In these poems, these authors open up themselves and bring light to their city. Through words, they explore their true selves and the grittiness of D.C. from its streets to its busses. Even the smallest parts of the world are given love and attention, in, for example, "Ode to the Pebble."

— Simon Traub-Epstein, International Library of Young Authors

From the publisher: “Over the course of the 2011-2012 school year, 826DC hosted a series of workshops for the poetry clubs at Ballou Senior High School and Bell Multicultural High School. Dear Brain is the culmination of this project, and features work by Tiffany Adams, Jovan Almodovar, Jonathan Bethea, Kenya El-Massie, Sterling Harrison, Patricia Juarez, Shannon Marshall, Tiana Minter-El, Kenya Reese, Vanessa Robles, Kamaria Russell, Tessa Thomas, Tia Thomas, Rayshad Whitaker, and Kennedy Wynn.”