DANBURY, Conn. — The Western Connecticut State University student magazine, The Howl, has just celebrated one year since going live. The magazine published its first pieces in February 2023. Since then, The Howl has continued to raise the voices of young creatives. Some of these published works have included poetry, art, short stories and screenplays from teens across the United States. The Howl actively encourages all high school students to submit visual art, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, photography, music and other types of works.
The magazine’s website has been revamped to commemorate the accomplishments and growth in the past year. In addition to recently published works, interviews with experts in the field can also be found, including discussions with writer and music educator Michael J. Bosco, author and illustrator Karen Romano Young, and horror writer Eric LaRocca. The site also offers prompts for those looking for inspiration to create and hopefully submit.
Students from WCSU’s Department of Writing and Literature run the online magazine. Aimed toward teen creators, this magazine is a platform for young creatives grades 9 through 12 to share their work. The Howl’s mission is to “publish and amplify a wide variety of written and multimedia content that whirls out of the unique storms that young people brave.”
The Howl has grown from a mere idea to a tangible platform. Many WCSU students indicate they wish they had submitted to literary outlets prior to entering college. It became apparent that there was a need for something new — something to give teens a chance to have their voices heard and work be seen. Thus, a class called “Magazine Editing” was introduced in Fall 2022. This class enabled students to start The Howl from the ground up.
“It’s a valuable experience for our students in the Professional Writing program, creating and managing an online magazine,” said Thomas Nackid, faculty advisor for The Howl. “It is also a great opportunity for high schoolers who want to see their work published in a supportive environment.”
The magazine is an official member of the Community of Literary Magazines and Publishers and can be found on sites such as NewPages and Chill Subs. With submissions on a rolling basis, the staff of The Howl consistently publish work from new voices.
While providing a platform for teens, the magazine also aims to motivate them to continue their creative endeavors. According to WCSU student Meaghan Canavan, a staff member at The Howl, “We want to help cultivate a new generation of creatives by giving them a platform that is easily accessible, teen-friendly, and above all else, encourages them to pursue their passions.”
Guidelines and details on how to easily submit through Submittable can be found at thehowlmag.org. For more information, contact WCSU Communications and Marketing at pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.