Students Write to be Heard (SW2BH) is a program developed by Ms. Pflaumer that requires students in her English classes to have their original prose, poetry or journalism published. Many get published in the Green Wave Gazette, some are published in local newspapers like the Abington Mariner, Brockton Enterprise and Patriot Ledger, others in various literary magazines, but only a few are published in the prestigious Marble Collection.

The Marble Collection is a statewide print and online magazine of the arts featuring jury-selected artwork, photography, spoken word, poetry and writing by students in grades 8 to 12. It offers a one-on-one workshop where the published teen is paired up with a college level mentor, and directs their work to publication for real-world audiences. The Marble Collection also has a gala at UMass Boston’s Harbor Gallery during “ArtWeek Boston” that the students may attend and meet talented teen writers from other high schools.

Two freshmen, Caitlin Murphy and Sophie Gendreau, had their work published in this prestigious magazine. Murphy and Gendreau shared their thoughts on their achievements:

What motivated you to be published in the Marble Collection?

Murphy: Ms. Pflaumer mentioned the Marble Collection multiple times throughout the year and explained that (not many students) have  been published there before. I thought that I would give it my best try because it would be an amazing achievement to have my work published in this magazine.

Gendreau: It started off as a school assignment, and once I looked into the Marble Collection, I realized it would be a great opportunity to apply for publication in this magazine.

(The Marble Collection)
How did you feel when you were selected to be published?

Murphy: I was so excited. When I got the email, I was expecting it to be a rejection email because I had already been rejected three times before. I felt so accomplished and I immediately emailed Ms. Pflaumer because I knew that she would be so proud and excited as well.

Gendreau: I was surprised that they had selected me for publication as I had never actually thought they would. And, I had sent the same story to another publisher, who turned it down.

Please describe the piece that was published in the Marble Collection.

Murphy: I published a rhyming poem called “Over the Years” about a young girl who lives a rough childhood and as she goes through high school her family life continues to get worse and worse. At the end of the poem, she meets a boy who helps her and her mother through their rough times and brings them out of the darkness that they have been stuck in for years.

Gendreau: My piece is written in the second-person. It is about a reader traveling through mind-generated worlds and coming out faced with new ideas and a decision.

Why did you choose to write about that specific topic?

Murphy: I chose the topic of a rough childhood because I think it’s a very important topic to discuss. I know personally many people who have divorced or widowed parents, and other family troubles, and I know how hard it can be for them. I wanted to write about it in a way that shows that someday, the troubles can go away and things can always get better.

Gendreau: I wanted to write about something that was thought-provoking.

What was the workshop like?

Murphy: The workshop was very relaxed and easy to keep up with. I got assigned a mentor who helped me through the process. We emailed back and forth and decided on times for Google Plus video chat. We had one meeting a week for six weeks; each meeting lasted between 5-15 minutes. During the video meetings we worked on editing and putting finishing touches. It was overall a new and easy-going process.

Gendreau: There were six meetings in the workshop, and the main part of the workshop was doing small fixes on my story, and I think that what we did will help me in future editing.

Do you intend on trying to be published in the Marble Collection in the future?

Murphy: It would be cool to get published more than once in the Marble Collection, but I plan on expanding my horizon and trying to get published in other places in order to get more experience in the publishing business.

Gendreau: Yes I do, I think it’s an opportunity that would be good to try or attempt again.

Please visit the Marble Collection at www.themarblecollection.org