ISABEL GOLIGHTLY
YEARS AS MENTEE: 1
GRADE: Junior
HIGH SCHOOL: Millennium Brooklyn High School
BORN: New York, NY
LIVES: Brooklyn, NY
MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: I remember the first time I was finally able to share my inner voice with Daryl through one of my poems. I knew then what it was to be a writer, to take pride in something that was created by me. Daryl has helped me through my writing process and has been patient whenever I have hit a wall. Joining the Girls Write Now program has helped me to be a better writer and a better me.
DARYL CHEN
YEARS AS MENTOR: 2
OCCUPATION: Ideas Editor, TED
BORN: New York, NY
LIVES: Brooklyn, NY
MENTOR’S ANECDOTE: I’ve been writing and editing for a long time, and I’ve definitely fallen into certain habits. Isabel’s openness and willingness to experiment and to try new, risky things in her work have inspired a welcome freshness in my own creativity. I’ve been thrilled to see her develop as a writer, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
When I first heard Ctrl + B, I thought about boldness, and then I had to ask myself this question: Am I bold? I considered my experiences when I was most unguarded—riding the train—and I realized in that moment I was bold.
When people stare at me
between steel train walls,
tall pride
turns to giant fear.
Curls sour
palms pulse
but I can’t stop being me.
Can’t shrink
can’t
no
won’t
punish me for me,
for boldness
for truth.
So I craft poems in my head,
tapping out beats
to
each word
and soon
pride sweetens
and eventually
people
fade.