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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 & 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.

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
  • Hari Srinivasan, Cupertino, CA
  • Laura Weiss, Kentfield, CA
  • America Perez , Denver, CO
  • Lauren Youngsmith, Littleton, CO
  • Molly O’Neill, New Canaan, CT
  • Benjamin Copan, Wellington, FL
  • Melina Gotera, Cedar Falls, IA
  • Andrew Zabela Jr., Chicago, IL
  • Alba Tomasula Y Garcia, South Bend, IN
  • Anna Enzweiler, Melbourne, KY
  • Austyn Sullivan, Mandeville, LA
  • Donte Jefferson, New Orleans, LA
  • Celia Bell, Baltimore, MD
  • Marissa Dearing, Potomac, MD
  • Emily Corwin, Beverly Hills, MI
  • Alexandra Franklin, Madison, MS
  • Megan Glascock, Whitefish, MT
  • Lane Baker, Charlotte, NC
  • Karen Niewoehner, Willow City, ND
  • Thornton Bleases, Stewartsville, NJ
  • Clare Iralu, Gallup, NM
  • Eunju Namkung, Bronx, NY
  • Yadiris Valdez, Bronx, NY
  • Alice Markham-Cantor, Brooklyn, NY
  • Will Mantell, Chappaqua, NY
  • Filipa Ioannou, New York, NY
  • Jared Dummitt , New York, NY
  • Yoni Nachmany, New York, NY
  • Kathy Zhou, Ardmore, OK
  • Adrian Paskey, Boiling Springs, PA
  • Abigail Hertzler, Marietta, PA
  • Pauline Holdsworth, State College, PA
  • Aubrey Isaacson, Charleston, SC
  • Will Dodge, Mt. Pleasant, SC
  • Kailana Durnan, Nashville, TN
  • Lindsey Maxon, Arlington, TX
  • Nicole Thomason, Spring, TX
  • Aria Thaker, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Xueyou Wang, Sandy, UT
  • Anna Wong, Henrico, VA
  • Sara Kassel, Shelburne, VT
  • Chelli Riddiough, Madison, WI
  • Kaitlin Jennrich, New Glarus, WI
  • Yvonne Yu, Hong Kong, China
  • Ayesha Segupta, Dusseldorf, Germany
  • Noor Brara, New Delhi, India
  • 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 www.scholasticstore.com. Click here for a direct link to the anthology.

For more information or to see a complete listing of award recipients in each state, visit www.artandwriting.org.

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THE BEST TEEN WRITING OF 2009 Edited by Virginia Lee Pfaehler; Foreword by Elie Wiesel
Scholastic
November 2009; 288 pp

CONTACTS:
Jennifer Boggs, Scholastic at 212.343.6619 or jboggs@artandwriting.org

Cathy Lasiewicz, Scholastic at 212.343.6570 or clasiewicz@artandwriting.org