Book Review: Exploring the Lifelong Impact of Trauma

by Bhone Kyaw

When I reached the middle of Osamu Dazai’s novel ‘No Longer Human,’ I was struck by how much influence a person’s childhood can have on their identity as an adult. Yozo Oba, the protagonist, demonstrates that.   From a young age, the author depicts Yozo as suffering from depression, a direct consequence of the sexual abuse he suffered from at the hands of his family’s servants.

Beautiful Now

by Jaya Arellano

I’ve always thought that I was too fat, in part because my parents told me I was. My sister was also “chubby,” and my mom encouraged me to get her to diet with me. She’d say, “Let’s get our summer bodies ready!”  

Finding and Trusting the Right Therapist

by E.O.

Names have been changed. My father sexually abused me as a child and, a few days shy of my 13th birthday, I entered foster care. When detectives were first assigned to my case, I had to explain the what, when, where, who, and how of the assaults over and over.

Writing Contest Winners Spring 2023

Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In spring 2023, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about family, addiction, generational trauma, and finding one’s voice.

Writing contest winners winter 2023

Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In Winter 2022-23, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about family, race, online culture, self image, and the importance of a name.

I Am Not My Inheritance

by Anonymous

While I was close to my mom growing up, my father was emotionally absent and only seemed happy when he was highly intoxicated. Like a ghost, he came and went. I only saw him briefly before he left for work and after he came home, or during the weekends as he binge drank in the living room.