Blue Marble Review

Literary Journal for Young Writers

Editor Note

Editor’s Note

By

March 2019

A Thousand Words
Valeria W. March (2019 Blue Marble Review)

When I wrote today I wrote a thousand words
that I wasn’t proud of but I was
proud to have started because
when you run, you lose when you stop
and I didn’t stop, I ran the length of the thousand miles,
and even if they are the words that were written a thousand times before
I wrote.

 

 

Welcome to the March 2019 issue including the above poem from a young writer in India, a poem that speaks to our mission here at Blue Marble—write, revise, create, begin again, redo, —just keep going. Our goal from the beginning has been to provide a shared writing space for young writers but also to figure out how to develop and expand what we do. With that in mind we’re honored to feature our first book review from talented Twin Cities writer Oscar Wolfe, and we welcome guest editor Arushi Avachat, grateful for her time and diligence reviewing work for this issue.

We continue to be grant funded, and even though we’d like to tweet and type about our benefactors, they wish to remain anonymous. Thank you generous givers for your continued support of young people’s writing and creativity. And special kudos to those high school and college students listed on our masthead—fine writers themselves. They work behind the scenes juggling coursework and activities, with a continued willingness to meet deadlines, and continue reading and editing for us. Thanks for all you do.

Molly Hill
Editor

Editor’s Note

By

If Issue Two looks especially bright and shiny it’s because we have help. Humble thanks to our ‘still wanting to be anonymous’ grant benefactors whose kindness enables us to pay our contributors for their work.  Minneapolis artist Chris Howard’s vibrant work is once again featured on our site.  Lucky for us, Chris is inspired by nature and loves color, and her talent lights up our home page. Thank you Chris.

(For more information about Chris’ art contact: editorbluemarblereview@gmail.com)

Issue Two is dedicated to all the young writers who submitted work for consideration. Whether you just started writing, have been previously published, or are only sending your essay because your English teacher made you (ten extra credit points!)—we’re grateful.  We’re honored by the personal stories you shared, impressed by the way you’ve waded into fiction and poetry, and awed by those of you who sent submissions in English when it’s your second—or third language. Wow.

Reading submissions has been unforgettable. We’re here to report that creativity is alive and well. The same can be said for humor, quirkiness and the ongoing effort to make sense of the world.

The aim of Blue Marble is to applaud and encourage imaginative thinking, as well as gather and display the work of young artists and writers. We see ourselves as collectors, constructing an assemblage of creative work and inspiring the idea that art and writing and music and photography are expansive pursuits that stimulate individual growth, as well as adding value to the world community.

Young writers, this journal belongs to all of you. Thanks for helping us piece together and online creative community.

Molly Hill
Editor

It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert.

Jacques Yves Cousteau

Editor’s Note

By

December 2018

Writing—the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.   Mary Heaton Vorse

 

In the study of numerology (no experts here) —12 is thought to be the perfect number, one that signifies harmony, motivation, achievement, and independence. Twelve months of the year, twelve hours on the clock, — the same goes for eggs in a dozen, number of jurors and even ribs (!)—It’s a number suggesting wholeness and completion.

This issue marks our twelfth full edition, and while there’s been mostly harmony and plenty of motivation to finally arrive at the point of completion, we’ve reached number 12 with a sense of gratitude but also an urgency to continue to push forward, collect more stories, and continue to amplify voices that illustrate not only how much we have in common, but how our differences enrich and link us together.

More young writers and artists are finding us and in this issue sharing their stories about resilience, dreams, loss, immigration, family, social action, and what happens when things go awry with an X-acto knife—among other things.

Here’s wishing you all a happy solstice and a hopeful twelfth month of the year. Read on!

Molly Hill
Editor

 

Editor’s Note

By

Dear Readers and Writers,

We learned early on to surround ourselves with the very best people, and once again— it worked! Here we are already at Issue Ten. As the school year winds down we insist on extending enormous gratitude to The Writing Center at Minnetonka High School, Krista Hitchcock, Writing Center teacher and coordinator extraordinaire, and the many (check the MASTHEAD) students who diligently appeared at school well before sunrise to talk writing and help critique submissions. A generous perfectly timed grant (windfall) appeared in the spring enabling us to continue our streak of paying all contributors as well as our high school editorial team.

We’re feeling pretty lucky.

Our young writers keep the inbox filled, our editors remain attentive and thorough and (wow) our grant donor —! We’re surrounded by the very best people.

Read on!

Molly Hill
Editor

 

 

Editor’s Note

By

 

Write down what I think I know. The knowing will come.
Just keep listening…
Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming

 

From the editor:

Although we’re a bit later than last year, we’re happy (relieved) to bring you the spring issue. Now if only we could bring on spring as well… This issue features creative work from both coasts, the Midwest, the UK, the Middle East, and many places in between. Our contributors continue to make our job delightfully difficult by sending us their best prose, poetry, and art and leaving us awash in creativity, trying to decide what lands in each issue.

Luckily we have help. Check out our MASTHEAD in this issue for a list of faithful editors who continue to help us through the large volume of submissions. All writers themselves, their careful reading and insightful comments reflect their own understanding of the frustrations and small victories of the creative process.

Our other big news, is that as of this month we have officially acquired non-profit status! We’re excited about the opportunities (paperwork) for grant seeking as well as further involvement in our community and beyond.

Time to get reading! We hope you enjoy the issue, continue your own writing, and in the words of Jacqueline Woodson, —”just keep listening.”

Molly Hill
Editor

 

 

 

 

Editor’s Note

By

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech.

Simonides

 

Here in the Midwest, winter lingers on. It might be true that the hardest thing about January ending is that February is only just beginning. Because our writers send us work no matter the season, we’re able to offer a February poetry respite, good for anyone who’s waiting patiently for the days to get longer.

We’re feeling lucky that so many young writers and artists from all over the world have discovered our journal and trusted us with their work. And we’re particularly grateful for the ongoing collaboration with talented co-editors and Tonka Writers: Meili Gong, Addie Gill, Anne Malloy, Faith Quist, Isabella Milacnik, Kate Schiltz, Rebecca Schumacher, Priscilla Trinh, and Alexa Vos. Their careful reading, insightful comments and all around willingness to help was instrumental in pulling this issue together.

Enjoy the poems!

Molly Hill
Editor