Shaking up the noise that surrounds us daily, Aorta Literary Magazine captivates readers with its fascinating vibe and theme, publishing poetry, fiction, personal memoir, critical essay, photography, and visual art from contributors ages 13-25 every three to four months online.
Aorta Literary Magazine’s name originates from the word “Aorta,” a major artery in the heart. “Aorta represents life and the rawness of life,” states Founder and Editor in Chief Claire You, “just like how, without the aorta, humans would not be able to live. In another aspect, the aorta speaks to being human and what it means to be human. Whether that be the cultural or personal aspect one may have, our literary magazine wants to know! We want to help teenagers and young writers from diverse communities make their writing and art come alive. The editors and audience of Aorta Literary Magazine are always learning a new lens of humanity from our submissions.”
Listening & Expressing
That drive to support young creatives and participate in building a diverse community helped spark the inception of Aorta Literary Magazine. “We started a literary magazine because we all enjoyed writing and making art,” says You, “and wanted to become an open door for other young writers to have a chance of getting their work published. Being able to give opportunities to others, just as we were given opportunities, is our way of giving back to the writing community. Another source of motivation was wanting people to learn and see from different perspectives and viewpoints. During times when the community feels so disconnected, it is always important to both listen and express thoughts.”
Aorta Literary Magazine is guided by these desires but also by experience. High school sophomore Claire You is an avid writer, having earned a Scholastic Art and Writing national gold medalist for poetry, as well as being featured in multiple publications. Co-editor Lauren You is a college freshman who enjoys reading, writing, and attending art exhibitions, and Editor Abigail An, a high school sophomore with a strong interest in true crime, has won multiple awards for her artwork.
Diversity of Views
For contributors interested in submitted works, Aorta Literary Magazine asks creatives a few questions along with the submissions, which editors will read within approximately one month and provide personal feedback. For readers, You says, “Aorta Literary Magazine offers an incredibly diverse selection of both writing and art in each publication. Hopefully, just like the editors, the readers will gain a new point of view on humanity and life after reading the issues.”
Selected from voices originating in Kenya, Finland, the Philippines, and more, recent contributors include Alexandra Cipriani, Matthew Spence, Michael Therous, Claudia Wysocky, Oleg Daugovish, Gracie Yao, Junaid Shabar, Ayyub Shamin, Sean Ewing, Q. Imagine, Kevin Sheepers, Amanda Vobel, Hannah Njoki, Julie Patten, Ayyub Shamin, and Alexis Wu.
Transparency & Appreciation
Reflecting on the start-up process, You comments, “One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is how important clear communication and boundaries are when running a publication. Starting a magazine means balancing enthusiasm for creativity with the responsibility of maintaining professionalism and safety for both contributors and editors. We’ve learned that sometimes, even with the best intentions, difficult editorial decisions have to be made and handling them transparently is just as important as celebrating the work we publish.”
You also expressed appreciation for the way Aorta Literary Magazine has deepened their relationship with writing. “Reading hundreds of submissions has made us appreciate writing as collaboration and inspiration. It’s taught us that every piece adds to our understanding of what persona and emotion in writing can look like.”
Off to a strong start, You has ideas for moving Aorta Literary Magazine forward. “Some future plans and goals for the publication are collaborating with other magazines to host competitions and hold workshops with writers to share their work. Of course, we also hope to make many more publications, and one day, printed ones.”
