When I was young, I didn't love reading. 

But when I read Romeo & Juliet in the eighth grade, the voices on those pages were urgent, alive, in conflict with themselves and each other. 

They opened up worlds and perspectives I had never considered: lives I would never live, grief I had never known, joy that had never occurred to me as possible. For the first time, a story made me feel less alone. 

That is when I fell in love with reading. Not when I saw myself reflected, but when I was invited to see further than I ever had before.

Stories are not decoration. They are not entertainment layered on top of the "real" work of civilization. Stories are how we make meaning of suffering, how we pass wisdom across generations, how we recognize our own humanity in someone we thought was a stranger. 

Across this country, there are active, organized efforts to decide which voices are given space to be heard. Authority figures propagate a narrative that exposure to difference is a threat rather than a gift.

At GrubStreet, we are committed to making space for those stories, especially at a moment when storytelling is under threat.

Thank you for sharing this commitment, for advocating for the writers in our community, and for helping ensure their stories are heard—carrying new perspectives from our vibrant community into the wider world.

As I walk down GrubStreet’s hallways and flip through pages of student anthologies, I feel inspired by the meaningful stories, creativity, and growth we share, and the generous supporters who make it all possible. I am reminded of why our work is so critical at a moment when our world hurts. 

Thank you for welcoming me to GrubStreet. Thank you for sharing GrubStreet’s belief that every person carries a story worth sharing. Thank you for being an important part of the GrubStreet community, whether as a reader, writer, or supporter. 

All the best, 

Kim Dawson Ohiomoba

P.S. Literature makes the invisible visible. The unspoken speakable. The isolated shared. Thank you for supporting the writers at GrubStreet in this important work. Will you make a donation today to keep our literary community strong?