Everything I Felt, I Wrote

Everything I Felt, I Wrote, the debut chapbook of youth poet Caitlin Austin, is a brave, honest look at what it feels like to grow, heal, and choose yourself. Caitlin writes about perfectionism and identity ("my deep, dark waters"), anger and anxiety ("my jailers"), setting boundaries ("where there are beasts"), and learning to let go of old pain ("tired of circles"). With clear, engaging language and memorable images like a stubborn pencil, a "poor bug," and a cactus in the desert, these poems show how naming hard feelings can lead to real change. There's fear here, but also humor, compassion, and hope. By the end, Caitlin moves from being "at the bottom" to standing steady, reminding readers that it's okay to feel everything and that healing is possible. Developed through Youth Writers' Camp (Summer 2025), this initiative gives young people the tools to share their voices and experiences through creative writing. The program emphasizes social-emotional learning, self-expression, and community building, making it valuable for both youth and adults. Suitable for middle-grade readers and up, Youth Writers' Camp projects connect naturally to classroom and youth-program discussions about creativity, resilience, and the power of storytelling.