Book launch celebrations set for Saranac Lake, Glens Falls

The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) has announced the release of the third Wild Words: Adirondack Teen Writing Anthology, a collection of original creative writing by teens from across the North Country. Contributors range from 13 to 19 years old, and have written across various genres, including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

“In Wild Words: Volume Three, our young authors navigate the liminal spaces between childhood and adulthood, connecting home to faraway places, the mythical to the mundane, the fantastic to the profane, and dreams to hard-boiled realities,” said Wild Words editor, Emilie Allen. “We are excited to celebrate this year’s contributors, whose raw, unflinching prose and poetry showcase the extraordinary talent emerging from our region’s young voices.”

The public is invited to celebrate the publication with live readings from the young authors at two upcoming events.

The Saranac Lake launch is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the Harrietstown Town Hall, 39 Main Street. Teen contributors will read selections from their work. Copies of the 2025, 2024, and 2023 Wild Words anthologies will be available for purchase at $5 each.

Featured readers will include Marie Bullock (Keene Valley), Max Charlton (Huevelton), Ella Jeannette Combs (Tupper Lake), Chester Damon (St. Regis Falls), Luke Dalton (Chateaugay), Ellie Henderson (Saranac Lake), Issak Hadlock (St. Regis Falls), McKenna Karker (Fort Plain), Heaven LaFever (Saranac Lake), Mckenna Pearsall (Queensbury), Clara Parsons (Ellenburg Center), Lily Reed (Peru), Abigail Rivers (St. Regis Falls), Mya Robinson (Pulaski), Isiah Virkler (Croghan), among others.

To learn more and register for the Saranac Lake launch, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org/event/2025-wild-words-book-launch.

The second event will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at The Hyde Collection, 161 Warren Street, Glens Falls. In a collaboration between ACW and The Hyde Collection, this event will feature readings from Wild Words contributors alongside presentations by students featured in The Hyde’s 34th Annual High School Juried Show. To learn more and register, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org/event/a-celebration-of-words-and-works.

Printing of the 2025 Wild Words Anthology was supported by a grant from Sylvamo.

The Adirondack Center for Writing has been bringing people and words together for 25 years through provocative events and meaningful programs. For more information about ACW, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org or follow @adkctr4writing on Facebook and Instagram.