Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Staff Illustration by Susan Behrends Valenzuela

After the quiet melancholy

A collection of poems about heartbreak, pain, growth, and — eventually — moving on.
Matthew Davis, Contributing Writer January 24, 2022

Going Down   The pain of our pieces not fitting after years of assembly My rage at wet towels and wet socks The joy of seeing your face again The pain of watching you...

(Illustration by Adelaide Miller)

Voicemail Message #2: Echoes

The second part of a two-part poem: Silence breaks on the other end.
Bianca de Ayala, Contributing Writer September 27, 2021

Not available. At the tone, Please Record your message. . When you are finished recording, you may hang up or dial one for more options.  . . . . . Oh. You’re still...

(Illustration by Adelaide Magdalene Miller)

Voicemail Message #1: Burnout

The first part of a two-part poem about cut ties and lost connections in the digital age.
Bianca de Ayala, Contributing Writer September 13, 2021

. . . . Not available. . At the tone, . Please P l e a s e  Please.  . Record your message. . . . . Hello? . . . . I’m still here. . . . . It’s...

Despite the wave of hate crimes and the history of xenophobia against their community, Asian Americans remain strong. (Illustration by Sally Chen.)

Even before they were a headline

A collaborative poetry piece written to celebrate people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate
Lorraine Olaya, Deputy Copy Chief May 6, 2021

Disclaimer: This collaborative work was not created by someone of Asian or Pacific Islander descent; however, it was compiled using the words of contributors, credited at the end,...

Mekleit Dix, a first-year Master’s student in Gallatin, was one of many artists who performed during the school’s “Say It Loud!” showcase. Concluding Black History Month, artists shared messages of unity and pride. (Photo by Destine Manson)

Gallatin Celebrates Black Artistry with ‘Say It Loud!’

Gallatin’s Say It Loud! showed immense support for black artistry in New York through powerful words from young poets in the NYU community.
Destine Manson, Staff Writer March 2, 2020

At the tail end of Black History Month, artists in Gallatin’s “Say It Loud!” showcase shared their art about the complexities of Black skin in a white world. Sponsored by...

Poet Tina Chang discusses her newest book with Matt Brogan, executive director of the Poetry Society of America, at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House. Chang’s collection of poems, titled “Hybrida,” grapples with issues of identity and acceptance. (Photo by Dani Herrera)

Tina Chang Discusses Race, Motherhood and the Hybrid Nature of Poetry

Following the release of her new book, Tina Chang visited the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House to discuss her poems.
Dani Herrera, Staff Writer February 10, 2020

The Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House filled with anticipation as eager fans awaited Tina Chang’s entrance. In a continuation of the writing center’s “The New Salon”...

The Fall

The Fall

Eugene Hu, Contributing Writer December 5, 2019

I. Sturdy spruce trees stand Like thin, shaken, gutless twigs Before the chainsaw. II. Swallow packs soar high Under the merciless rain That chews through their wings. III. Rose...

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

to the wildlife we have destroyed 

Rachel Lee, Under the Arch Voices Illustrator December 5, 2019

to the wildlife we have destroyed  Though your presence May have left I will try my best To keep your memory  Alive   Telling stories of  How you  Lived  in...

Micro Memoir - Thoughts on the Hudson River Valley Aqueduct

Micro Memoir – Thoughts on the Hudson River Valley Aqueduct

Maxine Flasher-Duzgunes, Under the Arch Voices Editor December 5, 2019

blue stone quarry  morning  thirty-seven  on the icy gravel dike   these glacial acid lakes upstate, pure where fish die lacking green   dusty...

Leapfrog

Leapfrog

Tayler Bakotic, Contributing Writer December 5, 2019

In my younger days, I would catch frogs in the summer – cupping one between my hands and watching its convex eyes looking back at me. I caught myself a little friend – I wonder...

Plastic-watching

Plastic-watching

Anna-Dmitry Muratova, UTA Senior Reporter December 5, 2019

The day before the first snow Almost fell,  Went bird-watching  In Bryant Park.  Instead of birds watched  A Walgreens bag,  Flopping in the wind.    Didn’t...

Rupi Kaur Is Killing Poetry

Rupi Kaur Is Killing Poetry

The popularity of Instagram confessional poetry is rising, but is it wiping out more legitimate forms of poetry?
Ashley Wu, Staff Writer September 15, 2019

Nowadays, Instagram poetry is seemingly everywhere. On social media, small aestheticized squares of text dominate the feeds of millions of people. These short confessional poems...