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Category Archives: Writing
“Faith” poetry by Issi Young ’17
Issi Young ’17 is done with her Creative Writing class (taken in 2014-15), but poetry is not done with her! Enjoy this new work by a prolific poet. Faith A mind that ventures through unexplored crevices Climbing a … Continue reading
“Adulthood” poetry by Isabel Alland ’17
Junior Isabel Alland took Creative Writing as a sophomore and is still going strong! In writing this poem she aimed to emulate the style of Seamus Heaney, particularly his poem, “Blackberry Picking.” Enjoy! Adulthood Early September, you sat … Continue reading
“Something” a short story by Alicja Madloch ’15
This story by alumnus Alicja Madloch ’15 was written during the summer before her freshman year of college. SOMETHING She was one of the few people who actually looked up words she didn’t know in books. She’d lift the ancient … Continue reading
“The Shipwreck” poetry by Maddie Christmann ’18
This poem by Maddie Christmann ’18, written in Creative Writing class as an emulation of Robert Wrigley’s “After a Rainstorm,” will be published in the November/ December issue of the national print magazine, Cicada. “The Shipwreck” after “After … Continue reading
“Man with Avocado” by Vanessa Jimenez Gabb
This poem by English Department Faculty member Vanessa Jimenez Gabb was published in Issue 18 of the online poetry journal DUSIE. Ms. Gabb’s first full-length poetry manuscript has been selected for publication by Rescue Press. Her manuscript, Images for Radical … Continue reading
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“Collision Theory” a poem by Kiran Damodaran ’17
The following poem by Kiran Damodaran ’17, written in NA’s Creative Writing Workshop, earned a Scholastic National Silver Medal for Poetry and was published in the Claremont Review, an international literary magazine for young writers. The poem was inspired by a … Continue reading
“No More Shame” an essay by SaVonne Anderson ’13
SaVonne Anderson ’13 published the following essay in the blog For Harriet, as well as in her book, Womanifesto, edited by classmate Alyssa McPherson ’13. SaVonne’s work has also appeared in the Comma Literary Magazine and LoveBrownSugar multicultural beauty blog. … Continue reading
“May Day” a story by Emma Hoffman ’16
The following short story by Emma Hoffman ’16 was selected for publication by Polyphony H.S., an international student-run literary magazine for high school students. The events of the story are loosely based on the kidnappings of 43 students in Iguala, … Continue reading
“School Bus” a poem by Elizabeth Merrigan ’16
This poem by senior Elizabeth Merrigan was selected for publication in the Claremont Review, a premier international literary magazine for young writers. Congratulations, Liz! School Bus The wheels sing rusty high into the street’s sandpaper sallow, chanting … Continue reading
“What the Stars Hold” Poetry by Young Se Choi ’18
The following poem by sophomore Young Se Choi was selected as a topical winner for the “Of Faith and Inspiration” issue of the Live Poets Society of New Jersey and was published in their Fall 2015 issue. Bravo, Young! … Continue reading
“Miracles” a Novel by Robert Bitler
NA physics teacher Robert Bitler began writing his novel, Miracles, in November 2013 as part of National Novel Writing Month, and has worked on it steadily ever since, finishing the final chapters this summer. Enjoy this physics thriller! … Continue reading
“Family Affairs” Poetry by Abdul-Nafea Syed ’17
This poem by junior Adbul-Nafea Syed was selected as a topical winner for the “My Word” issue of the Live Poets Society of New Jersey and was published in their Fall 2015 issue. Congratulations! Family Affairs Violence is … Continue reading
“Hold Her Hand” Poetry by Issi Young ’17
This poem by Isabel Young ’17 was published in the Fall 2015 edition of Live Poets Society of New Jersey. Congratulations, Issi! Hold Her Hand 1 That uneven terrain, the grounds of swollen veins like the roots of an elderly … Continue reading
“It Begins Here” Poetry by Karina Mehta ’16
Here is where the road begins and where adolescence ends. Here the weeds die, breathless and expired and here the moon melts, a powdery grey and here the sundog awakens from his rest away from the sweltering cinnamon glow. Where … Continue reading
“Blinded” Poetry & Photography by Chloe Kent ’17
I wish I could blind you with my brilliance, vanish after I explode like dynamite, leave your ears ringing for years so that your music can’t escape me because I cannot forget you the way you forgot me. I want … Continue reading
“Ingrained” Poetry & Photography by Anurima Sharma ’15
We are told to never forget, never forget the tragedies that led us to where we are today. All the pain and suffering felt, all the time and money spent, all the regret and bravery is passed down from generation … Continue reading
Six Poems by Elizabeth Merrigan ’16
Persephone Long ago you poured the orange juice with both hands. Your knuckles turned white from a weight too heavy for your songbird wrists. Someone called you honey. The carpet tickled the skin between your toes and cereal took you … Continue reading
“Broken You Fall” Poetry by Rose Parker ’17
Broken You Fall (After “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou) I cannot tell you the future without my candied, fraudulent truths. I cannot halt your isolation, so broken, deserted, you’ll fall. When has your silence ever comforted me? When am … Continue reading
“Intimacy and Disequilibrium” an Essay by Claudia Lu ’15
The following essay by Claudia Lu ’15, written for the Film Studies class taught by Ms. Acquadro, won a 2015 Scholastic Silver Key Writing Award in the “Critical Essay” category. Intimacy and Disequilibrium: A Film Study on On the Waterfront … Continue reading
Three Poems by Amani Garvin ’15
The Second Law of Thermodynamics When I write over this poem, I will cross out every word but time. repeating time time passing passing time passing You can never go back if you drop a glass you will never pick … Continue reading
“Miracles” a Physics Thriller Novel-in-Progress by Robert Bitler – Revised & Updated 5/18/15
NA physics teacher Robert Bitler began work on his novel, Miracles, in November 2013 as part of National Novel Writing Month, and has been working on it steadily ever since. To date, it is about 140 pages in manuscript form. … Continue reading
“Night Without Words” a Sestina by Josh Martin ’16
Night Without Words As I approach my father lying serenely in his hospital bed, I feel ashamed to be called his son. What kind of father would abandon the ones he says he loves and look so peaceful lying … Continue reading
“If I Could Write to Truman Capote” Creative Nonfiction by Haley Mudrick ’15
Haley Mudrick’s personal essay, “If I Could Write to Truman Capote,” excerpted below, won the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English 2015 Gold Medal for Creative Nonfiction. Dear Mr. Capote, I was raised to believe that people could be … Continue reading
From the Desk of Poet Vanessa Jimenez Gabb
The online literary press Real Pants asked NA faculty member and poet Vanessa Jimenez Gabb, author of Midnight Blue and co-founder of Five Quarterly, to share a photograph of her writing desk and answer the question: Messy or clean? “I need … Continue reading
“Harvest Moon” Flash Fiction by Paul Brown ’17
The black bag rested on the cold table, bathed in the soft glow of the full moon shining through the small, barred window. Dr. Werner stood in the hall for a few moments before entering the morgue, filling the small … Continue reading
“The Apple and the Tree” Poetry by Samantha Kany ’18
My father looks down, and though half his face Is shrouded in darkness, I can see his eyes. I love his eyes. I always wanted them, though They would never suit me. My features are dark. We are opposites On … Continue reading
“Why I Do My Homework” Poetry & Photography by Michael Lee ’15
This poem by senior Michael Lee won the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English 2015 Bronze Medal for Poetry and was performed at an award ceremony in Scotch Plains, NJ on April 23, 2015. Michael will be invited to … Continue reading
“The Damn Football” Flash Fiction by Mila Nazarali ’18
Charlie Brown and Lucy were in love. Or rather, Charlie Brown loved Lucy, and Lucy loved herself, but Charlie Brown considered it to be the same. We all want to be loved by our people; it’s the one concession even … Continue reading
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“Perfect Happiness” Poetry by Michael Smith ’19
* Line contributed by Danny Laks ’19
“The Land Above the Clouds” Fiction by Spencer Wang ’19
The boy’s eyes flickered open; above him lay nothing but a crisp blue. Cool, light winds tickled his nose. He sat up, his eyelids still weighed down by fatigue, and saw an ocean of white, a sea of cottony liquid … Continue reading
“Sic Semper Tyrannus” Poetry by Zachary Burd ’19
The following poem by Zachary Burd ’19 was inspired by the question: What is your greatest fear? Enjoy this amazing response. Like clotting blood, the people gather, Gazing down, with Open, wide eyes. A dreary day, but The empyrean … Continue reading
“Flies in the Peanut Butter” Flash Fiction by Simon Gorbaty ’19
It was past midnight and the street was empty when the cab parked at the construction site. Doug got out of the back seat, and staring at the ground the entire way, went over to the trunk to begin the … Continue reading
“Synesthesia” Poetry by Haley Mudrick ’15
“Synesthesia,” a poem written and performed by Haley Mudrick ’15 for the Creative Writing Morning Meeting Presentation in January, was selected as a “Topical Winner” for the Spring 2015 “Love and Dedication” issue of the The Live Poets Society of … Continue reading
NYC Scholastic Reading by Daniel Kwiatkowski ’15
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards hosted a celebratory reading in a renowned independent NYC bookstore featuring a select group of Northeast Region-at-Large Gold Key award recipients. Daniel Kwiatkowski ’15 was invited to read his Gold Key Flash Fiction piece, … Continue reading
“Rap Is” Poetry and Social Commentary by Isaiah Merritt ’17
Sophomore Isaiah Merritt read this poem at the Umojaa Club Morning Meeting Presentation during Black History Month, February 2015. He offers different versions of the poem below, along with two videos, one by the rapper Lecrae (mentioned in the poem) … Continue reading
“Shadow Friends” Fiction by Gabrielle Poisson ’17
This story by Gabrielle Poisson ’17 won First Place in the 2015 Writers Slate Fiction Contest sponsored by the Writing Conference, Inc. The daylight was waning and the damp beach had descended into a cool lull. Over-sized men in beach … Continue reading
“Carnival Games” Fiction by Kiran Damodaran ’17
This story by Kiran Damodaran ’17 won 2nd Place in the 2015 Writers Slate Fiction Contest sponsored by the Writing Conference, Inc. Kiran explains, “The following piece attempts to tackle the difficult issues surrounding school shootings, including the way in … Continue reading
Martin Luther King Day Letter to the Editor by Kirsti Morin
The following Letter to the Editor by Humanities faculty member Kirsti Morin was published in the Madison Eagle on February 12, 2015. You can find the published letter online here. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section … Continue reading
“Happy Valentine’s Day” Flash Fiction by Alicja Madloch ’15
Alicja Madloch’s fiction and poetry have been published in Almost 5Q, The Apprentice Writer, Black Fox Literary Magazine, BRICKrhetoric Literary & Visual Arts Journal, Canvas Literary Magazine, Cuckoo Quarterly, Pomona Valley Review, Teen Ink Online and Vademecum Magazine. She participated … Continue reading
“Cathedrals” by Emma Hoffman ’16
This poem by Emma Hoffman ’16 will be published in the Fall 2015 issue of The Louisville Review. (Details available on the Creative Writing News). The piece, begun as a personal essay and distilled into a poem, is based on … Continue reading
“Unembellished We” by Mollie Wohlforth ’15
The following poem by Mollie Wohlforth ’15 was published on the Five Quarterly blog, “Amost 5Q” on February 13th, 2015 and is forthcoming in Polyphony H.S. (Details on the Creative Writing News.) Her work has also been published by Canvas … Continue reading
Sylvia Plath Inspired Poems by Betsy LaPadula
Because curious minds never stop learning, English Department faculty member Betsy LaPadula (author of the poetry chapbook Elpenor Falls) is taking an online poetry class focusing on the work of Sylvia Plath. The following poems were written in response to … Continue reading
“Hammerhead Goes to the Gallows” by Andrew Alford
NA’s Computer Science teacher and Tech Office guru, Andrew Alford, was recently awarded a New Writer Award Honorable Mention by Glimmer Train Magazine for his short story, “Erasure.” He calls the piece below a “mock, mock trial story,” (with apologies … Continue reading
“Zoom In” Community Art Show Photos & Poems by Digital Photography and Creative Writing Students
The Digital Photography and Creative Writing classes collaborated on this project for the 2015 Community Art Show, which has the theme of “Zoom In.” The photographers took the “zoomed in” photos and the writers used the evocative shots as inspiration … Continue reading
New Creative Nonfiction by Aaron Weiss
A. A. Weiss grew up in Maine and now resides in New York City. He teaches in NA’s Language Department after having lived in Ecuador, Mexico, Moldova and New Jersey. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Hippocampus Magazine, … Continue reading
Op-Ed & Personal Essay by Alexis Romay published by Translating Cuba & NBC News
“On Cuba, Hope and Change” was published on December 23rd, 2014, by Translating Cuba, the platform that publishes the blogs that are banned by the Cuban government. (Here you can read the essay in Spanish.) Alexis Romay of the NA … Continue reading
Haicubano Haiku Project by Alexis Romay
I wrote the first 50, 000 words of La apertura cubana, my second novel, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) 2009. This year, pressed for time, I settled for seventeen syllables per day. My idea was to deconstruct and/or (re)create Cuba, three … Continue reading
“A Gun Story” by Aaron Weiss, Pushcart Prize Nominee
The following creative nonfiction, excerpted from a memoir-in-progress, was written by faculty member Aaron Weiss, published in Hippocampus Magazine in August 2014, and nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Good luck, Mr. Weiss! The pipes weren’t cooperating, so I had to … Continue reading
“Hoya Carnosa” by Amy Chen ’15
Amy Chen ’15 participated in NA’s Creative Writing Workshop as a sophomore and has been an instrumental member of Prisms literary magazine. Thank you, Amy, for sharing this beautiful poem with us! Hoya Carnosa Each morning I awake to a … Continue reading
“Like Agamemnon’s Bath” by Betsy LaPadula
“Ben Zimmerman ’19 sent me an article from the Huffington Post about high-saline-content, blood-red, 140-degree Lake Natron and its hauntingly preserved animals, who perish because something about the lake confuses their sense of direction, and they crash into it. After … Continue reading
Performances by Alyssa McPherson ’13 & Flannery James ’14
Alyssa McPherson ’13 and Flannery James ’14 performed their poetry at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on October 24, 2014. For details click on the Creative Writing News. Below is … Continue reading
Trawlers: A novella by Mollie Wohlforth ’15 (expanded as of 10/20/14)
The following novella was begun by Mollie Wohlforth ’15 during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2013 and continued thereafter. She has another novel planned for NaNoWriMo 2014, so stay tuned! For the record, this isn’t a story where … Continue reading
“The Fifth Diver” by Alexis Romay
“The Fifth Diver” is a freestanding short story included in Salidas de emergencia (Emergency Exits), the first novel published by faculty member Alexis Romay. The book was published in Spanish and Italian editions in 2007. His novel, La Apertura Cubana, was … Continue reading
“Catey Shaw’s ‘Brooklyn Girls’ Is Only Cute When Lana Does It” by Elizabeth Coscia ’11
Alumnus Elizabeth Coscia ’11 is a New York Observer columnist operating out of New York and Washington D.C. with a background in culture and politics. Elizabeth participated in the Creative Writing Workshop at NA and currently attends Georgetown University. Read … Continue reading
“Incomprehension” by Mauranda Men ’16
The following poem by Mauranda Men ’16 was published on the “Almost Five Quarterly” blog in the summer of 2014. The online literary magazine Five Quarterly was founded in 2012 by NA English teacher Vanessa Jimenez Gabb and co-creator Crissy … Continue reading
“reasons we should buy this belize livingsocial escape” by Vanessa Jimenez Gabb
The following poem by English teacher Vanessa Jimenez Gabb was published on the “30 Latin@ Poets/30 Days” segment of the online magazine Luna Luna. Ms. Gabb is the author of Weekend Poems, Dancing Girls Press, 2014. Please enjoy the poem … Continue reading
“Yellow Starbursts” by Danielle Sidi ’14
The following contribution to WAM! is from alumnus Danielle Sidi, who currently studies at Emory University. Another of her poems, entitled “The City” (written in response to Elizabeth Bishop’s poem, “The Map”) was published on Poets.org and can be found … Continue reading
Poetry Month Celebrated by the Performance Poetry Club
“That House: A Sestina” written and recited by Laurel Gupton ‘15 “Empty Eyes” written and recited by James Marcucci ‘16 “While Watching Movies” written by Vanessa Gabb (faculty), recited by Parnika Sharma ’15 “How to Breathe Fire” written by Elizabeth … Continue reading
“Are Rabbits’ Feet Really Lucky?” by James Blume ’19
The following short story by James Blume won a 2014 Scholastic National Gold Medal for Flash Fiction. Please leave James your thoughts on his story. “Are Rabbit’s Feet Really Lucky? I was eight years old when I first saw my … Continue reading
Miracles (revised and expanded as of 9/1/14) by Robert Bitler
The following novel-in-progress was begun by faculty member Robert Bitler during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2013. He has been adding installments faithfully and hopes to have a finished novel for us to enjoy by the end of 2014. … Continue reading
This Does Not End with a Moral: a Novel Excerpt by Alicja Madloch ’15
The following novel-in-progress was begun by Alicja Madloch ’15 during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2013. Bravo, Alicja! Prologue Before I start, you must agree with my terms. The terms of use, as it were. I don’t … Continue reading
Trawlers: A Novel Excerpt by Mollie Wohlforth ’15
The following novel-in-progress was begun by Mollie Wohlforth ’15 during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2013. Keep going, Mollie! For the record, this isn’t a story where things get found. Some things just fall through the cracks … Continue reading
Miracles: a Novel Excerpt by Robert Bitler (earlier version)
In the comment section below, please offer your helpful, positive feedback. Miracles Chapter One – Illumined He was only in his fifties, but he was feeling old. His joints hurt – no doubt from the heady pickup football game he’d … Continue reading