Polyphony Web Edition, Summer 2011

Many of you may have suffered through this summer's July heat wave. Across the U.S., more than 30 states recorded record high temperatures and across the southern part of the country, record low rainfall. In Boston just a week ago the thermometer on my car read 102 degrees in the shade! You might think to yourself right now, uh oh, I feel a global warming lecture coming on--and that might be appropriate, actually. But what I really want to point out is that it isn't just the weather that is hot these days. Our contributors are HOT! In fact, I'd argue that the pieces published in Polyphony H.S. Volume VII will stand up against any of the best literary magazines in the country. Full stop. We are on to something BIG here: we are showcasing the best of our literary future. The young writers that we publish are the writers that we will be reading in our book groups in five or ten years. This knowledge is what fuels the work of our incredibly dedicated editorial staff and the adults that support them.

This year's submissions hit a record high—50% more than last year--from more students across the globe than ever before. Polyphonyhs.com is being viewed by students from China and Russia, and from every country in between. Nothing could be more satisfying. The most important thing to us is to celebrate young writers who are committed to craft and to giving voice to the occasions of their lives—with intelligence, skill, and great beauty. To all the submitters who trust us with work, once again we thank you.

Thank you, as well, to the editorial staff that graduates this year. Our gratitude is great and our belief in you greater still. We all know that few are getting rich in the arts, but that there is great fulfillment and satisfaction in making the world a better place. Don't kid yourselves; through your devotion, your insight, and commitment to the process of nurturing young literary talent, you have contributed to the betterment of our world. Your work can be seen and felt on every page of Volume VII, perhaps our finest collection yet. We will miss you, but look forward to the great things that you will achieve. You are:

Co-Editor-in-Chief
Shelby Brody, Barnard College

Genre Editors & Executive Editorial Committee Members
Christopher Alessandrini, Harvard University
Cameron Langford, Princeton University
Emily Pate, Wake Technical Community College then University of North Carolina
Elissa Watters, Dartmouth College

Genre Editors
Ellen Coatney, Carroll University
Paul Hinkes, Yale University
Jordan Spears, The U.S. Naval Academy

Second Readers
Adrian Chiem, Second Reader, Yale University
Dana Koglin, Second Reader, Indiana University

First Readers
Marie Lambert, First Reader, Amherst College
Alison Marqusee, First Reader, Haverford College
Hannah Bernhard, First Reader, Smith College
Catherine Sibert, First Reader, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

~Elizabeth Keegan, Executive Director