Phoenix High School: The Forge

Well done to the students at Phoenix High School in Kennewick, Washington, and their teacher and fearless self-publisher, Sarah Ard!

The limited edition of The Forge sold out quickly and is currently out of publication.

Sometimes doing a thing takes courage.

Writing a story about challenges in your life lays bare feelings and vulnerabilities.

Giving that story to someone else to read and critique can be frightening. You hope that your reader will be kind, and understanding, and that they will find a way to help you express what you’re trying to say. What if they don’t like it? What if I hurt someone’s feelings? What if they read what I’ve written and think that I’m a failure? Or … what if they like it? If they get it? If it makes them feel how I’ve felt? Wait, is she crying?

Publishing those stories for others to read can be terrifying. “You mean anyone can buy our stories? Anyone can read our book?” and then “Someone would PAY to read our book?”

Yes.

The students at Phoenix High School in Kennewick, Washington have written a collection of personal stories, prepared artwork to accompany those stories, and have published them in a limited edition anthology, The Forge. Well done, all of you!