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
A rising 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, Blue Marble Review, Trouvaille Review, and elsewhere. In her spare time, she also works as an Executive Editor for Polyphony Lit. For her, creating this magazine was its own form of catharsis, in a way. 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 Editorial Team
Anya Trofimova is a young poet from London, where she studies at St Paul’s Girls' School. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, including Planet in Peril (Fly on the Wall Press) and Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal (Pallina Press), and has been recognised by the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, Saltaire Festival Poetry Competition, Erbacce Prize, Felix Dennis Young Poets Competition and the Poetry Society, among others. When she is not writing, you can find her drinking ice tea, talking about social contract theory and championing the causes she cares about: serving underprivileged communities, women’s rights, political activism, environmental action, the list goes on… Oh, and she also works on the editorial boards of the Siblíní Journal and Sandpiper Magazine.
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.
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.
Kirtan Savith Kumar is a student from Hwa Chong Junior College, Singapore, passionate in all things literature. His work has been recognized by 101 Words, Zen Garden, and the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. He enjoys writing poetry and reading YA novels in his free time.
Eliza Mahon is a fifteen-year-old aspiring writer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She has always loved reading and writing, and her work has been published in Island Shores, a poetry anthology created by the Poetry Institute of Canada. She has been in the AP English stream for four years now, and she is currently exploring the genre of narrative essays, though she loves all genres of writing.
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.
Kawther Said is 17 years old and currently a high school senior from Chantilly, Virginia. She is experienced with journalism and producing a newspaper, having spent one year taking a journalism class in school and another year producing the school news magazine. Her work has been published in Uncaged Magazine, and she is also an active member of her school's Art and Literary magazine.
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.
Dhwanee Goyal (she/they) is a fifteen-year-old student from Maharashtra, India. She edits for multiple magazines and works as a content strategist for I-CREATE YOUTH magazine. For them, writing is a way of investigating what weight each experience holds, and the way memories seem to bloom or die over time. She hopes that one day we as a society will be more open to talking about mental health and its struggles. Pretty buildings make her heart beat fast, and she likes puns, double-sided blankets, sentences that trail off and…
Gracie Nordgren is 18 years old and lives just outside Denver, Colorado. Currently, she is a senior in high school, but this May she will graduate with an Associate's Degree in English as well as her high school diploma. After that, she will move on to the University of Colorado Boulder to complete a Bachelor's in English. Gracie has always been passionate about literary art, as she has seen firsthand the impact it can have. Last year she was published in the March edition of an online journal, The South Broadway Ghost Society. Ever since she has been looking to get involved further in the literary world, in order to both impact through art and be impacted.
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."
Jennie Jeon is a senior from Washington. She has always been a passionate writer, and her favorite genres are creative nonfiction and original oratory. Jennie has received recognition for her work in KAIAC Forensics competitions and has taken several creative writing courses through the Center for Talented Youth program. As an editor, Jennie hopes to cultivate her creativity and inspire others to seek writing as a safe haven.
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!
Aditi Pauls is a senior at Issaquah High School. She's loved to both read and write since she was young, and she's written many short stories, many of which were ways to express things she didn't know how to say aloud. She's excited to be an editor for Cathartic Lit, and to lift up other teen writers!
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.
Julia Vu is a high school junior and aspiring poet from Bay Area, California. She founded Operation Dopamine, an international mental health advocacy organization with ambassadors from different 9 countries. She is actively conducting individual research on Nivolumab and Ipilimumab combination immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma as an IB Diploma student. A survivor of depression and eating disorders, she documents her cycles with decline, relapse, and recovery through her poetry. Her works have been published in "Songs of Peace: World's Biggest Anthology of Contemporary Poetry 2020", "A Celebration of Poets 2020", and various literary magazines. Julia hopes to empower others and embrace the beauty of her own mental illness by sharing the letters she never intended to send.
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.
A few years ago, Taiwanese writer Yun-Fei Wang had begun using fiction as an escapism from the overwhelming sadness of being alive. Now that she's 16, falling deeper than ever, she can fortunately affirm that literature has been, is, and will be the only fragment of sanity in her life. Find her at a silent midnight, or at @immortalrainpoetry on Instagram.
Nikhita Makam is 16 years old, too young to know much but too old to get away with things. She is the author of '14 works by a 14 year old' and calls herself a 'high school student by day, poet by night'. She believes that poetry has power, something that her mother taught her. She finds happiness in reading, writing, gardening, octopuses, and wondering about ladybugs. Her works have been published in national newspapers and international journals including Rare Byrd Review, Skipping Stones, CTJ, Horizon and elsewhere. Nikhita is a writer for The Spearhead Magazine, The Teen Magazine and The Teen Pop. She tries her best to maintain a balance between all of her hobbies, school and the common dreaded enemy to all high school students- homework.
Thomas Van Pelt is a 17-year-old from South Brunswick, New Jersey. Ever since he was little, his favorite subject in school was always reading. In fact, one of his earliest memories is his mother reading "The Hungry Caterpillar" to him on the couch. His love for literature has only grown throughout high school, and one of his favorite pastimes in the evening is embracing a great book.
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.
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 Social Media Writers
Sophia Zhang is a 15-year-old residing in Chicago, Illinois. She has been stringing words together in her head since her inception and is very happy to channel them into readable packets of intrigue for other people to read. Besides writing, Sophia spends her time playing piano, volleyball, or her favorite song on repeat.
Mai Ly Hagan is a 17-year-old from Hanoi, Vietnam. She lived in the USA for five years. Due to the pandemic, her family repatriated to Vietnam. Mai Ly's academic interests are social studies and environmental studies. For fun, she likes to read, go on bike rides, and play the ukelele.
Libby Hargreaves is a young queer woman trying to find her way in the world. Though she is far from a Dame - West Yorkshire doesn't produce many of those - people love to give her titles: Feminist, Bisexual, Pro-choice, Academic, Liberal, Campaigner, Spiritual, Fundraiser. However, there is one label which is proving to be much more difficult to pin down - Bipolar. Regardless of who she is, she rests in the knowledge that she chooses how she is perceived and how the world views 'people like her'. That is the power to drive change, and she hopes this magazine will give people the tools to transform and improve.
Anya Trofimova is a young poet from London, where she studies at St Paul’s Girls' School. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies, including Planet in Peril (Fly on the Wall Press) and Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal (Pallina Press), and has been recognised by the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, Saltaire Festival Poetry Competition, Erbacce Prize, Felix Dennis Young Poets Competition and the Poetry Society, among others. When she is not writing, you can find her drinking ice tea, talking about social contract theory and championing the causes she cares about: serving underprivileged communities, women’s rights, political activism, environmental action, the list goes on… Oh, and she also works on the editorial boards of the Siblíní Journal and Sandpiper Magazine.
Charlotte Picker is a year eleven student studying at Brisbane Girls Grammar School in Australia. Apart from being published in Cathartic Literary Magazine, Charlotte recently won the Betty Woolcock Challenge Cup for writing at her school. She enjoys creative writing as a method to relax and process her thoughts and is passionate about mental health. She has been part of a student-based team contributing to the redevelopment of Kids Helpline website (the largest youth mental health support service in Australia), and is a volunteer with Lifeline Australia - a national suicide prevention service. As an avid lover of all things writing, Charlotte is currently working towards the completion of a University of Southern Queensland course in Literature.
