This year is full of excitement for me because, as opposed to last year’s steep learning curve, I actually know what I am doing this year. I half-expected to feel just as lost and confused reentering the staff this year as I was last year; I had never been a member of anything close to the size of Élan, nor had I ever worked on anything so important. Simple questions—what would my job entail? What does “managing” mean?—didn’t have an immediate answer. The pressure of those unknowns was unspeakable. Having had those questions answered by the trials and tribulations of last year, I am excited to take the lead as this year’s senior managing editor. “Managing” is a deceptive title because it does not quite mean what it appears to denote at first glance. The managing editor does not hover above the other members of Élan; nor do I “puppeteer” the inner workings of the magazine. My job is much simpler (and less nefarious) than that: communication. I am responsible for making sure the machinations of the editor-in-chief are delegated to the respective members of the staff, turning the large-scale goals of the magazine’s head into small-scale, achievable tasks. Beyond communication within the team, my role handles communication between the magazine and our contributors. When Élan opens up the submission period, I am the one who reaches out to teachers throughout the nation (and internationally) to call for submissions. Furthermore, anytime a teen writer sends a piece to the staff during the submission period, I am the one who receives the written work and files it away for our reading process down the line. With such a complicated body like Élan, it needs a bridge between our valued writers and our staff, and I seek to reinforce and streamline that connection. Needless to say, being the managing editor is difficult. It takes a detail-centered mind to ensure everything slides into its correct placement. The filing system must remain organized. The emails must be sent and responded to. It is a lot to keep track of. However, the difficulty just means that there is still growth to be done—for myself and for Élan. I want this year to be the year in which the intricacies of the magazine are made just a little simpler. Ideally, the work I do this year will never be necessary again in the future of Élan. It is impossible to predict exactly the difficulties of this year, but half the excitement this year will be simply figuring it out! My junior submissions editor this year is very capable, but surely the new staff members are just as lost as I was when I joined last year. I am excited to prove yet again the potential of our magazine. - Noland Blain, Senior Managing Editor

The hardest part about my role in Élan is figuring out the right things to say and the right ways to portray Élan on both our social media and our website. As someone who did not use social media very often when I was assigned the role of being a digital media editor, stepping into the social media part of my role was more difficult. I wasn’t allowed to slack off or hope someone else could do my job, because as a part of Élan overall, the digital media team is how the world sees us as a magazine, especially as a student ran and published magazine, which makes the job even more important and special. When Élan has events and those who attend want to find out more about us, they are either directed to the website or our social media. I felt a lot of pressure at first, sometimes I still do when we have several events going on in such a short amount of time. When it was time for me to take over as the junior digital media editor in the second semester of the last school year, that is when I really got more confident in my role and what I was doing. I took more responsibility for what I had to do, and I did it with pride in the fact that I was helping spread what Élan meant to me and the rest of the staff. My triumph in my role came from learning how to do my job as a digital media editor and knowing I was doing the job right. Taking on the digital media editor role, for me, was a lot of change, but looking at how much I have grown since I have gotten my role and actually stepped into my job as something I wanted to do, I am so thankful for it and I wouldn't want to trade my position with anyone else. When I took on the job, I kept a lot to myself and I was not very good at communicating with others, but in the same time period that I took over the digital media team as a junior and took responsibility for what I was doing, I also learned to communicate better, have more control with what I wanted instead of standing back and having others tell me what to do. Learning to do that in my experience as an Élan member is very important because without this job, I wouldn’t have learned that, and it was something essential for me to know so I could grow as a person. On our social media and website, the digital media team constantly will update when submissions are for all of our book editions, for both art and writing, as well as update for the events we will be doing in future months. Élan has at least two submissions period, one in the Fall, for the Online Fall Edition, and the second in Spring, for the Online Spring Edition. Near the end of the year the team chooses work from both books, as well as new submissions to be in our print book. All three books are highlighted on our social media and our website, along with our past books. Even if you are someone who submits, but does not get a piece into the actual books, it is still special to read through the books and see the beautiful art or pieces of writing others your age can create. - Catriona Keel, Senior Web Editor

This year, I am one of the senior Layout and Design editors for Élan. My responsibilities have changed since the year before, and I’m excited to grow into this role. Élan is a beautiful magazine that allows teen writing and art to live in one place; I know that showcasing teenager’s passion, and talent is extremely important for the literary/art community to see. Young artists need to be acknowledged, and Élan does that. I have always been proud of what I do at Élan, but considering that this is my senior year, and I’m a mentor, I feel more joy and pride. My responsibility is to pass down my editorial knowledge to my junior counterpart, but I also want to pass down my love for Élan. It is exciting to see a “new generation” of staff members, and seeing Élan grow and evolve. Submitting to Élan is a chance to tell the world that you are here. Élan has always been special to me; this international literary magazine is made by students, for students, and to me that is a wonderful thing. The Élan staff is supporting other students, other young artists, and we are giving these teens a voice. For so long teenagers have been silenced in plenty of different spaces, and the literary and arts community have sadly been one of them. It is extremely important to have Élan as a place that allows teens to express themselves in the truest ways possible. As a writer, I’m inspired by all the new pieces that are submitted for our issues; it is amazing how so many different types of people can express themselves through such creative writing and art pieces. From junior year to senior year, my personal growth as a writer can be contributed to reading. Reading poetry books at home, reading short stories, reading submissions to Élan. I get excited when Élan opens their submissions because it is a unique chance to read and select works from teens who are just as dedicated to their art as I am. Personally, I try to put my all into my writing, and it shows that these artists do as well; it’s crazy how so many young artists create with so much life inside of them. I have always struggled with being honest with myself on the page, and truly expressing anything; last year, I had to get comfortable with being vulnerable with myself and others. I had many places that I felt like I could go out of my shell, but Élan showed me that there are other teenagers around the world who are also putting themselves out there, and that it’s okay. I had real life examples of young writers being vulnerable and true; I grew with my writing during my junior year, and I had the space to allow me to do so, for that I am forever grateful for Élan. – Luz Mañunga, Senior Layout and Design

As a layout and design editor, my position is valuable editorially because it helps make every decision of the group tangible. The staff could accept and pair each individual piece of writing and art, yet without the role of layout and design being filled, their visions would never become complete visual representations. Creating each issue is obviously an important part of my role on Élan, but layout and design has a hand in many other aspects of the magazine world as well. As a member of this team, creating and producing flyers, pamphlets, brochures, or any other informational tool is important in between submissions. While there isn’t a book being created, we make sure Élan has enough of an audience to make the rest of the process run smoothly. We put together the posters that inform our classmates that submissions are open, as well as flyers and pamphlets to introduce the public to the fact that our work exists for them to purchase or submit to. One of the best parts about being on the Élan staff is that we get to reap the benefits of our work to get outside submissions. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to read and accept submissions from our own creative writing department, but receiving work apart from that category lets the magazine reach its most creative and interesting point. I think that because we are taught only literary work at DA, it is easy for writers to all fold into the same type of writing. Literary work is always beautiful, but it’s interesting when it is broken up in the book by different outside voices. Outside submissions are important because our audience at Élan expects to be reading the very best work from youth. Although many of the writers from Douglas Anderson do reach that standard, it is arrogant to believe our school holds the only best work. As a young person, I know that putting your work out there is one of the scariest and most vulnerable things to do. Submitting to Élan was one of the best things I have ever done in terms of upholding my confidence as a writer. I used to believe that I didn’t need validation to prove that I knew what I was doing. I let fear hold me back from so many opportunities because I couldn’t stand the thought of rejection. I created this sense of pride on not applying or submitting my work. It wasn’t until I saw my name in print that I realized how much I actually craved validation. Being accepted into the Élan magazine was like I had finally proved to myself that I can make it into the world with my writing. That being said, there have also been times when a piece I submitted was rejected. It’s really important to understand that not being published doesn’t mean the work submitted wasn’t good enough. Submitting over again once you’ve been rejected shows your bravery as an artist. It took until I was an upperclassman to realize that writing is only half about your talent. The rest relies completely on your bravery to grasp the opportunities you’re given. I discovered that being rejected is only an invitation to submit again. I would like to challenge any writers out there to submit something to this years fall issue. Whether you’ve submitted to the book before or not, the experience of allowing a piece to feel completed enough to submit is one that will never be regretted. Being vulnerable and brave enough to showcase your work will help you grow as an artist. - Shelby Woods, Senior Layout and Design

Élan in its final form--the beautiful, glossy print book chock-full of unique, brilliant art and writing--is, in truth, the realization of a dream rooted in a 30+ year legacy of publication. Every year, through the power of collaboration and teamwork, we somehow manage to spin a book out of thin air. Of course, this takes a lot of care and foresight that may seem difficult or obtuse in the moment, but every inflection in the process ends up visible in the final product. One of the biggest problems the role of Poetry Editor presents is that it is nebulous--ever-changing and thus reliant on its respective staff member's initiative and desire to maximize their time on Élan. The process of selecting writing to print is arduous and intense, and it is not a system without faults. In pursuit of efficiency, we are always looking for a way to manage this system: to streamline it, edit and tweak a role or two where we can, to make sure we produce the best product as efficiently as humanly possible. It's all about automation--making sure that in the little assembly line of publication, everyone is doing their part well and spending their time wisely. In my last year of being on the Élan staff, I, along with my co-genre editor want to take personal charge of the fine tuning of this process, which should frankly be the raison d'être of the staff: making sure we get a book out in as timely a fashion as possible. Realizing that that initiative was all I needed to kickstart the process was my biggest hurdle to leap last year. Understanding that, if I wanted to change things, the only way that change would be realized through is my own dedication to my goals, took a surprisingly long time to realize. In a standard, public learning environment, students are so rarely forced to think for themselves in an interesting manner. How often have you entered an English class and the teacher, upon first seeing you, asks "How do you want to change things?" Getting my brain used to that mode of thinking took a long time. I learned--perhaps a little too late in the game--to check in with myself, to explore dissatisfaction and make a gambit to ameliorate the problem, and, most of all, that change is good. Suggestions are good. If it means an Élan that runs smoothly and powerfully like the well-oiled machine any good magazine should be, change must be welcome from all sources. In pursuit of an ever-better Élan, Excelsior. - Conor Naccarato, Senior Poetry Editor

When I was a Junior learning the ropes of my role as Art Editor, I was daunted by my responsibilities. Now that I am a Senior, however, and I know the entirety of this process, I plan to utilize those skills I gained to take me through this year. As Art Editor, it is my responsibility to choose visual art pieces to pair with writing pieces in the Élan book. We receive work from Douglas Anderson and other schools across the nation (and even other countries). I keep communication with DA’s art department through Art Liaisons; they are the ones who collect pieces from DA artists. I also keep communication with the Managing Editor because they receive art that comes from outside of school. After all the art is compiled, my Junior partner and I sift through what we have, narrow the pieces down, then present them to the rest of Élan to conduct the voting process – it is here where the submissions will get narrowed even further. During this process, we search for story potential and uniqueness. My role blends two art forms – visual art and writing. As a person passionate about both, this was the job I knew I wanted when I stepped into Élan; it’s always so satisfying to send out those acceptance letters to the artists who get into this publication. It makes you realize how much of an opportunity Élan’s platform gives to emerging artists. It is so important to fuel the next generation of creative minds – that is Élan’s goal in the long run. That is why students shouldn’t be afraid to submit to this publication! There is always a sense of pride when something you’ve created is recognized by others. I remember when I got accepted into Élan Freshmen year – for one, I was surprised. I didn’t think my Freshmen writing was up to par with any of the works that were accepted in that publication. It gave me validation. After that, there were submission periods I did not get published, but that just made me work harder for the next time. You’ll surprise yourself with things you didn’t know you could do. Besides, it never hurts to try. Submitting your art can also encourage growth and trying new techniques. Since that first acceptance letter, my writing has improved significantly. Granted, I lean towards poetry now, whereas fiction was my go-to Freshmen year. I still appreciate both branches of writing equally, but it’s the raw emotion in poetry draws me towards it. For many, poetry gives them a space to show their most authentic selves, reevaluating where they stand in their own lives. At least, that’s been my experience. Poetry has opened a window into myself where I can see the emotions I need to draw out. All Art, in fact, has this universal release. It teaches, connects us to universal experiences, and heals us. For many, it gets them through trauma, other life struggles, and helps them process the world – many young people don’t know they have that power. As Art Editor, I am exposed to so much vulnerability in both visual art and writing. In many ways, seeing that openness has encouraged me to be more vulnerable in my writing. As I leave this chapter behind in the next couple of months, passing down the Élan legacy to the next generation, I realize how daunting life is. There are so many things I have yet to experience, as well as things I fear experiencing. Even with these fears, however, I am still left with my writing – a space that allows me the opportunity to explore these wonders and terrors. In the end, they are more than words, and visual art is more than the visual. Humans give art life; a story beyond this very one we still barely know anything about. Élan gives students a space to show those struggles, fears, and wonders. That is why Élan is so important to me, and why I am going to make this year count. In fact, I am already making plans so these next couple of months run smoothly. I will be focusing on expanding Élan’s submission reach and locating new art schools in and out of the country. I will also be working to maintain a steady stream of communication within Élan, keeping track of dates, and knowing what is required of me at all times. Through this organization, I carry the weight of my role and keep Élan from falling behind. If there is anything I learned in my Junior year, it is that this is a team effort. By exposing me to such a professional environment, I have learned to be more productive and responsible. It is these skills that I will carry on with me in the future. That is what I want others to see about Élan – the process is rigorous, but we do this because we are passionate about it. - Reece Braswell, Senior Art Editor

In the beginning of my junior year when I was choosing which role on Élan I would most like to be on, I picked the junior fiction/CNF editor. I’ve always loved reading fiction, and knew that I would enjoy playing such a large part in what pieces get selected for Élan. I was lucky enough to get the role, and throughout the year I learned so much through the senior editor, Valerie. At the end of the year I felt prepared to take on the role of the senior fiction and was excited to continue refining the role to make it as good as it can be. As genre editors, both the senior and junior fiction and poetry editors lead the reads process. We remind the Élan staff of our guidelines and what qualities we should be looking for in work for Élan. When the staff is done reading all of the pieces, the genre editors and the editor in chief come together to select the pieces that will go into Élan. Last year the genre editors did a lot to make the reads process run smoothly and efficiently, and I hope we continue to do so this year. The genre editors hope to take on as much as we can within our selection process, and continue to select pieces for Élan that represent the magazine and its legacy well. Playing a big role in the submissions process taught me a lot about who I am as a writer as well as what writing I am drawn to. It also taught me how to leave my personal taste aside and think about what pieces would fit the magazine best. At first I wasn’t sure how to select pieces for the magazine, but when I truly considered what Élan’s values were I felt better about selecting pieces. Without Élan, I would have never had the chance to learn from an experience like this. It is one that is truly unique as well as educational. It’s inspiring to read other writers work, and I am excited to continue doing it in my senior year. To any teen writers that are hesitant to submit their work, my strongest piece of advice would be to just submit. Rip off the bandage. It can be nerve-wracking to send your writing out into the world, but Élan is a magazine for teen writers made by teen writers. The Élan staff is here to uplift young voices and we are eager to hear your stories. Submit your fiction, CNF, poetry, art, etc. If you don’t get selected, it’s good practice for submitting your work to magazines. And if you don’t get selected, continue to submit! We encourage as many submissions as possible. Go through past editions of Élan to see what we are looking for as well as our guidelines. Once again, Élan is here for teen writers and we encourage you to submit! - Anna Howse, Senior Fiction/CNF Editor

Around this time last year, the time I spent as Junior Editor-in-Chief was primarily, and most importantly, a learning position. For the entirety of the Fall Book’s editorial process I was observing how things worked and shadowing my senior’s every move. The reads process, the proofing process, and the publishing process are very complicated to teach; I mainly just watched things in action, and took notes as we went. This year will be very different. It is my job as Senior Editor-in-Chief to lead the entire editorial process. With this huge responsibility, I spent a lot of my summer reflecting on not only what this job entails, but really why this job is important to me. Yes, I love writing. And yes, I love supporting the teen arts community in any way I can. But to work on the Elan staff is a step beyond that. I care about our publication because it has maintained its excellence for decades. Because I sit in our creative writing classrooms and know how much work goes into creative work. Elan needs an Editor-in-Chief who cares about these things. And I am honored and excited to have my role this year. Last year, I learned many things based on the mistakes I made. Organization of Elan submissions, and maintaining thorough communication between the staff’s editors and Mrs. Melanson are both things I need to work on. When things get hectic with the publishing process it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. I now know what times of the year are the most chaotic, and how to work through them. We, as a collective staff, have also experienced times where editorial needs and community outreach needs must be balanced. We know how to prioritize these need and divide them among staff members so that all the weight doesn’t fall on the same people. Now that it’s September, Fall Book submissions have begun. I cannot stress how much we want, and need, young writers and visual artists to submit their pieces. We need dedicated, creative individuals to make the Elan publication possible! Tell your friends, tell your neighbors: submit, submit, submit! - Olivia Meiller, Senior Editor-in-Chief

On Saturday May 18th Yellow House Gallery allowed Élan to take over their space in celebration of Élan's role in the local and international literary community. The evening consisted of a staff panel and a reading of selected works from past Élan's as well as the upcoming print edition. Élan would like to extend a thank you to everyone who came out to participate in the conversation. We greatly appreciate your support of our mission to elevate the voice of the upcoming generation. We also thank Yellow House for trusting us with your space and your continued support of Élan Literary Magazine. We look forward to the next one!

The experience of joining the staff of Elan has not only provided me with a new perspective on writing in general, but has encouraged me to think about my future as a writer. I have known that I wanted to write since I was a child, hurling through school with a pen and paper in my hand, falling in love with each and every writing or English class I could take. In fifth grade I realized that writing was truly the thing I wanted to pursue and from then on have pursued it whole-heartedly, leading up to my days at Lavilla and Douglas Anderson. My passion has come from my own words, but also the passion and inspiration I see in others. Elan has given me that opportunity to find inspiration so easily in the work of other artists just like me, yearning to have their voices heard. Although I knew I always had this wild passion within me from a young age, my teachers clueing in to my love for words through my attentiveness to my work I hoped would get published one day and the highest score you could get on an FSA writing test. However, all I could say for myself for the longest time was “I want to write.” My family members and friends would ask me what I wanted to do and I simply answered “write,” but this answer did not feel good enough, considering that the world thought of writing as a hobby, and up until a certain point, I did too. I often felt discouraged because I wasn’t sure how to apply my passion to an actual career, continuously searching and coming up with different genres to choose from, but still nothing that would guarantee a job. It wasn’t until I began at Douglas Anderson, and really until my junior year when I joined the Elan staff, that I began to see writing differently. Rather than picturing myself sitting at a desk as a freelance writer, I saw myself in an office, working with others and creating something that allowed me to expel the creative passions I have had since childhood. Surrounded by my classmates who not only loved to write, but were also working towards the same goal of putting together a book filled with inspiration of other artists, felt exciting and important to my writing journey. Joining this staff and participating in all of the smaller steps as a team made me realize that there are many more options than simply “writing” as a career. As I begin to choose my college and build my future, I know my goal is to work on a literary magazine in my adulthood and earn my MFA in college. These past two years on the Elan staff has made writing become real to me and now when someone asks me what I want to do when I grow up I can be certain that when I say “write,” there is far more to it than putting a pen to paper. - Lexey Wilson, Senior Editor-in-Chief

Whenever I am asked to reflect about my time on Elan, I immediately answer with how being a member of this publication has given me the validity that I needed to truly call myself an artist. Elan allowed me to take full and complete ownership over the part of myself that is an artist and more specifically, is and forever will be a writer. Throughout the two years I have spent on this publication, I have been able to see art affect countless people and that is what truly sticks with me after each event that Elan participates in. The emphasis that Elan puts on youth voices and teen artists is something that should never be ignored. It is important that we highlight Elan as a student-led publication that publishes student-produced work. In doing this, we solidify our place at the table that isn’t typically occupied by teenagers. We are just as much artists as someone who is twenty years older than us. Age should not discriminate against art of any kind. There is no age limit or threshold you have to cross. I revisit the Yellow House Art Gallery in times where I need to be reminded that I deserve to call myself an artist and that I need to be reminded of the impact that art can have across all generations. There is not one single demographic of people that are allowed to enjoy art. Every person alive is allowed the opportunity to enjoy art, to be moved by art, to create art. I was able to witness people of all ages in my community enjoy this exhibit that I helped put together. I hammered nails into walls to hang paintings. It was hands on art. The four years I have spent at Douglas Anderson has been a constant battle between accepting the fact that my art is valid and accepting the fact that I do not want to pursue writing professionally. I thought there was only one thing that I could be and that was it. Being on Elan flicked a switch for me. I can and will always be able to call myself a writer because that is what I am. The thing is, I am also a daughter. I enjoy doing math. I am a proud Asian-American adoptee. I deeply adore the smell of rain and prefer the beach during the winter. Someone who believes that the sum of my experiences makes up the majority of who I am. There is not one thing that I am and for the longest time, I tried to find the Single Thing that identifies me and everything that I am, but there is no Thing that does that. Elan has taught me to embrace every part of myself no matter how combative each part is. Each part still makes a part of me and I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without Elan. - Winnie Blay, Senior Managing Editor

My experience on the staff of Elan Literary Magazine has helped expand my perception of what it means to be a writer. For a long time, I viewed writing as a solitary endeavor, something I did for myself and myself alone. And while I’m grateful for the impact writing has had on me as an individual, I’ve grown to love the art form even more as I’ve become a member of the literary community here in Jacksonville. Through this class, although it’s certainly more than just a class, I’ve been able to interact with some amazing people and share with them how much writing and Elan mean to me. As a young writer, I am so grateful to Elan for giving me a chance to share my voice. I’ve been able to speak about things through my writing which I can’t imagine discussing outright, and Elan has given me the power to put those thoughts out into the world. Last month, a girl I’ve met in passing told me she read my poem, Oil/Water, in the fall edition of our book. She said the poem really resonated with her and her experiences. In that moment, I completely understood what writers mean when they say all of the drafting and struggling would be worth it if just one reader identified with their work. This interaction meant a lot to me personally because I often feel like my writing exists in a vacuum, read only by my teachers and my mother. To see my work impacting other people was an incredible feeling, and Elan made this possible. An experience this year that’s been especially rewarding was volunteering at Elan’s booth during Color Me Kona, a community event full of local artists and vendors. The crowd at Kona was a little bit different from our usual crowd for galleries or readings because the setting of the skate park attracted a variety of people, which made it an even more valuable experience to me. We had many people —some who love writing and some who haven’t read a book in a year— approach our booth and listen to us speak about our publication. Being a part of that event made me realize how important art is to everyone, no matter how old they are or where they come from. As I move on to the next stage in my life, I know that I will take many skills, experiences, and ideas from my time on the staff of Elan. Beyond the technical skills I’ve learned, like how to perform a blind reads process and format books in InDesign, I’ve learned a multitude of interpersonal skills. As a staff, we take on a lot of responsibilities, and it’s sometimes a challenge trying to get everything organized and carry out a successful outreach event while simultaneously trying to publish an edition of a literary magazine. Elan has taught me, however, rewarding all of the hard work is in the end. - Meredith Abdelnour, Senior Layout  and Design Editor