AHS Publishes Annual Literary Magazine

Each year, Arrowhead publishes a collection of poems, short stories, photography, and artwork. This collection is compiled in the Literary Magazine. The editors of the 2017-2018 publication were seniors Isabella Wartzenluft, Amanda Stahl, and Brooke Birkland. The Literary Magazine can be accessed through the Arrowhead website.

In every publication of the Literary Magazine, the names of that year’s winners are printed. Eight first semester winners and seven second semester winners were chosen this year, as well as four cover art award winners. The chosen winners received a monetary prize and certificate.

Arrowhead junior Molly Salzer won a first semester award for her poem entitled “Synesthesia:”

When hearts are cut out by kids with safety scissors,

and happiness sliced from the same cloth,

with valentine boxes and joyful colors,

tasting like an assortment of candy and those chalky ‘be mine’ hearts.

When children movie fantasies fade into darkness,

realizing there is no such thing as a prince,

with singing as red as can be,

smelling like watermelon with deadly vines.

When innocence is dead,

buried under the high school,

with sadness bundled up on a cold fall day,

in a jacket nonetheless and a hat to top it off.

When happiness is out of reach,

yellow and as bright as can be,

with laughter taunting you in the halls,

as bitterness settles into your heart.

When numbness seeps its way in,

filling the void as quietly as a mouse,

with no time to react,

as mud fills your veins.

When you realize you’re depressed,

and have little to gain,

with a poem missing really bright colors,

and little to no shame.

Salzer says she submitted every piece she wrote in her Creative Writing class with English teacher Elizabeth Jorgensen, which she estimates to be around fifteen pieces. Despite her many submissions, Salzer says she did not expect to win any awards.

“I didn’t even think anyone was going to read it, much less put it in the magazine,” Salzer says. “I found out that I was published by one of my friends, who says I’m in the magazine like three times. I was amazed.”

Junior Sarah Lunow won a second semester award for the artwork she submitted. She also earned second place in the cover art contest. In total, Lunow submitted ten pieces to the Literary Magazine: eight literary pieces, one general art piece, and one submission to the cover contest. Six of her ten pieces were featured in the Literary magazine.

Lunow says this was her first year submitting to the magazine, and she was shocked and ecstatic to hear that so much of her work had been accepted. Like Salzer, Lunow says the she submitted to the Literary Magazine because of her Creative Writing class.

“Honestly, there are loads of wonderful writers at Arrowhead, so I had no idea what to expect,” says Lunow. “I found out that I had won in two ways.”

Salzer says she loves the magazine because of the community it creates at Arrowhead.

“Everyone has their differences, but we all have writing or arts in common, and I think that is very inspiring,” says Salzer.

Lunow says she loves the magazine because it shows off student work and talent that wouldn’t otherwise be seen by other people. It could help kickstart someone’s interest in a creative career, she says.

Students can submit to the magazine electronically by emailing their work to [email protected]. All students are welcome to submit their writing, artwork, and photography. Students may submit as many times as they’d like. For for information, visit the Arrowhead website.

Because so much of her writing is personal to her, Salzer says she doesn’t know if she will be submitting to the Literary Magazine again next year, as she isn’t ready to share that side of her with Arrowhead yet.

When asked if she will be submitting more creative works next year, Lunow said, “It depends. If I end up creating any more content that I’m proud of, being artistic or literary in nature, I’ll definitely consider submitting more pieces next year.”