A Chorus of Heartfelt Voices
The creators represented in A Secret Chord are a testament to the power of transforming pain into poetry, silence into song, sorrow into art, and isolation into community. These teens write searingly of this historical moment, some anonymously and some in their own names.
As the executive director of The Pathfinder Network, Leticia Longoria-Navarro, reminds us, expression is power, and even the softest voice, uttering truth, can shake the world. These young people “are not simply telling stories; [they] are rewriting what is possible.”
Read an excerpt of A Secret Chord
Praise for A Secret Chord
“There are few things more powerful than giving young people a safe space to tell their stories, especially those impacted by incarceration, detention, and deportation. A Secret Chord is more than an anthology; it’s a healing force and platform for redemptive ideas. These pages carry the weight of truth, the beauty of resilience, and the quiet courage it takes to transform pain into poetry and art.
“As someone who has walked a long road from isolation to liberation, I know firsthand how creativity can crack open the hardest parts of our lives and let the light back in. Art, literature, and poetry saved my life; they gave me language when I had none and helped me reconnect to the parts of myself that prison tried to silence.
“The PATHfinder and POPS Clubs are doing sacred, complex work, restoring dignity, nurturing brilliance, and building bridges back to community through creativity. Every young voice in this collection deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
“This is more than a book. It’s a testament to the unbreakable spirit of our youth. I am honored to stand with them as an artist and friend.”
—Shaka Senghor, New York Times bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, speaker, coach, and resilience expert
“‘Bird on a Wire,’ the opening image, reflects the vulnerability of the contributors. They courageously share their struggles, victories, and sorrows, sometimes in code, sometimes in technicolor, and their work will surely inspire others to show up and tell their own truths.”
—April Halprin Wayland, award-winning children’s book author and instructor, UCLA Extension Writers’ Program
“The creators present their most authentic selves without filter or disguise, reminding us that language is the vehicle by which we come to know ourselves and make promises to persist and persevere. They face fears common to us all and do so with courage and humility. Take heart in their example!”
—David Borofka, author of A Longing for Impossible Things, The End of Good Intentions, and The Bliss of Your Attention
“A Secret Chord captures the voices of talented youth expressing their truest selves. Their words and images break through the din and darkness of this moment, and we are all listening as they brilliantly illuminate a path forward, lined with resilience, connection, and self-discovery.”
—Lily Banning, public health professional and Tobacco Policy Analyst, Oregon Health Authority
“The PATHfinder and POPS Clubs offer hope, community, and outlets to process trauma in a safe environment and the power to change members’ lives for the better. Read A Secret Chord and share it with others, and support their efforts in any way you can. It does make a difference!”
—Robert Barton, Commissioner, California Board of Parole
“The tapestry of perspectives and experiences will grab hold of your heart, and you’ll be changed for the better. The PATHfinder Club provides a place of such trust that these warriors of art have the courage to do what so many of us wish we could: speak truth to power.”
—Matthew Law, actor
“Works diverse in form and voice showcase the creators’ tenderness, vulnerability, and courage and their demand for a better world. Ask a young writer for the truth, and they will tell you. A Secret Chord reminded me that wisdom is earned through experiences that change us, no matter our age.”
—Charles Jensen, author of Instructions Between Takeoff and Landing and Portfolio Director, UCLA Extension Humanities and Social Sciences
“A Secret Chord celebrates the radical work of The PATHfinder and POPS clubs. The students experience transformation when exposed to community, creative practice, and emotional hygiene. A Secret Chord will break your heart and heal it all within one read.”
—Amanda Keller Konya, image maker and educator
“A Secret Chord amplifies the unflinching voices of young writers and artists whose poems, stories and art transform hardship into expression and isolation into connection.”
—Michelle Gutman, owner of Up Up Books, Portland, Oregon