Patterns Publishes New Literary Journal
Patterns Club celebrates the book’s publication.
Photo Courtesy of Ms. Melissa Pentangelo
By ARMYDA ESCOBAR and JASON MAI
After months of hard work, the Patterns Club has finally finished its latest edition of Midwood’s literary magazine.
The journal takes a year to complete and contains around 100 pages of poems and stories written by students in creative writing classes and Patterns.
Haseeb Khan ’19, a member of Patterns, said, “The book is unique because it is a collection of poems written by the students here that can never be replicated.”
The magazine follows a theme put into place by club members every year. This year, Patterns decided to make the theme of the book “yin and yang.”
Explaining the theme, Mashhura Nurilloeva ’20, another member of Patterns, said, “We often perceive opposites to be incompatible with each other, but they can be interdependent of each other. Anything can be interrelated.”
One of the biggest challenges for the club is getting the word out about the magazine.
Helen Hung ’20 said, “Patterns is pretty much unknown for the majority of the school. So it’s a bit hard to get the very best poems or artwork from creators who have no idea we even exist.”
Even while receiving some content from the student body, Nurilloeva said it was hard to decide on which poems they would include. Some pieces “didn’t reflect the theme,” so they had to put them to the side.
Nimrah Naseer ’19 said another challenge that club members faced was periods of “intense writers’ block” which limited the amount of writing they could get done.
Despite these challenges, the club was able to finish the book while making memories along the way.
Khan said, “In Patterns, I was able to be with my friends and meet new people who shared my interest in reading. Because of that, it made Patterns really fun. To top it off, we even got to read and write poetry while we did this.”
Patterns members say they are proud of the work the club has achieved and hope that the student body will be just as proud.
Hung said students should buy the book because “the artwork, for one, is really amazing. It’s a great way for Midwood kids to see their peers express their creativity and read what they have to say.”
Nurilloeva said, “The student body should buy the book because it will show people that effort really pays off in the end. It might even persuade students to join the club itself!”
If you’re interested in buying a copy of the Patterns magazine ($7), ask faculty advisor Ms. Melissa Pentangelo in room 301 or room 313.