Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I love the Back-to-School Season. I walk out of my apartment building and see children and teens heading to Chapin,
Allen Stevenson, Loyola and other Upper East Side Schools. The little girls in pinafores, boys in khaki pants, blue
blazers and ties. Mothers carrying small violins, scooters, field hockey sticks, and North Face bookbags. Parents
engaged in small conversations, and reminders to behave and speak up in class. Fall is in the air.
I drive 4 miles to work in Hunts Point and see HPAC’s children walking to neighborhood schools. Little ones clinging
to their parent’s hands, girls carrying pink princess backpacks and little boys wearing extra large baseball caps. Everyone
has a new pair of sneakers. It’s a silent walk to school with heads down to avoid looking into the eyes of the homeless,
prostitutes, or familiar drug dealers.
The second volume of THE 6 TRAIN highlights the work of young writers growing up in one of New York City’s
poorest neighborhoods. Their work gives voice not only to their fears but their hopes, dreams, and love of life, and
family above all. This year we include the writings of children in our Storefront Ensemble, the Mighty Quills, and the
Kenyon Young Writers Program.
We want to dedicate Volume II of THE 6 TRAIN to Mary Elizabeth Bunzel and Paul Healy, board members of the
Kenyon Review. They have made it possible for our high school scholars to attend the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop
for the past five years. Our partnership with Kenyon has inspired our young people to develop a love of reading and
writing.
Enjoy the read, and fall in love with some of the most generous and talented young writers in New York City.
Maryann G. Hedaa
President and Founder
The Hunts Point Alliance for Children