City of One: Young Writers Speak to the World

Winner of the Silver Medal in ForeWord Magazine’s Anthology Category

This anthology presents the work of over 150 young inner-city poets, reflecting on their experiences with violence and sharing their desires for peace and unity in their families, in their communities and across the globe. Each poet presents a unique perspective and voice; when read together their work becomes a powerful call for peace. Whether in the hands of educators, peace activists, poetry lovers, or other young writers, City of One is a compelling portrait of a generation of youth who use their words to re-envision the world.

I celebrate this extraordinary book written by young people who believe, as I do, that peace is not only possible, it is unavoidable. -- Isabel Allende

It has been exciting for me to read what these wonderful WritersCorps poets are writing, those who are going to carry poetry into the future. -- Tillie Olsen

Reading the work from WritersCorps renews my conviction in the importance of writing. I am reminded of the value of telling even the simplest stories, describing the simplest things in one’s life--the tingle of a favorite food, the familiar panorama of homelife, the chalkboard in the classroom. -- Justin Chin

Because these poets are young, because they are newly discovering their own voices, their poems fly up like kites, free of clichés. In a time when human imagination is threatened...to imagine is to work for peace. These brave poems will help us all to find out way to our own imaginings of peace. -- Susan Moon

City of One...conveys to the world that peace is the only option to secure our children’s future. -- U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee

To see the future in America--and its promise in all shades and backgrounds and ideologies--read City of One and prepare to be amazed by these truly gifted writers. -- ZZ Packer

WritersCorps, San Francisco, places professional writers in community settings to teach creative writing to youth. The program is part of a national alliance with sites in the Bronx and Washington, D.C., whose shared vision is to strengthen and transform individuals and communities using the written word.