The Stars We Find in Dust

In The Stars We Find in Dust, sixteen-year-old Emma-Rose Wallner offers an intimate, unflinching glimpse into the heart and mind of a young soul navigating the complexities of growing up. Across three carefully curated sections, Wallner invites readers into a world shaped by frustration, grief, tenderness, and wonder. Her work dwells in ambiguity—in the uncertain rhythms of inspiration, the slippery contours of mental health, and the uneasy coexistence of memory and mourning. With fierce honesty and lyrical sensitivity, she weaves reflections on adolescence into narratives of obsession and rage, capturing the struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world.

Written in the candid voice of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, these poems and stories speak to a generation facing inner demons, uncertain futures, and moments of fleeting light. Wallner’s words urge us to look inward, to sit with the shadows—and to find the stars hidden in the dust.