Young authors and journalists are inspired individuals, convicted with the passion to write and spread change. However, figuring out how to start on that journey can be a difficult task. Dr. Kyle Boggs, editor and advisor of the Writing for Change Journal, has given these authors a platform.
“We discovered a desire for more experimental writing/editing/publishing experience that were in line with how publishing happens in the ‘real world,’” states the Writing for Change Journal website.
“In a lot of my classes, I always dedicate the last week to publication, for those that want to pursue publication and what that actually looks like … I found that a lot of students wanted more of that and wanted more of a venue to practice that and have that experience,” said Boggs of his inspiration for starting the Writing for Change Journal.
The Writing for Change Journal started in 2020 amidst the COVID pandemic. The journal publishes two collections each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. This edition’s theme is “learning and teaching in a pandemic.”
“We’ve been in this space long enough now that people have not only found ways of coping with it but have learned a lot through the process, so that’s the primary motivation behind this collection,” Boggs said.
Submissions for the Spring 2022 Collection of the Writing for Change Journal are due April 4.
All writers from Boise State University or the Treasure Valley are welcome to submit a work of their creative choice, aligning with the collection topic. If students are interested in publishing their work, they can visit writingforchangejournal.org.
This collection directly aligns with the target audience of the Writing for Change Journal, which is “those motivated by a desire to grapple with change.” People experience dramatic transformations in two years anyway, but adding a global pandemic brings new lessons and challenges.
“I don’t want the focus on the pandemic to be a bummer, but I do want to use it as an opportunity not to focus on what we’ve been focusing on which is the downers … but throughout all of this what have you learned about yourself, what have you learned about what’s important to you, how have the last couple of years changed you for the better,” Boggs said.
Different types of media are accepted for submission, from essays and personal narratives to photography and performance art. There is a bigger push in this collection for more creative submissions because, as Boggs said, “Different people grasp on to different mediums and different messages resonate more powerfully in different ways.”
Journalism is a powerful way to incite change with words. With many years of experience under his belt, Boggs urged young authors to “have the courage to pursue the truth, even if the truth is uncomfortable or makes people angry and not to give up.”
