Short, beautiful pieces of writing right next to the objects they are about. Each of these eight young authors chooses four personal objects to reflect on like blue playdough, the latest Taylor Swift album, or a guitar pick. Also present in Trinkets & Knick-Knacks is a how to make a gingerbread man guide, poetry on duvets, and a letter to classic rock.

— Simon Traub-Epstein, International Library of Young Authors

From the publisher: “In your hands is the result of twelve sessions of work and play taken on by eight brave writers at Oak Hill High School in Wales, Maine. In the fall of 2022, English teacher Jeremy Young invited The Telling Room to come and help these students think more creatively about nonfiction. During this residency we uncovered themes and subjects they wanted to write about, but more importantly we explored how to write about them, inviting students to think beyond traditional essay format. We studied how contemporary authors use segmented essays, flash stories, epistolary forms, and footnotes to get to the truth of what matters to them.”