12/10 (the 2020 top 20 pt. 2)

10) ”I am but a perfect fragment of life for my mother’s friends to gawk at.” This was my first piece in anha’s highlights (hey, remember those?) and my first time experimenting with this style. This was one of the last real weeks before quarantine and having it documented like this and getting to hear feedback on it means the world. It was seeing traction continuously, too, straight up to when I unpublished it.

9) The second of my more nonfiction-y helpful posts, ”I don’t care if school is over, educate youself.” Lots of great dialogue added in the comments, and that’s always my favorite thing to see.

8) Ah, yes. The wave-starting, ever present "My best friend Riley gets sad sometimes." If I'm telling you the truth, I wasn't crazy about this one, and I'm still not. But what I am crazy about is the nearly 25+ works it inspired across wtw--now THAT felt insane.

7) The Harper Lee poem that started it all: "I do not like the word 'dead' but that is what you are." From the satellites era, very obviously seen when it's read, but by far the best of that time.

6) Can you believe I turned this in? Yeah, me neither, but the (dare I say) most well known art teachers on wtw finally got her assignment, though I don't think "another artistic statement so again i shall bleed" was really what she was looking for. Oh well, the sculptures long broken anyway. *sighs*

5) Written from my Outer Banks bedroom (where they took me end of season and I loved it so much), "in fall we break." Those opening lines had been floating around for what felt like ages and I was so glad to finally have something to put them with. This was not only my formal return to poems on wtw, but also the best vacation souvenir I've got (though my jars of shells are pretty darn cool).

4) One of my most popular pieces and something I've had to refrain from putting back on wtw-- "the brightest purple girls," or, my letter to Harper Lee. I don't ever like to say I wish I'd won something, but God, I so wish this would've at least gotten an honorable mention (and I tbh really wish Jun Lei's would have won because that one was perfection). Even so, something I was proud of.

3) "Sid, to read on the way to your sister." This one was a ride, I'll tell you that. I didn't ever think I'd post it, much less send it places. To Sid (who doesn't read this, but idc), if my writing's this good when you travel, imagine how great it'd be if you *ahem* took me with you. Kidding, kidding, but #3 felt like a comfy spot for this.

2) This may seem silly or shallow (and I won’t say it isn’t) but having ”Plagiarism, Citations, and other fun things you may have forgotten in English Class” reach the position of most-liked piece on wtw is something I consider one of my greatest writing accomplishments. I definitely wrote that out of a direct need I saw, but was hesitant to post it (sweet, sweet little uncontroversial Riley...lol). I’m so thankful for a few writers who helped convinced me! I had no idea what it would turn into. :)

1) And here we are. The best of the best. The top. And maybe we’re expecting this, maybe you saw it coming all along, but by far the thing I was proudest of this year had to be ”Burning Things like Trucks and my White Privilege.” It was edgy. It was new for me, style-wise. It was new for me topic-wise, and you guys responded to it with such personal stories and that made it all the better. All your life you get told your words can change the world--I don’t think this piece even got close to doing that. But as cheesy as it sounds, it’s the one that made me believe that maybe someday I could.

Honorable Mentions:

"a history of growing up"

"i make her nurseries and my body tears them down"

"mrs. l asked us to write an artistic statement so i came up with this"

"these are the homes we've forgotten get lived in"

Comment down below how you discovered my writing and I'll reciprocate lol--if I've known you long enough maybe you'll get a top ten of your own.

Thank you all for this whirlwind year. I wouldn't be where I am without you <3 All my love and all the best to you--

xx, Riley