When We Were Countries

Gr 9 Up—This is the fourth collection of high school writing published by Hanging Loose, a literary magazine long known for showcasing teens alongside adult writers. This diverse anthology consists of both poetry and prose, masterfully written by 73 young adults. From Jessica Berenblum's "While Jake Sleeps," an expressive sketch of one intimate scene, to P. Alexandria Jones's metaphoric "Unrequited Fajita," the works are of the highest caliber. An introduction by poet X. J. Kennedy and afterwords by three poets/teachers and an accomplished former Hanging Loose teen poet bookend the collection. They all speak about teens, but mostly about the process of teaching creative writing to young adults. This choice of audience, coupled with the book's self-published look, makes the collection ripe for the picking by educators, but less appealing to teens themselves. For a collection of young writing with more shelf appeal, but equal quality, try Naomi Shihab Nye's Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25 (HarperCollins, 2010). Otherwise, share When We Were Countries with the next teacher who wants a model of excellent teen writing for the classroom.—Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT