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Celebrate the launch of our 9th annual Teen Anthology. You are invited to honor the hard work of our teen editors and authors who produced a beautiful collection of stories, poems and art. Launching May 29, 2025, at Loganberry Books, Hide & Seek is more than a book—it’s a map of discovery created by and for young people. Each poem, story, photograph, and illustration is a clue in the ongoing game of finding identity, meaning, and voice. Published annually, this anthology is the culmination of Lake Erie Ink’s Teen Book Project, now in its ninth year, where a group of teens take the lead in every part of the publication process—from selecting the theme to curating submissions to formatting the final book. Hear from the teens who worked on the project, and author, Quartez Harris, who wrote the foreword. “These writers are on their way; they’re emerging,” writes Quartez Harris in his moving foreword. “This collection proves that there will be writers in the future and more books in the years to come—because these teens are writing now.” Harris, a poet, educator, and author of the USA Today bestseller Got to Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer, reflects on his own journey, which began not in classrooms but in backyards and on basketball courts. Back then, no one told him that his everyday experiences were worthy of literature. Teen editors Tate Polatz and Aamina Edwards speak to the power of the process. “Being on the teen editor's board has given me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other kids who share similar passions,” says Tate. Aamina adds, “I got to know some background of where people come from and what shapes them as a person.” Their collective work results in a beautifully bound book that honors the complexity of growing up and coming into one’s own. Supported in part by funding from the Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the Cyrus Eaton Foundation, and individual donors and local foundations, Hide and Seek will be available in local bookstores and from Lake Erie Ink beginning May 30th. Hide & Seek is more than a keepsake—it’s a testament to what young people can create when given the tools and trust to share their truths. Join us May 29th from 6-8PM at Loganberry Books 13015 Larchmere Boulevard Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120 to recognize and celebrate the voices of youth in our community and support the project by ordering your copy, reading their words, and seeing yourself reflected in the creativity of Cleveland’s youth.
