Not Just Another Class Project
“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” - Zora Neale Hurston
It was a true labor of love, community effort, and magic that made this year’s One Pen publication possible. This book is the perfect starting place for anyone who wants to engage with poetry but feels overwhelmed or confused about where to start.
I opened the 17th edition of this year’s One Pen with this quote by Zora Neale Hurston, an Alabama-born writer remembered as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Hurston’s creative work exemplified the concept that the personal is political: who we are at home, who we are forced to be, and our day to day life all ties to a larger political experience that many of us don’t choose for ourselves.
I saw this dynamic with the students I collaborated with at the Bronx Academy of Letters. I believed in their potential and the rawness of their emotions, especially as they were learning to not only see it within themselves, but respect it. In this year’s edition of One Pen, students exemplified self-respect and self-expression, tackling themes of mental health, sense of belonging, family, and exploration of the world around them. Their worlds shapeshift daily, and the poems share a snapshot for us of what life feels like for students today. On top of writing, our students didn't just want their poems in print; they wanted to make the book a work of art. They decided to create title pages and beautiful illustrations to separate each author's section. These colorful pages, adorned with their favorite things and unique designs, added a personal touch that made the book even more special.
The most impactful moment for me, however, has been passing out the pretty, finished copies to students this year. We worked right up until the last day of school last year to finish certain poems. When students went home for the summer, some weren’t sure if they would actually get to see the book, or if this was just another class project for credit that I hyped up.
Therefore, no feeling compared to watching my students open the book, run to a page they’ve designed featuring their own drawings, read their own poetry, and then share the book with others in their lives. While this year’s edition of One Pen only features students, it is truly a treat for their parents, siblings, teachers, counselors, and champions in their lives. This year’s books are a tangible reminder of what they had achieved.Join us in celebrating the creativity and dedication of these young authors. We hope you enjoy their work as much as we do!
Trae Banuelos-Rovaris
Program Manager & Data Analyst
Trae Banuelos-Rovaris (she/they) is a social researcher, facilitator, and writer passionate about creativity, arts education, and liberation. Currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Applied Social Research at CUNY Hunter College, Banuelos was recently published in the Journal of Black Sexuality and National Harm Reduction Coalition mini-course Black Becoming: A Legacy of HERstory. She graduated from Wichita State University in 2018 earning bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Women’s Studies with University Honors, and certificates in Community Psychology, and Tilford Diversity Studies. Banuelos is also the Vice President Abortion Conversation Projects, non-profit board that funds artists, activists, and community groups committed to destigmatizing abortion at the grassroots level with seed grants. Before moving to New York, Tracia was named a 2018 Kansas Civic Health Hero and won the Next Generation Award from Kansas Voices for Choice for their work in reproductive justice and comprehensive sexual education. Banuelos has organized social justice projects as a 2017 Fellow with Young People For, 2018 Member of the Young Women of Color for Reproductive Justice Leadership Council, and 2018 Real Change Fellow with RESULTS.
