery has been deeply shaped by the power of mentorship, community, and resilience. Ayah dives into everything, from where she'd go if she could travel back in time (soccer fans will be excited!) and what gives her hope.
READ WITH US
DiscoFruit
By Kenna DeValor,
Girls Write Now Mentor Alum
DiscoFruit is a vibrant collection of LGBTQ+ poetry that shimmers with bold self-expression, queer joy, romance, personality, and the electric pulse of identity. Each poem is a dimly-lit dance floor where love, longing, and humanity collide, celebrating the beauty of fluidity and the defiance of binaries. With language as juicy as its title, DiscoFruit invites readers to taste the sweetness of sheer human existence—ripe, radical, and unapologetically alive. This collection was written by Kenna DeValor, a mentor in Girls Write Now's Love Well Journey.
WRITE WITH US
Sounds of Summer: Prompt & Playlist
By Girls Write Now Mentors & Mentees,
Summer 2025
Hit play on this playlist and feel inspired to write, draw, dance, or create in some way. By the end of the playlist, you'll have done something new!
We asked the mentors and mentees currently enrolled in our Summer Journeys to tell us what songs were inspiring them in this moment. The result? The perfect summer playlist.
Girls Write Now is comprised of mentees with a wide range of experiences and identities not limited to this list. If you are interested in connecting with mentees who identify beyond the groups included here, please let us know at communications@girlswritenow.org.
COLLABORATORY OPPORTUNITIES
Join a Mentee Affinity Group
Mentees Invited to Make New Connections
Created for mentees by mentees, our selection of affinity groups are safe spaces to connect with other young writers who share similar identities and experiences. You can get to know our affinity group leaders through other meetings as well, including our Community Conversation reflecting on pride month where Lauren Betancourt (leader of the Mentee Alliance for Gender & Sexuality) will facilitate part of the evening. Register for the following in your Portal:
Saturday, July 26, 11 AM-12 PM ET - Black Mentees
Saturday, July 26, 12-1 PM ET - AAPI Mentees
Saturday, July 26, 1-2 PM ET - Mentee Alliance for Gender & Sexuality (MAGS)
Tuesday, July 29, 6-7 PM ET - Christian Mentees
Happening Write Now
STUDIO EVENTS
July Community Studios
July 14-30, Various Times, Virtual
Plunge into a pool of creativity when you sign up for a July Community Studio! We have an incredible lineup of sessions led by mentors and mentees in the Girls Write Now Community on everything from Poetry as Nourishment: Writing Food and Eating Poems to Using Social Media for Advocacy.
Create your Girls Write Now Portal account to sign up.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members, and the public
JOURNEY WORKSHOP
Personal Statement Workshop with NYU Professor Susanna Horng
Thursday, July 17, 3:30-6 PM ET, Virtual
Come join us for a fun, hands-on workshop all about the personal statement. Whether you’re applying to college, scholarships, or fellowships, this session will help you tell your story in a way that really stands out. Led by writer, Clinical Professor at NYU Liberal Studies, and seasoned Girls Write Now teaching artist Susanna Horng, the workshop will cover what makes the personal statement different from other essays, and show you a fresh way to creatively approach it. You’ll brainstorm opening lines to help find your topic, start drafting your statement, and get helpful feedback through active listening. We’ll also go over key do’s and don’ts, and look at real examples to see what works.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members, and the public
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
Did June Fill You With Pride?
Wednesday, July 23, 7-8:30 PM ET, Virtual
Though Pride Month may be winding down, Girls Write Now remains committed to supporting and empowering our LGBTQIA+ community members. In the face of repression and constant uncertainty, it’s important that we process all that is going through our minds. Join us for a rich conversation on where we are and what we can do to get to where we’re going.
Open to all mentors, mentees, staff, and members
CAREER CHAT
A Word from Our Sponsors: Breaking into the TV Industry
Tuesday, July 29, 4:45-6 PM ET, Virtual
This Career Chat will explore the possible pathways to break into the TV industry. Here is your chance to ask all of your burning questions with a panel that covers everything from writing to acting to producing and more!
Hear from writer/director Shaz Bennett of Queen Sugar, actress/director Milena Govich of Law & Order, sound recordist Lily Van Leeuwen from The Stroll, and more!
Open to all mentors, mentees, members, and the public
Read on for even more incredible opportunities—
and thank you for your support!
Get the Gig
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Wendy's Subway
Program Coordinator
Wendy’s Subway is a nonprofit reading room, writing space, and independent publisher located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Our interdisciplinary program includes free readings, talks, and performances, as well as sliding-scale writing workshops and reading groups. They are seeking a Program Coordinator who cares deeply about what they do: supporting emerging artists in making experimental and urgent work, facilitating access to arts resources and practices, and creating alternative spaces for learning and thinking.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
BOMB Magazine
Circulation Coordinator
BOMB’s Circulation Coordinator reports to the Associate Publisher and is responsible for all day-to-day subscriber/members operations for BOMB’s print periodical. Responsibilities include developing a comprehensive plan alongside the Associate Publisher with attention to new subscriber/member growth, collecting and analyzing all sales and member data, and administering the digital sales ecosystem.
WRITING CONTEST OPPORTUNITY
Stony Brook University
The Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize
The Lichtenstein Center at Stony Brook University is accepting submissions for its Short Fiction Prize. Only undergraduates enrolled full time in United States and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year 2024-2025 are eligible. This Prize has traditionally encouraged submissions from students with an Asian background, but they urge all students to enter.
Submissions due: July 14, 2025
