About
Our Mission
Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine is an online magazine dedicated to using writing as catharsis, breaking the barrier around mental health and providing an open platform for middle school to college age writers to express themselves. Our project started off with three goals: 1) to foster and destigmatize conversations about mental health, 2) to encourage finding mindfulness through writing, and 3) to create an open platform for young people to publish writing without the barriers of submission fees and long response times, as a sort of young writers' stepping stone to larger publications. With the pandemic, political & economic turmoil, police brutality, and other large-scale issues arising, mental health conditions are becoming especially prevalent, and we hope to use writing as a tool to heal and make sense of the complicated situation we've found ourselves in.
We are firm believers in the power of vulnerability. We believe that some of the most powerful writing in the world was created for catharsis—to deal with emotions, to make sense of life, to put trauma into words. Writing often helps us to understand our own identities and experiences; it is both an escape and a vehicle to delve into our own struggles and our own healing. Studies have shown that mindfulness and writing about stress help to reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone whose buildup can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. We wish to encourage mindfulness and mental health discussion so that we can reduce the present stigma and create a pathway to healing, as this issue is something so important and present yet historically has been considered almost taboo.
For more on the genesis and inspiration behind this publication, see our interview with NewPages!
We are firm believers in the power of vulnerability. We believe that some of the most powerful writing in the world was created for catharsis—to deal with emotions, to make sense of life, to put trauma into words. Writing often helps us to understand our own identities and experiences; it is both an escape and a vehicle to delve into our own struggles and our own healing. Studies have shown that mindfulness and writing about stress help to reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone whose buildup can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. We wish to encourage mindfulness and mental health discussion so that we can reduce the present stigma and create a pathway to healing, as this issue is something so important and present yet historically has been considered almost taboo.
For more on the genesis and inspiration behind this publication, see our interview with NewPages!
Meet the Founder
An incoming freshman at Stanford University, Anna Kiesewetter is the founder & editor-in-chief of Cathartic Youth Literary Magazine. She was an American Voices Award nominee for the 2020 Scholastic Writing Awards, and her work is published or forthcoming in Polyphony Lit, Prometheus Dreaming, Rising Phoenix Review, Blue Marble Review, and elsewhere. She also works as an Executive Editor for Polyphony Lit. For her, creating this magazine was its own form of catharsis. Since middle school, she’s been using writing to deal with her own anxiety and insecurity. Whether creating new worlds to escape into, or delving further into the bowels of her emotions, Anna has found truth and solace in words. She sincerely hopes that this platform can provide the same for others; reading the poignant works that come in each day has certainly shown her that she—and everyone who struggles—is not alone.
Meet the Managing Editors
Eliza Mahon (she/they) is a queer writer and editor from Edmonton, Canada. Her work has appeared in Island Shores, an anthology by the Poetry Institute of Canada, as well as Issue One of Blue Things Zine. She hopes to encourage young authors to write and read as much as possible. When they aren't editing, they are either representing Canada in rhythmic gymnastics or playing with their two dogs, London and Dempsey.
Caroline Shi is a 17-year-old from New York who enjoys reading and writing in her free time. As an editor, they are excited to explore new genres and foster a welcoming community for other writers. In her free time, she has a penchant for creating Spotify playlists and downloading various epubs that she swears she will read.
Meet the Executive Editors
Avalon Felice Lee is an Asian-American sixteen-year-old junior at Notre Dame San Jose High School in California. She has been writing prose since the age of eleven, thanks to her author-mentor-mother. When not writing, she’s probably practicing cello, assaulting the ears of nearby victims. When she grows up, she wants to be an author. And a millionaire.
Natalie Hampton is a sophomore at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. Her work has previously been published in Truant Lit, Scarlet Leaf Review, and the anthology Little Inked Birds. She has also been recognized at the National level of the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. When she isn't writing, she likes to volunteer, work in activism, and play soccer.
Amanda Kay is a current junior at Santa Clara High School in California. She has been nationally recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Through editing, she hopes to learn more about the art others puts out and what makes each person special.
Anoushka Kumar is a 15-year-old writer and student from India whose work has been published in Crossed Paths Magazine, Honeyfire Lit, and Prose. She is also an editor for the Interstellar Literary Review, and has written for her school's magazine. When not writing she can be found playing music at odd hours of the day, crying over poetry and debating the queerness of complex female characters.
The 2am writer that lives in the mind of sixteen-year-old Yun-Fei Wang has been taking over her sanity for a few years now, tearing her lifeline down, yet building up an escapism in the same breath. Find her in the evanescence of black-inked words, or at @rainofelsewhere on Instagram.
Kinnereth Din is currently a full-time high school student and emerging poet, writer, and artist from North Texas. Her aspirations began the first time she: heard the story of the baby chick and the watermelon, attempted to describe the intensity of fire engine red, and penned what she thought was a haiku about snow. Named after King David’s harp (the Hebrew word Kinnor), she was probably always destined for the poet's life. When she isn’t fulfilling dream and destiny though, you can find her occupied with daydreaming, drinking tea, or making box mix brownies.
Matt Hsu is a high school junior from San Francisco, California. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis and eating dark chocolate. He writes about things like romance and Christmas trees, but he makes it spooky because it's more fun that way. Currently he's working on a mystery novel about a lonely assassin.
Meet the General Editors
Oz Leshem is a queer, nonbinary poet from Taos, New Mexico. They are the 2021 Santa Fe Youth Poet Laureate and a national medalist in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Oz’s work has been published in Teen Ink, Ice Lolly Review, Clear Skies Zine, and Dreams of Montezuma, among others. Oz was selected as a 2020 Miller Scholar for excellence in Creative Writing and is the recipient of the New Mexico State New York Life Award.
Chinonye Omeirondi is a high school junior from Southern California who often prefers the flexible world of fiction rather than harsh reality. She has a love-hate relationship with writing, but she keeps practicing her craft for the sake of a childhood dream. In her free time, she listens to music and stresses about how humans are destined for destruction. Chinonye has prose forthcoming in The Heritage Review and is a co-editor-in-chief of the newly created Elysian Review. She also hates onions.
Lani Kasperovic is a passionate young adult author, editor and advocate based in Melbourne, Australia. She is currently undertaking a double degree at RMIT University in professional and creative writing and editing. Lani was first published at the age of 13 in an anthology of youth writing and continued a connection with the editors to see two further works printed by the same publication. She has contributed to online publications via Write the World and Instagram, managing social writing accounts whilst offering her editorial skills to high school students both local and international. When she isn’t editing, Lani is constantly searching for projects and actions to take to advocate for the care of humans, believing in kindness and working towards changing the world.
Sam Sobel is an undergraduate student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick whose work has been featured in a couple of places there (including The Anthologist and Writers House Review). Most recently, he had a poem published over at Wild Greens Magazine in their February edition. Sam loves all aspects of language ranging from literature to sociolinguistics, and he hopes to pursue an MFA in poetry. His favorite word at the moment is lacuna, which means "a hiatus, gap, or missing portion."
Emma Keas is a 14-year-old poet from California with an infatuation with art and words. More often than not, her poems are accidental spills following a tripped-over thought. She also spends too much time watching her heart’s reflection ripple in those puddles and not enough time collecting them.
Rhea Bogarapu is a high school senior who was born in Houston, Texas, but now calls Hyderabad, India her home. An avid bibliophile, Rhea spends most of her time hunched over gushy YA novels, if and when she’s not snacking. She’s extremely passionate about raising mental health awareness in her own community and is ecstatic to be a part of Cathartic!
Tanvi Nagar is a high school senior at Delhi Public School, Gurgaon. She has been writing for the past nine years and has contributed to national newspapers like The Times of India and Hindustan Times; magazines like the Ice Lolly Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, The Weight Journal and Secret Attic and anthologies by Delhi Poetry Slam, Authors Press and Half Baked Beans. She is the former Editor of her school and the present Head Girl of her school’s student council. She has authored four books titled, ‘A Treasure Trove of Poetic Wonderland’ ‘A Bountiful of Rhythmic Stories’ ‘Metamorphosis’ and ‘My Book of Short Stories and Poems’ and two research papers which were published in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research. She has also won the Eye Level Literary Award 2018 by Daekyo South Korea, The Create Change Challenge by The University of Queensland, Australia and the Millenial Essay Writing Contest by UNESCO. Her website is tanvinagar.com.
Christina Pan is a sixteen-year-old writer from New York City. Her work is published or forthcoming in Eunoia Review, Ekphrastic Review, Ember, and elsewhere. She also edits for Polyphony Lit. Her favorite narrative form at the moment is the six word story, after Atwood: “Starlet sex scandal. Giant squid involved.”
Syna Majumder is a high-school student who loves to write about mocktails, road trips, and horrible people. Her work has been published in the Daily Drunk and Paper Crane and is forthcoming in the Bitchin' Kitsch and Pareidolia, among others. You can find them @fuzz_pedals on Instagram.
Erin Lee is a 17-year-old Asian-American from North Carolina who writes mini essays analyzing characters for fun. They have been reading and writing since they could form coherent, independent thought, and they haven't really stopped since then. Their works can be found on various sites, including (but not limited to) the Among the Branches zine and this magazine.
Saanvi Sundaram is known for many things, music, babbling, even her introverted personality, but on top of it all, she is a writer. A fourteen year old living in India, she loves writing poetry and short stories that allow her to bring her ideas to life. She is the editor-in-chief for her school newspaper, runs a small blog, works as a part of the stargazette magazine, and has been previously published in magazines such as The Elysian Muse and Potted Purple. If she isn't writing, she's either practicing her music, searching for volunteer opportunities, or obsessing over the fact that boba tea isn't available where she lives. You can find her at https://linktr.ee/SunV
Avril Black is a seventeen-year-old writer from Canada who adores poetry and flash fiction. She is passionate about editing and encouraging other young writers. After graduating high school, she hopes to pursue a career in the medical field and travel the world! You can find her poetry in the latest issue of Aster Lit.
Vivian Zhou is a seventeen-year-old junior from Shanghai, China. She currently attends a boarding school in Hudson, Ohio. She has been editing people’s work for more than a year, and she has gained and learned a lot from this process. She is really interested in psychology, social justice, and mental health, and she is dedicated to helping those near and far. She is a swimmer, dancer, music lover, and explorer (and a HUGE foodie). She also enjoys reading non-fiction and current events! You can reach out to her on Instagram: vivian_zhouu
Claire Hong is an Asian-American high school junior from the Bay Area, California who dreams of becoming a poet. From an early age, she has spent unhealthy amounts of time exploring her own imaginary worlds, which she continues to expand in her 3 AM poems. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, debating about when the world will come to an end, and encouraging her friends to try their hand at writing.
Camryn Neches is a high school junior from Long Island, New York! She loves to write, and her writing has most recently been featured in Teen Ink Magazine with the Editor's Choice Award, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and she is a graduate of the Iowa Young Writers' Studio. Outside of writing, she loves to read science fiction, research science topics that she doesn't fully understand, watch movies, and narrate her dog's inner thoughts. You can find her and her toy collection @superheroesforheroes, which is her Instagram page to raise money for toys and celebrations for kids battling health issues.
Norah Laughter is a student from Russellville, Kentucky, who attends Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She is an avid reader and writer, as well as the editor-in-chief of her school's online art and literature magazine, Agora. She is a creative writing graduate of the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts, as well as a published student journalist, appearing in publications like the Lexington-Herald Leader, the Louisville Courier Journal, and the Aspen Institute. Her poetry has received regional recognition from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In addition to writing, she is extremely passionate about climate science and equity. She loves the intersection of art and health, and she is super excited to help others use writing as a means to understand themselves and their relationship with the world.
Meet the Social Media Staff
Bruno Arcidiacono (16, Argentina) - Literary Graphic Designer
Bruno is a 16-year-old student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who is passionate about science and space. He is a co-author in the Mars Society Argentina book: “Marte: pasado, presente y futuro”, he is working on social media and design for a math educational program, and participates in many STEM activities and courses. If he is not learning new things, you can find him playing volleyball or trying new things. He wants a better world, therefore he participates in organizations that fight environmental issues as well as other existing problems, trying to create impact in the community.
Bruno is a 16-year-old student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who is passionate about science and space. He is a co-author in the Mars Society Argentina book: “Marte: pasado, presente y futuro”, he is working on social media and design for a math educational program, and participates in many STEM activities and courses. If he is not learning new things, you can find him playing volleyball or trying new things. He wants a better world, therefore he participates in organizations that fight environmental issues as well as other existing problems, trying to create impact in the community.
Hala Hersi (18, Indiana) - Mental Health Writer
Hala (she/her) is a 2nd year Anthropology major at the University of Chicago originally from Indianapolis. She is passionate about dispelling the stigma around mental illness and mental health, particularly in immigrant, Muslim communities. When she is not working, she can be found reading, writing or finding new coffee shops to explore.
Hala (she/her) is a 2nd year Anthropology major at the University of Chicago originally from Indianapolis. She is passionate about dispelling the stigma around mental illness and mental health, particularly in immigrant, Muslim communities. When she is not working, she can be found reading, writing or finding new coffee shops to explore.
Rachel Lechwar (19, Florida) - Mental Health Writer
Rachel is a nineteen-year-old sophomore at Florida State University. Pursuing a degree in English Creative Writing, she still dreams of writing and publishing novels. She tends to spend a lot of time developing story ideas in her head, working on collaborative creative projects, writing poetry about the natural world, and trying to make it through that mountain of books by her bedside. She was Editor-in-Chief of Pieces Literary Magazine and Copy Editor of The Shield newspaper at her high school. Her creative writing is featured in the Florida Times Union as well as this magazine. She is passionate about mental health awareness and hopes to make an impact through writing, which is both a form of catharsis and a way to connect with others.
Rachel is a nineteen-year-old sophomore at Florida State University. Pursuing a degree in English Creative Writing, she still dreams of writing and publishing novels. She tends to spend a lot of time developing story ideas in her head, working on collaborative creative projects, writing poetry about the natural world, and trying to make it through that mountain of books by her bedside. She was Editor-in-Chief of Pieces Literary Magazine and Copy Editor of The Shield newspaper at her high school. Her creative writing is featured in the Florida Times Union as well as this magazine. She is passionate about mental health awareness and hopes to make an impact through writing, which is both a form of catharsis and a way to connect with others.
Luana Cimiotti (15, California) - Mental Health Writer & General Editor
Luana is a high school student from Germany, who enjoys writing in various genres, including poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Her works have previously been published in Teen Ink Magazine and the New York Times. When she is not typing away on her laptop or filling the pages of a notebook, Luana likes to read, dance, and record voice messages for her friends. As an incoming staff member of Cathartic Lit, she looks forward to advocating for mental health and supporting others in their creative processes.
Luana is a high school student from Germany, who enjoys writing in various genres, including poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Her works have previously been published in Teen Ink Magazine and the New York Times. When she is not typing away on her laptop or filling the pages of a notebook, Luana likes to read, dance, and record voice messages for her friends. As an incoming staff member of Cathartic Lit, she looks forward to advocating for mental health and supporting others in their creative processes.
Asiyah Jilani (16, Texas) - Mental Health Writer
Asiyah is a 17 year old from Texas, currently in her senior year of high school. She enjoys many kinds of writing, although her favorite has always been poetry - one of her poems has even won a Scholastic Art and Writing silver key award. When she is not writing, she can be found editing videos, reading, or watching teen dramas. As a member of the Cathartic Lit staff, she aims to normalize discussions about mental health and reduce stigma around it through writing, creating, and connecting.
Asiyah is a 17 year old from Texas, currently in her senior year of high school. She enjoys many kinds of writing, although her favorite has always been poetry - one of her poems has even won a Scholastic Art and Writing silver key award. When she is not writing, she can be found editing videos, reading, or watching teen dramas. As a member of the Cathartic Lit staff, she aims to normalize discussions about mental health and reduce stigma around it through writing, creating, and connecting.
