Presenting “Still Life” a short story by the 2024 JBWC Youth Fellow, Zazie Anastasopoulos.
Presenting a selection of pieces from Blood Rummage by 2023 JBWC Youth Fellow Jonah Ruddock, who explores how a microplastic traverses a wilderness of waste and decay. "Remember: everything is touching everything else, and everyone is lying to you."
Presenting Bringing Buffalo Back: The Return of the Labor Movement written by 2022 JBWC Youth Fellow Lindsay Cobb.
Presenting an excerpt of Autumn Flowers written by 2022 JBWC Youth Fellow Angelina Tang. Autumn Flowers is a story about being human. It is the journey of a girl who rises above her suffering and embraces herself, learning to accept her past and future; at the same time, it is an exploration of Chinese culture, flower language, and the effects of a schizophrenia diagnosis.
Presenting a selection of three poems by 2021 JBWC Youth Fellow Sophie Zhu. Says Sophie, "I hope you keep three phrases in mind while reading these poems: the act of being human, a video game of syllables, Wolfgang Tillmans, and your people."
Presenting The Inbetween, a chapbook of poetry and art by 2021 JBWC Youth Fellow Millie Rae Rodriguez-Spencer. "Not only was this my first completed project," says Millie Rae, "but an enriching introduction to the Buffalo literary and poetry community that in turn ignited my passion for creating art again."
"Buffalo is often called the 'City of Good Neighbors' because it is a city that's home to a large refugee and immigrant population. As Buffalonians we pride ourselves on this flourishing diversity. But with xenophobia and hate crimes on the rise, sometimes the message behind being a 'City of Good Neighbors' is forgotten. Through this summer fellowship at the Just Buffalo Writing Center I interviewed three different immigrants who call America home, and offer readers a snapshot of their lives. My hope is that by sharing these narratives, we can learn how each of our experiences intertwine and that human empathy ties people from all varying backgrounds together. These profiles act as a response to the question, 'What makes being the “City of Good Neighbors” so wonderful?'"
"Do I approve of violence? / Oh is that the question?" read this poem by 2018 Just Buffalo Writing Center Youth Fellow Maya Simmons inspired by an interview with Angela Davis.