I have felt guilty all my life. Guilty about leaving, guilty about conforming to outdated standards for girls, for eating too much, for eating too little…
Author Catherine Linka: The Girl Beside You in Econ 101 Sleeps in Her Car
She’s not a druggie or an alcoholic, and she’s not mentally ill. She’s one of thousands of college students who can’t afford a place to …
Author Nancy Richardson Fischer: Life Lessons Learned Writing Books with Elite Athletes and Coaches
I was 23 years old when I got my first writing break. A college friend was working for the editor who’d acquired rights for famed …
How Consent Can Help You Become More YOU: An Essay by YA Author Rayne Lacko
So much has happened since last semester. You’ve changed. Maybe you started hanging with new friends or had to say goodbye to someone you used …
Skin Up: Essay by YA Author Heather Cumiskey
Reclaiming the power (and pain) our complexion has on us “Ewww! Your epidermis is showing!” I can still see those three saucy girls approaching me …
Their Uproarious Laughter
When I heard Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s opening statement, what struck me, as it struck so many people, was her recollection of the laughter of two teenage boys—their uproarious …
Author Nancy Richardson Fischer: The Words That Shape Us
Two truths and a lie… When I was seven, a man said I would eventually go crazy. My mom used to tell me: I love …
Author Sarah Nicole Smetana: The Band That Vanished and the Songs That Stayed
By the time I was electrocuted on an ungrounded stage in San Bernardino, my first band was already over. We hadn’t broken up yet, but …
Turning Unlovely to Lovely: Essay by YA Author Heather Cumiskey
When heaven gave out locks before my debut as a newborn, my angel on the assembly line must have gotten distracted and given me five …