Aletheia Writing Magazine

Aletheia Writing Magazine
Creativity for Christian Teens (13-19)
Four issues per year. 40 pages. Color. Price includes shipping & handling.
United States- $26, Canada- $29
European Inquiries, please email

Aletheia Writing Magazine is a quarterly publication focusing on the literary and artistic works of Christian teens, ages 13 to 19*.
We are excited to offer Christian teens a healthy platform in which to express themselves, especially in a culture that so definitively shapes and saturates their worldview with unhealthy imagery and values.
In addition to the literary and artistic expressions of Christian teens, each issue offers a variety of unique features: a Writer's Challenge, the Featured Contributor, a book review, Glory to God for the Beauty of Nature, Ancient Ink, and an interview or other feature for edification and enjoyment. (from Aletheia's Website)

Spring 2011

Expecting this item, I was full of what I THOUGHT it was going to be...I thought it would be full of teaching/writing prompts to help students get their creative juices flowing. Boy, was I WRONG...when I saw the magazine, I thought, "Well my teens are sure going to think this is lame." I am happy to say that I was wrong. As one of my children was looking at it and kept reading, he was asking some questions...can anyone send writing in...because so and so is a really great writer, how much is this...how many issues do you get? More questions than I thought I would get...

What I like- This is written by teens, for teens...I think this encourages them to write better work and the readers enjoy it because it is really geared toward their interests and reading levels. I like the special features in each magazine- The featured contributor, the Writer's Challenge, the Glory to God for the Beauty of Nature (OUTSTANDING photography!!!) I like that there is a variety of short stories and poems.

What I was not so fond of- There seemed to be quite a bit of fantasy type work in the magazine...maybe that is what teens are really into, I am not sure, but I would have liked to see a greater range of genres portrayed in the magazine such as biography and historical fiction. I like the writer's challenge, but would have liked to see maybe a little more instruction in writing included...maybe a short lesson on developing your plot or creating complex characters or something of that nature. It seems like many of the stories I read had a very sad feel to them...in the fall issue, most of the writing is pretty sad, dealing with topics such as human trafficking, deep relational issues and hurts, sadness, loneliness, etc. These things do not encourage me, but make me focus on the things that are wrong. I would like to see the admonition of Philippians 4:8 held up as more of a baseline for the stories/work accepted... "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." I know that through hard things God works great wonders, but at this age it seems to me that focusing on sad issues could make coping with life more difficult. The magazine does issue this disclaimer: "At Aletheia Writing Magazine, we are excited about our contributors and the articulation of their Christian faith and experiences in writing. This magazine is geared toward youth ages 13 to 19. Because contributors’ ages vary, the maturity level of situational content may likewise vary." I would preview the work before letting your children freely read it if this is a concern to you.

If I am reading this correctly, it looks like the fall issue might be only their third issue, so I think this magazine has great potential and would encourage you to look into it if you have a budding writer. They could see their name in print!

Oh, and just in case you are wondering, Aletheia (pronounced either Ah-LAY-thei-uh or Ah-LEE-thei-uh) means truth or unveiling.

Please see what my fellow crew mates had to say about this item here

Disclaimer: I received this magazine for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.