Today’s post isn’t one that fits in any one category. It is different an meant to be so. I was asked to volunteer to do something very prestigious and want to take today’s blog to both quickly thank the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for allowing me this opportunity to participate and to recognize the young men and women across the country for the amazing work they have submitted.
Per NCTE’s website: The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.
I wish that I could post pictures of the three “magazines” I was assigned to judge. Magazines are a gross understatement for what I was provided. When I opened the package in the envelope on the way up to my apartment, I almost dropped it. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like Jennifer Hudson in a throw shoeing moment on the voice.
The imagery, poetry, essays, letters, titles, stories, topics and voices jumped off the page and into my heart immediately. You should know, I haven’t even begun to fully judge them yet. This is just the first impression of holding them in my hand.
It is an honor to be apart of NCTE and a state representative for the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN-YA) and this is just one more reminder as to why. Students across this country, like those of you (ages 8 to 88) #amreading #amwriting
If you (as a student, educator, parent, author, publisher, publicist, agent or any part of the literary word) don’t know about NCTE or ALAN-YA, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE (if I could, I would “glamour” you into it, as Faerie Folk do in Holly Black’s Folk of the Air Series).
If you live in Missouri and would like information on how to join, please contact me with any questions or information. As the state representative for ALAN-YA, it is my honor and privilege to do everything I can to help.
Judging ends October 1st and I will find out if I can share the winning entries when they are announced. I believe you will be as inspired blown away by the work being done across the country as I am by the winners as I am by the three entries I am judging.
Now, as Loki commands ….
I didn’t have a literary magazine in high school, but I joined one as soon as I got to college! Even though I love working as an editor (and hopefully writer someday) for my college literary magazine, I would probably love it more if I was able to do it throughout high school too. When I was younger, there were no opportunities to share fiction pieces or poetry, so I really didn’t write any. I fell into journalism (which is still great) but I feel kind of behind with creative writing.
That being said, I really appreciate what you are doing for literary magazines and young writers all over. Being a writer in high school is hard (especially fighting the trope of the angsty poet), but it is definitely worth it.
That’s very kind of you Tessa!! But honestly when you see the work they put into these…. They have every look feel and sense of being professional. From the actual content to the accompanying photography/illustrations and oh so professional color binding. I would order their magazines over the New Yorker, Time and other political rags for sheer joy they bring.