Everyone’s got a story to tell! What’s yours?!
Y-Series collab with Uptown Stories(@uptownstories)
Empowering young people to tell their own story; their Uptown Stories!
A West Coast-inspired Pale ale that’s slightly sweet with subtle toasty notes and light honey-like palatableness. Cascade and Centennial hops add zesty grapefruit and an intense citrus aroma with pronounced lemon notes. Spruce tips add herbal, piney, and tropical flavor notes.
The name Uptown Stories is a reference to the program that empowers young people to write their own stories. Based in Washington Heights, they offer after-school, weekend, and summer creative writing workshops for children ages 8-18, led by rock-star teachers, who are also professional authors and artists.
“We want young people to understand they have the autonomy and ability to write anything they want, to tell their own stories. We want students whose voices are traditionally less heard, and whose stories are less often told, to know their stories matter regardless of national origin, race, citizenship status, or economic status. Our future leaders are young right now. Even if writing is not their primary calling, they must be equipped to express themselves and trust in their own imagination” said our December Y-Series collaborator, Melanie Thibeault
“Many of our students start our workshops asking, “Is it OK if I write this? Am I allowed to write this?” It’s liberating to be able to tell them, “Your writing isn’t for your parents, your teachers, or even for me. It’s for you.” Writing doesn’t have to be an “assignment;” it is a tool, a refuge, even a piece of them.”
“Three Kings has cultural significance to us as it invokes the hispanic holiday “Three Kings Day“, it mirrors the three points behind The Y-Series’ Mission (Creativity, Community, Inclusivity), as well as what we consider the three pillars of music within in The Bronx (Hip-Hop, Latin, Rock). Lastly, it invokes a royal aesthetic around both us as a collective as well as everyone living in the borough. We’re all kings and queens in The Bronx.” he said
The artwork on the Uptown Stories Pale Ale can was designed by Josh Bayer, our longtime comics teacher. We worked with Josh to pay homage to our home, community, and some notable landmarks in Washington Heights. We think upper Manhattan is one of the most vibrant communities in New York City, and that is in large part due to the diverse, creative, and generous people that live there.
Uptown Stories has so many people to thank for its ability to do the work they love. Over the past ten years, the families and communities of upper Manhattan have been our guiding light. Almost 2,000 young writers have participated in our workshops, and we’ve built lasting partnerships with a number of other local organizations and schools. We can’t imagine Uptown Stories being anywhere else!
