PenThrill’s 101st publication ‘Excerpts from a Diary of a Gr
PenThrill’s 101st publication ‘Excerpts from a Diary of a Growing Teenager’ released
The 101st publication of PenThrill titled "Excerpts from a Diary of a Growing Teenager," written under a pen name—Nao Yokhe—was formally released by Lisi Shupao
(L-R) Ralu Keyho, Lisi Shupao, Vishü Rita Krocha, and
Elizabeth during the launch of "Excerpts from a Diary of a Growing
Teenager" by Nao Yokhe (not seen) at Walker's Library, Chümoukedima, on
April 17.
DIMAPUR — The 101st publication of PenThrill
titled "Excerpts from a Diary of a Growing Teenager," written under a
pen name—Nao Yokhe—was formally released by Lisi Shupao, children's pastor of
Naga United Village Baptist Church, with a dedicatory prayer.
According to an update, the event was held at the Walker's
Library, Great Commission Higher Secondary School, Chümoukedima, on April 17.
Giving comments on the book during the launch, Aseno Terhuja
Kavalov, proprietor of El Mizmor Music Academy, spoke about how everyone can
relate to the book as it does not pretend to have answers. "But it reminds
you that being human is messy and beautiful and deeply connected", she
said.
She further remarked that through entries about love,
friendship, depression, betrayal, family, and forgiveness, "the book shows
us that the everyday experiences and the little things we often overlook are
where the real emotions live”.
Describing the book as "a soft voice in a loud
world", she reiterated that it is a reminder that even the smallest
feelings matter and that "growing up, with all its ache and wonder, is a
story worth telling again and again."
The author, who turned 20 last May, recalled her experiences
of growing up as a teenager and said that it was actually a spontaneous
decision to put this book up for publication.
However, as spontaneous as it was, she shared, "It was
not an easy decision to make because it is so personal to me, and it is such a
loud display of my vulnerability."
With pieces of her mind out there for people to see, she
said, "It is also why I decided to write using a pseudonym." Towards
this end, she further urged those who share in her anonymity that "it
remains so until I am brave enough to step up and claim my thoughts to be my
own."
The publisher of PenThrill, Vishü Rita Krocha, noted that it
takes extraordinary courage to write about deeply personal matters. Drawing a
comparison between diary entries and poetry, she stated that both require the
writer to bare their thoughts and feelings.
Offering thoughts and experiences through the lens of a
teenager, she also stated that anyone can resonate with the book since every
adult has once been a teenager and young children will also become teenagers
one day.
Stating that the book also explores important issues of
family, love, friendship, loss, and grief, she said, "Reading the book
feels like the author is confiding in you as a friend, and as a reader,
everyone must also give the book all the love that it deserves."
