Dear Friends,
I’m excited to let you know that Jeannette, a creative writing workshop leader and Skidompha’s Director of Communications and Online Programming, is beginning work on Volume 7 of EPOCH. EPOCH is a biannual creative magazine by and for teens in grades 7 through 12 and one of Skidompha’s crown jewels. I eagerly anticipate the publication of each issue, and I am proud that we offer this opportunity to local teens.
We are now accepting student submissions! Submissions are due September 24, 2021. Please let the teens in your life know that we are looking for poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, flash fiction, photography, artworks, comics, drawings, paintings—we want to see what they create! It can be a piece they’ve been working on for a while or something they make in the next few weeks to share with EPOCH.
We are also hosting a free virtual writing workshop for teens on September 13 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. to inspire new creative writing ideas, give teens a chance to meet other teen writers, and help generate a piece of writing for fun or consideration in EPOCH. To register, please email jeaton@skidompha.org.
The dedicated group of teens on our Editorial Board choose the pieces to publish. This group meets for six weeks to do some writing together and to select the works that will end up in the printed issue of EPOCH. The system they use keeps pieces anonymous until final selections are made. The editorial board believes in the power of creativity and knows that submitting work for review takes courage. They hold every piece with care and respect, and the group spends a lot of time thinking about what makes a piece of art or writing strong. They look for pieces that make them feel or make them think. They are interested in well-crafted and unique pieces.
All the info you’ll need to submit artwork and writing, as well as the permission to publish form, is up on our website—http://www.skidompha.org/programs-events/epoch-magazine/. You can email your submissions and your questions to Jeannette at epoch@skidompha.org.
We love that this project amplifies youth voices and highlights their creativity. We are grateful to all teens who share their work with EPOCH, and we are proud of the teens and the adult mentors and teachers who support this project. We hope to have Volume 7 printed in January, and we’ll be excited to share it with you when it’s ready.
In the meantime, we appreciate your support of this project and our area youth. We have free issues to share of EPOCH Volume 6; you’ll find them at the library or check out the digital issue on our website.
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library