In 1936, 19-year-old Carson McCullers published Wunderkind, an autobiographical piece depicting the insecurity of a teenage girl. McCullers went on to write such acclaimed works as The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Member of the Wedding and The Ballad of the Sad Café. At Girls Write Now, at-risk high school girls (not much younger than Carson McCullers when she wrote Wunderkind use writing to explore their own adolescent experiences. With mentors by their sides, they are set on a path towards college, and their promising futures beyond.
In Carson McCullers Talks About Love, a new work written and performed by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, the iconic Carson McCullers reminisces about her life, her loves and her art. Seamlessly moving from spoken word to song and back again, the show features 16 original songs written by Ms. Vega in collaboration with Duncan Sheik, Tony Award-winner for Spring Awakening.
Girls Write Now is the first organization in the United States to combine mentoring and writing instruction within the context of all-girls programming. Since 1998, they have provided a safe and supportive environment for more than 3,500 at-risk girls to expand their natural writing talents, develop independent creative voices, and build confidence in making healthy choices in school, career, and life. 100% of GWN’s seniors graduate and move on to college – bringing with them awards, scholarships, a new sense of confidence and new skills.
