Our Odysseys

Writing by 826nyC students At the

high sChOOl Of fAshiOn industries

826NYC Books

372 Fifth Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11215

OurOdysseys:Writingby826NYCStudentsattheHighSchoolofFashionIndustries © 2023 by 826NYC and the authors. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

First 826NYC edition January 2023

Manufactured in the United States of Brooklyn

979-8-88694-014-5

The writing in this book was produced in the 2022-2023 school year at 826NYC’s Young Writers Publish project at the High School of Fashion Industries. The classes were run by Daniel Goulden with the support of Kevin Kearns.

Designed by Ling Zhu

Edited and proofread by Nisha Lauren Aoyama, Ennis Bashe, Mina Huang, Dena Levitz, Chloe Rappe, and Dannie Ruth.

Printed by Bookmobile

This program is supported by 826 National, the Amazon Literary Partnership, The Jane Friedman Anspach Family Foundation, The Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Con Edison, The Find Your Light Foundation, The Hawkins Project, International Paper, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Literary Arts Emergency Fund, The Minerva Foundation, The Resnick Foundation, The Seth Sprague Educational & Charitable Foundation, The Yelp Foundation, and Youth, Inc. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The program is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. 826NYC is grateful to the many individuals who support our work. To see our full list of supporters or make a donation, please visit https://826nyc.org/donate-us/.

826NYC is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage the exploration of endless possibilities through the power of writing. Undefined by circumstance, our students build the skills to boldly write their own paths forward. We support new and exciting approaches to writing and inspire student engagement. And we foster generations of creative writers and thinkers, who together will define a better future.

COntent WArning

This book is intended for mature audiences, with some topics, themes, and language, that may not be suitable for young readers, including references to substance usage and themes involving violence and sexuality.