Words for the World: an Anthology of Arlington Young Poets responds to a world struck by pandemic tragedy, inequality, and mental health crisis. Edited by Arlington County, Virginia, poet laureate Holly Karapetkova, youth laureates Amasa Maleski and Kashvi Ramani, and youth ambassador Liam Mason, the book encourages readers to believe in the future of our community.
"Here is the light that survives the darkness." - E. Ethelbert Miller, writer and literary activist
"These poems are moving and striking and, most of all, wise. Prepare to be wowed." - Zach Powers, artistic director, The Writer's Center
This book will publish June 30, 2023. Books purchased in advance will ship on that date.
Words for the World was one of twenty projects funded by a 2022 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. The book includes writing by 38 high school students from Arlington County, including: Sean Allen, Alexander Anyse, Jaden Baer, Robert Blackwell-Curtis, Julia Carey, Nina Cherry, Isabel Corbett, Ribka Desta, Keira Distaso, Mia Dimina, Victoria Estevez, Jacqueline Fetter, Shoshana Ferguson, Grace Fettig, Sierra Hale, Sean Kalchbrenner, Mika Lynch-Lee, Amasa Maleski, Gabriela Martinez, Daisy Maxwell, Oliver Meek, Edilawit Mergia, Liam Mason, Anna Mohanty, Bridget Morris, Laura Neureiter, Julia Snell, Imani Tigney, Josefina Parry, Esme Pair, Morgan Pletcher, Kashvi Ramani, Sofia Reyes, Naima Tinsley, Tatiana Tham-Morrobel, Adrian Ulm, Cyrus Wilson, and Maral Kaycee Zorigoo.
Cover artwork on the book's cover is by Pia Cruz.