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Foreword, Preface & Introduction
Foreword by Beverly Beckham
Preface by Dana Marlowe
Introduction by Stephanie and John Meyer
About the Writers
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Foreword by Beverly Beckham
Most teen books are written in retrospect by those who say, "Hey, I remember what I felt like when I was 16 - the arguments with parents, flunking math and falling in love. I remember the day my best friend decided he didn't want to be my best friend anymore." It's not unusual for used-to-be teens turned authors to sit down and write their stories. Bookstores are full of these tales.
This book is different. Teen Ink isn't a collection of adults reinventing their teen years. It isn't a scrapbook of the past, or a touched-up picture of teen life cut and pasted into something it wasn't.
It is, instead, those restless years close-up, personal and in progress. Written for teenagers by teenagers, it brims with the stuff of everyday teen life, the thoughts and worries and dreams and insecurities and fantasies and hopes, not of someone looking back, but of someone looking forward. Teen Ink is a collection of stories, poetry and art that is different because it is written from the trenches of youth.
Within these pages, its voices are like the teens themselves: all over the map. Some are soft and sad; others are loud and strident. They're bright with hope and tinged with fear. They're the voices of kids shouting at a rally, kids answering a question in class and kids whispering in the back of a room.
Unlike some collections, nothing is pat here. It isn't a collection of teenagers standing in a row all wearing the same white shirts and sunny smiles. Here are braces and frowns, dress shirts and t-shirts, earrings and nose rings, thirteen and nineteen standing side by side.
It is Teen Ink - teens speaking out about being a teen today.
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Preface by Dana Marlowe
I remember my first kiss - it was at camp. I remember my first loss when I was twelve - it was my dad. I remember being a part of the in-group on Monday and the not-so-in-group by Friday. The commonalties of our teenage years run deep. They are not only superficial, like using the same zit cream, but they are the big things. We have experiences ranging from loneliness and betrayal to rapture and satisfaction. These years are exciting and dynamic, and it is important to share these events that shape our lives.
Once, a few years ago, when I was having a severe case of writer's block, my teacher said that even though writing is hard, being a teenager is harder. When I was fourteen, I often sat pondering where I was in my life. My confusion explained why I could not put even a single word on that blank page. We are at a crossroads between being runny-nosed kids and briefcase-toting adults. When we read that others have the same feelings, it can help us glide smoothly through this roller-coaster time.
As a teen, I wasn't a nerd, a jock or a rebel. I wasn't popular or trendy. I was just me, although I struggled to be these other types. Undergoing serious changes - some fun, some dreadful - during our second decade is a feeling we all share. We need a creative outlet in which to pour our emotions. The teens in this heartfelt anthology used their pens to do just that. Some of the prose may make you giggle. Other pieces may cause you to reach for a tissue. Some may make you groan, and a few may have you nodding your head. But there is at least one piece that will leave you with that "been there, done that" feeling.
There is no other book written only by teen authors Ð teens just like us. Although we share the same ups and downs, our stories have unique twists. We know the excitement of hanging out with friends (our coconspirators in fun), the struggle for independence from parents, the death of a friend or family member, and the excitement of a first date. It is comforting to read this work by peers who have similar, yet unique experiences.
As you journey through these pages of nonfiction articles, fiction and poetry, you will experience your fears and hopes through the words of over one hundred teens. Wander through pieces about friends, families, heroes, challenges, memories and love. These words will be yours. The universality of these emotions and experiences highlight the uniqueness of being a teenager.
It is incredible that we finally have a book for teens by teens. The Teen Ink Magazine (where these pieces originated) impacted my life deeply. After seeing my words in print, I was inspired to continue writing for newspapers and magazines. An opportunity to get published can alter one's life.
This anthology will reach into your soul and speak to you in a way that says, "I know you; I am you; you are me." This is our soul's vision and voice.
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Introduction
by Stephanie and John Meyer
We recently overheard a friend tell her daughter, "Oh, what I'd give to be a teenager again. No responsibilities; nothing to worry about." Her daughter immediately responded, "Are you kidding?" We listened as she reeled off the stresses of being a teenager: school deadlines; sports and the pressure to win; cliques and fitting in; coping with love and friendship issues; dealing with personal crises; not to mention her uncertainty about college and career choices.
As editors of Teen Ink Magazine during the past decade, we have heard from hundreds of thousands of you that these are some of the challenges you face every day. However, you still find time to be creative, have a social life, work, be successful in school and have fun. The teen experience can be both terrifying and exhilarating. We hope this book confirms that you're not alone.
Since Teen Ink is written completely by teens, you will find universal experiences represented - from the tragic to the triumphant. In these pages you will share stories of pain and bewilderment, and tales of strength and inspiration. You will need tissues and laughter to read this book. But, before you start, let us tell you how the Teen Ink book series evolved.
Eleven years ago we created the nonprofit Young Authors Foundation and began publishing Teen Ink (then called The 21st Century) as a monthly magazine written entirely by teens. Each month, we select pieces to publish from thousands sent to us by teens everywhere. We have no reporters or staff writers; we rely completely on teens like you to submit writing, art and photography for the magazine and our online edition, www.TeenInk.com. Today the magazine is read in thousands of classrooms nationwide, and since 1989 we have received more than three hundred thousand submissions and published twenty-five thousand pieces.
This first Teen Ink book represents some of the best stories, poems, essays and artwork we've published over the last decade. After we selected our favorite pieces, more than thirty-four hundred teens in schools across the country read sample chapters and told us which they liked best. The result is this compilation selected by teens like you! We hope after reading this book, you will send your work to be considered for our magazine and future Teen Ink books. (See our submission guidelines.)
As parents, editors, magazine publishers, and now book compilers, we have been fortunate to have this unique insight into the lives of so many extraordinary teenagers. It is with great joy that we share these works so that everyone can appreciate all that teens have to offer. You deserve our greatest respect and gratitude.
All the royalties from the Teen Ink book and the
revenue from Teen Ink Magazine are donated
directly to The Young Authors Foundation, Inc.
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About the Writers
Beverly Beckham is a columnist for The Boston Herald and is a frequent contributor to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. She is also the author of "Gift of Time" and "Back Then."
Dana Marlowe is a contributor to the first Teen Ink book. Her poem "Generic Flowers on Refrigerators" was published in Teen Ink Magazine during her senior year in high school.
Stephanie and John Meyer are the compilers of the Teen Ink book series and the founders of The Young Authors Foundation, which publishes Teen Ink Magazine and www.TeenInk.com.
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