Teen Ink. Editors: John and Stephanie H. Meyer. The Young Authors Foundation. ISSN: 1545-1283.Description:
Teen Ink is a literary magazine for teenagers that was launched in 1989. Originally it was called 21st Century to reflect that it was a magazine for the generation of the future, but the name was changed in the early 2000s. Ten print issues a year are published; many other submissions are posted on their website. Any teenager aged 13 to 19 can contribute to the magazine by submitting their works through an online forum, email, or mail. They are also allowed so submit works anonymously, if they prefer. The magazine accepts poetry, fiction, non-fiction, works of art, photos, interviews, points of view articles, and essays. Nearly a fourth of the magazine is devoted to poetry. Everything featured in the magazine is the work of a teenager; there are no adult contributors. The magazines occasionally have a theme of some kind that many of the works will fall under. The December 2010 issue featured several non-fiction stories about community service.
Critical Evaluation:
Teen Ink is similar in content and format to traditional high school and college literary magazines, but with a few differences. The most obvious difference is that the magazine is much more open to submissions than typical literary magazines are. Any teenager can submit, rather than being limited to students in journalism or English classes or students who are the most gifted writers. The writing is also only lightly edited; generally it is included in it's original entirety. This allows those submitting to have a open outlet for their words that they might not otherwise have.
The magazine has a nice layout, with clearly defined sections and an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of articles and artwork. The ad pages are a little overwhelming, more due to the way they are arranged than the number included. However, the ads are primarily for colleges and other educational and career opportunities, so they are in keeping with the magazine’s style. It is obvious that the content included is written by teenagers, but in a very good way. The stories, poetry and articles are honest, creative and well-written. Though each is very different from the others, they are also cohesive. This magazine would be an excellent addition to a library or classroom for both the works included and the opportunity for teens to submit their own.
Reader's Annotation:
Teen Ink is a literary magazine that gives the opportunity for every teen to be heard.
Editor Information:
John and Stephanie H. Meyer formed Teen Ink in 1989. They felt that traditional teen literary magazines were aimed towards the gifted students, so they wanted to create one that was for everyone. They run the Young Authors Foundation, Inc., a non-profit that supports the magazine.
Stephanie H. Meyer has a Masters in Education and Social Work. She has worked as a publisher, compiler, editor, and author. She also is very dedicated to helping youth. John Meyer has an MBA. He has also worked in various aspects of the publishing field, including publishing two successful business magazines.
Genre:
Teen Literary Magazine
Curriculum Ties:
English
Journalism
Booktalking Ideas:
N/A
Reading Level/Interest Age:
13 and older
Challenge Issues:
Occasional profanity
Occasional drug references
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
This magazine is a great alternative to the traditional literary magazine.
