HOME AND AWAY

An anthology of poems, essays, and illustrations by young people (and some adults) explores themes of growing up, family, and dreaming of brighter futures.

Divided into 12 thematic chapters, the work’s varied contents—from photographs to acrostic poems—showcase the nearly 100 different creators’ emotional and intimate deep dives into their motivations, hopes, and goals. A common theme running through their work is the experience of being affected by the U.S. carceral system; all the contributors participated in clubs run by a nonprofit dedicated to supporting teens whose lives have been touched by “incarceration, detention, and deportation.” The individual sections vary in length and the selections feel inconsistently curated, however. Some of the work feels especially inorganic: It’s clear that these writers have been given specific “prompts designed to lead them to their truths” while other pieces provide broader and more insightful context for the creators’ lives. It’s gratifying to see multiple pieces by the same creators appear, highlighting their introspection and providing a roundness to their contributions that would not be present if readers had only one opportunity to interact with their works. The poetry of Genalyn Guerrero, from Venice High School in Los Angeles, is particularly strong and threads throughout the text in a way that allows readers to feel they are following the writer’s journey.

A positive if uneven effort to boost complex stories through diverse media.