The Nation’s Most Promising Teen Writers Published In New Anthology The Best Teen Writing Of 2009
(New York, NY, November 23, 2009) – Highlighting the emerging talent of American teen writers, the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers has released THE BEST TEEN WRITING OF 2009 (Scholastic (NASDAQ; November 2009). The anthology features work from young writers, ages 12-18, who were honored for their writing by The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2009. The collection showcases the passion and skill of young writers across the country— and offers a promising outlook on the future of the written word. The Awards are the largest source of scholarship funds for creative teens in the U.S., offering recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarship opportunities to outstanding students in art and writing.www.scholasticstore.com. Click here for a direct link to the anthology.
Drawn from 452 award-winning manuscripts, BEST TEEN WRITING features the work of 48 students in a wide array of genres, including humor, personal essays, poetry, short stories and science fiction:
| Emma Funk, Fairbanks, AK | Alice Markham-Cantor, Brooklyn, NY |
| Hari Srinivasan, Cupertino, CA | Will Mantell, Chappaqua, NY |
| Laura Weiss, Kentfield, CA | Filipa Ioannou, New York, NY |
| America Perez, Denver, CO | Jared Dummitt, New York, NY |
| Lauren Youngsmith, Littleton, CO | Yoni Nachmany, New York, NY |
| Molly O’Neill, New Canaan, CT | Kathy Zhou, Ardmore, OK |
| Benjamin Copan, Wellington, FL | Adrian Paskey, Boiling Springs, PA |
| Melina Gotera, Cedar Falls, IA | Abigail Hertzler, Marietta, PA |
| Andrew Zabela Jr., Chicago, IL | Pauline Holdsworth, State College, PA |
| Alba Tomasula Y Garcia, South Bend, IN | Aubrey Isaacson, Charleston, SC |
| Anna Enzweiler, Melbourne, KY | Will Dodge, Mt. Pleasant, SC |
| Austyn Sullivan, Mandeville, LA | Kailana Durnan, Nashville, TN |
| Donte Jefferson, New Orleans, LA | Lindsey Maxon, Arlington, TX |
| Celia Bell, Baltimore, MD | Nicole Thomason, Spring, TX |
| Marissa Dearing, Potomac, MD | Aria Thaker, Salt Lake City, UT |
| Emily Corwin, Beverly Hills, MI | Xueyou Wang, Sandy, UT |
| Alexandra Franklin, Madison, MS | Anna Wong, Henrico, VA |
| Megan Glascock, Whitefish, MT | Sara Kassel, Shelburne, VT |
| Lane Baker, Charlotte, NC | Chelli Riddiough, Madison, WI |
| Karen Niewoehner, Willow City, ND | Kaitlin Jennrich, New Glarus, WI |
| Thornton Bleases, Stewartsville, NJ | Yvonne Yu, Hong Kong, China |
| Clare Iralu, Gallup, NM | Ayesha Segupta, Dusseldorf, Germany |
| Eunju Namkung, Bronx, NY | Noor Brara, New Delhi, Indiatd> |
| Yadiris Valdez, Bronx, NY | Loretta Lopez, Guadalajara, Mexico |
This year the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit organization that administers The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, will receive financial and in-kind support for its publication program from Amazon.com. Amazon.com offers grants to nonprofit groups that foster the creation, discussion, and publication of books. Its support will enable the Alliance to present workshops and training for talented and promising young writers across America.
The foreword for BEST TEEN WRITING is by Elie Wiesel, author and Nobel Laureate, who shares his own experience with writing when he was a teenager. The anthology also includes introductory essays by Dr. Sharon Washington, the Executive Director of the National Writing Project, and 19-year-old Virginia Lee Pfaehler, a Writing Portfolio Gold Award recipient in 2008 and editor of BEST TEEN WRITING OF 2009.
BEST TEEN WRITING is available for purchase at
For more information or to see a complete listing of award recipients in each state, visit www.artandwriting.org.
THE BEST TEEN WRITING OF 2009
Edited by Virginia Lee Pfaehler; Foreword by Elie Wiesel
Scholastic
November 2009; 288 pp
CONTACTS:
Jennifer Boggs
Scholastic
212.343.6619
jboggs@artandwriting.org
Cathy Lasiewicz
Scholastic
212.343.6570
clasiewicz@artandwriting.org