Students are free to express their deepest thoughts through all forms of art and the written word in the newest edition of Blake’s Literary Magazine, due out this May.

English teacher Sarah Mahoney and her creative writing class head up the magazine, which will include poetry, short stories, non-fiction stories, photos and different forms of artwork.

All of the selections have been taken from submissions of the entire student body. Junior Jonathan Amos says some submissions are very personal and the magazine gives students “a chance to learn about each other.”

Editor of the Lit Mag, senior Lizzie Sausville says, “People might be surprised by the submissions.”

In the past, attempts have been made to put out a Literary Magazine by other teachers and several have been printed. But this semester, Ms. Mahoney’s class spends most of each+ period working on the magazine.

Students go through all submissions, learning about how to select pieces that will appeal to people. Ms. Mahoney says, “They see what goes into putting out a piece that will be seen by the public.” This includes practical technical skills like how to scan photographs and create the layout of a magazine.

The rest of the time is spent learning techniques for sparking ideas for stories and writing submissions themselves. Everyone in the class reads and edits each other’s work.

Senior Sierra Polisar tries to take her classmates’ comments in stride and says that they are there “not to teach you, but to guide you.” She adds, “It’s fun to read other people’s writing and compare it to your own.”

Amos says, “It will open your eyes about literature and art you haven’t seen.”

Both the staff and students hope that the Literary Magazine will live on and become a tradition. Ms. Mahoney adds, “I hope people are receptive to it and the value of it grows.”