Kirkus Reviews QR Code
WHEN WE WERE COUNTRIES by Mark Pawlak

WHEN WE WERE COUNTRIES

Poems and Stories by Outstanding High School Writers

edited by Mark Pawlak & Dick Lourie & Robert Hershon

Pub Date: July 15th, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-934909-06-5
Publisher: Hanging Loose Press

Teen writers might well draw inspiration from this collection of stories, poems and short essays, which have been culled from past volumes of the high-school section of Hanging Loose Magazine. Many of the alumni now have successful college and writing careers, and diversity is one of this volume’s strong points. The teen contributors, who represent a variety of backgrounds, write about everything from losing friends and family to Hollywood hypocrisy, displaying many different emotions. They are often serious, occasionally funny and almost always insightful, though the quality of the work, as in any anthology, runs the gamut. Where this book loses steam is in the organization: There are seven sections, but no evident or cohesive theme that ties a chapter’s content together, despite their titles. As a result, readers may have to do some digging to find the type of writing that most appeals to them. Serendipity, however, might encourage some young writers to submit their own work. (Anthology. YA)