writing that speaks
              ​art that breathes

"Creativity is part of human nature. It can only be untaught."​
      - Ai Weiwei, artist ​
For many, the arts are an escape from an increasingly complex world. For others, the arts are a lens through which we can see the world in all its complexity, both its beauties and its sorrows. But if there is one thing thousands of years of human history has taught us, it’s that the arts are powerful. They’re a staple of the human experience.

The Paper Crane seeks to display a new form of artistic expression that celebrates the nuance in life: the joyful, the twisted, and the bittersweet.
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We urge young creatives to never surrender their passions.

We offer a quiet island of this passion here, to any reader, writer, or artist that may come our way.

The Editors

Paris LeClaire

Paris (she/her) is a high school student from West Michigan. A storyteller since the day she learned to hold a pencil, Paris has been writing prolifically all through her childhood and never plans to stop. In her free time, Paris enjoys reading, learning languages, and researching the history of the Nordics and Pacific island nations.

Thanisha Chowdhury

Thanisha (she/her) is a high school student and writer from Northern Virginia. When she’s not asleep face-down in an open book, you can find her drawing on her arm during class, browsing forums about linguistics, or trying to get her map to stay on the wall. Thanisha is an avid believer that there is a story in everything; it’s just a matter of how hard you look.

Jacqueline Xiong

Jacq (she/her) is a reader and writer of novels, short stories, and poems. Outside of reading and writing, she enjoys making pastries from box mixes and struggling in Algebra 2. Her traveling bucket list currently consists of meeting BTS and visiting France (read: French food and the Louvre Art Museum).

Blog Editor

Anika Singh

Anika Singh (she/her) is a student residing in Northern Virginia. In her free time, she loves to write novels, play on her prized Nintendo Switch and advocate for topics spanning human rights and justice. She has been obsessed with the intriguing experiences of reading and writing ever since she was a child, thinking of them as an escape, and is a Potterhead for life. 

Design Editor

Melissa Wang

Melissa (she/her) is a high school student from Northern Virginia. She is trying out digital design and hopes to improve at Paper Crane. She spends her free time playing Minecraft and watching Minecraft youtubers, and hopes to start her own channel one day. 

Staff Artist and General Art Editor

C.T. Dinh

C.T. Dinh (she/they) is a DMV-based artist and writer. She specializes in digital art and acrylic painting and loves to mess around with comics, graphic design, and creative coding. They edit Backslash Lit and will be entering college this fall to study immersive media.

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