identity
— An ambassador without mind or face sits in a walled place, contemplating his non-existence and the walls that might have hope where he has none.
— A 12-year-old defends her two-dad family through memories of ballet recitals, newspaper rituals, and playground confrontations, asserting that both men are her 'actual dads.'
— On planet Kepler-22b, students compete for honors status while their alien parents work light-years away, until a boy discovers the dark truth behind 'organic' education.
— A girl reflects on her common name Claire, wishing for something unique, then questions whether a different name would change her identity.
— A girl contemplates the unnamed plants around her house, finding in their seasonal color changes a mirror for her own shifting moods.
— A young writer catalogs the places that shaped her — from African deserts to New Jersey beaches, Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls to French villages — weaving family, food, and a beloved...
— A meditation on time through the perspective of a clock, whose red hand moves endlessly through numbers, carrying promises and memories without limits.
— A girl traces her name in breath-fog on an evening window, observing how light casts her shadow onto the lawn below.
— A Muslim girl defends her faith and community against stereotypes, describing her culture as a warm blanket woven from love and tradition.
— A 13-year-old observes graduation season from a Manhattan hotel, watching anxious parents at breakfast and contemplating the hidden world awaiting both graduates and herself.