identity

Story·Charles J. Ferraro — A boy wakes in a dusty attic, discovers he's been replaced in his family's life, falls through reality, and awakens to find he has become his replacement.

Poetry·Petros Korahais — A student's back-to-school list prioritizes soccer gear, cologne, and hair gel over school supplies, reluctantly adding pencils at the end.

Personal Narrative·Aleen Watson — A young runner battles self-doubt and physical exhaustion while competing against 349 other girls at the cross-country Junior Olympics in Texas.

Poetry·Sophia Famolari — A prose poem explores mirrors as metaphors for self-examination, suggesting we must break and reconstruct our perceptions to find truth within reflection.

Poetry·Lillian Power — A speaker finds freedom in the ocean, leaving behind the defensive armor worn on land, preferring the vulnerability of water to the safety of shore.

Poetry·Lillian Power — A speaker emerges from their skin to discover their multicolored beauty, finding harmony between self and nature in a moment of self-acceptance.

Poetry·Marielle Miller — A speaker rebels against expected questions (what, where, when) and instead asks 'why,' exploring the tension between curiosity and conformity.

Story·Felicia Johnson — A young elf girl discovers she can communicate with dragons and learns the kingdom's 'dragon attacks' are actually humans attacking dragons, becoming the prophesied Dragon Charmer.

Poetry·Nirali Yedendra — A young writer explores consciousness, emotions, and human existence through a stream-of-consciousness meditation on the brain's power to liberate us through thought and speech.

Poetry·Ivy Yang — A child from Mars describes their home on the Red Planet, revealing complex feelings about Earth through contrasts of color, freedom, and beauty.