Words have always provided a sense of comfort for me. When I’ve struggled, not been at my best, or needed comfort, they have provided me with an escape from reality. On more than one occasion, I have lost myself in the pages of a book or felt understood by the words of poetry. There are many authors who I could speak about that have done exactly this for me. These three authors have inspired me, made me feel empowered and pushed me to never give up on my biggest wishes. It is women like these who show me the true power of words.
- Rupi Kaur
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Rupi Kahr, an Indian-born Canadian poet, has used her poetry to convey her story and inspire millions of women. Two of her most famous poetry collections, ‘milk & honey’ and ‘The Sun and Her Flowers’, are two honest and real collections that don’t hold back the message she desires to share. Kahrs poetry speaks about femininity, perseverance, and the history of those connected to her past, her home, and the struggles they have faced. She writes about love, loss, and a variety of other topics that many women can identify with. Her most recent collection, ‘Homebody’, takes readers on a journey of oneself through love, acceptance community and family. Her poetry inspires me, and in her words I find comfort and understanding in a new way.
- Christine Riccio
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I came across Christine Riccio in the summer of 2014 when I was entranced by the world of Divergent, a best selling dystopian book series. Christine’s “booktube” channel included book talk videos where she reviewed and spoke about different books she had read. Her energy and excitement towards reading was contagious. Though I already considered myself a reader, when watching her, I consider this to be the time when I truly fell in love with books. Christine spoke on her channel, on writing her own book, making several Youtube videos describing her writing process. In the summer of 2019, her dream was finally realized as her first novel, ‘Again, but Better,’ was released! To see someone who had influenced me during an imperative time in my life achieve their dream was so inspiring! I couldn’t help but feel connected to these young women who made me feel that I could go after my deepest dreams. Her novel inspired me to change my own path during my time in college. I could not be more grateful for the story she created that put the idea in my head to go after what I really wanted in life.
- Rainbow Rowell
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Another author who I found during my imperative teen years, Rainbow Rowell’s young adult novels made me feel understood at a time when I felt very alone. Booktude introduced me to her novel ‘Fangirl,’ and I was hooked after that. ‘Fangirl’ told the story of a lonely college freshman finding her way. As a high school freshman who felt very lost, I felt that her story spoke to me, and gave me a connection at the time in which I desperately needed one. Rowells other works, including ‘Eleanor & Park’ and ‘Carry On’, have shown me how deep and powerful writing can be.
Words have and will always continue to inspire me. They provide me an escape during difficult times in addition to providing a sense of understanding when I am unable to find it. It is authors like these women, who show me the power all women have within themselves. Though we may not always realize it, we have the power to change the world in the most beautiful ways.