Teri Ellen Cross Davis
Story Coach
Teri Ellen Cross Davis is the author of a more perfect Union (Mad Creek Books, 2021) winner of the 2019 Journal/Charles B. Wheeler Poetry Prize and Haint (Gival Press, 2016) winner of the 2017 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry. In 2022, she was one of two recipients of a state-wide Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award and in 2020 she received the Poetry Society of America's 2020 Robert H. Winner Memorial Award. She has been the recipient of grants from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and The Freya Project. A member of the Black Ladies Brunch Collective, she has been awarded fellowships and scholarships to Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, the Community of Writers Poetry Workshop and others. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies including: Academy of American Poets, Deep Beauty, Harvard Review, PANK, Poetry Ireland Review, and Kenyon Review. She was the 2019-2020 HoCoPoLitSo Writer-in-Residence for Howard County, Maryland, and is the current O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Curator and Poetry Programs manager for the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C.
Teri Ellen Cross Davis coached the writers of:
Foreword by Elizabeth Acevedo. Edited by Sasa Aakil and Kathy Crutcher.
by the Young Writers of Shout Mouse Press
For ten years, Shout Mouse Press has championed the voices of young writers, publishing their authentic and necessary stories. Now, this landmark anthology of youth writing celebrates a decade of storytelling—and invites readers to pick up their pens and write the path ahead.
Spanning memoir, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, Bright Before Us, Like a Flame is more than a retrospective—it’s a creative writing resource and a call to action. Taking its title from Langston Hughes’ poem “Youth,” this collection ignites both hope for the future and the power to shape it. Through stories of immigration, identity, social justice, and resilience, young authors confront today’s most urgent topics with insight and empathy. Their words challenge, inspire, and invite readers to add their own voices to the conversation.
What’s Inside:
✅ A diverse collection of youth-authored memoirs, poetry, fiction, comics, and children’s literature, featuring underrepresented voices.
✅ Creative writing prompts and behind-the-scenes insights to inspire students and emerging writers to tell their own stories.
✅ Intergenerational conversations with award-winning guest authors, exploring the role of storytelling in social change.
✅ Discussion questions for middle and high school classrooms, book clubs, and creative writing workshops.
At a time of uncertainty and urgent global challenges, these young authors remind us: Words have power. Stories create change. And the future is yours to write.
Perfect for:
📖 Aspiring young writers looking for inspiration, mentorship, and creative guidance.
🎓 Educators and librarians seeking an engaging, diverse, and inclusive classroom writing resource for middle and high school students.
🎁 Readers who believe in the power of storytelling to spark dialogue and transform communities.
ISBN: 978-1-950807-82-6
Age: 12+
Page Count: 304