Billy Lombardo is the co-founder and managing editor of Polyphony Lit, a student-run publication that compiles high school writing from around the world. He also is a high school teacher and author, and his books include The Logic of a Rose and How to Hold a Woman. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Cicada and Other Voices. Cate Pitterle is one of the student editors of Polyphony Lit.
Q (for Billy Lombardo): How
did Polyphony Lit come into being, and how long has it been in existence?
A: A high school student
brought me the idea to start a magazine. We decided we wanted to showcase some
of the best creative writing in the country.
But in the spring of 2004,
when our small staff of eight editors met to make the final calls on the pieces
that would comprise the first issue, we looked at a submission of a short story
that had been graded by a teacher.
The entirety of the teacher’s
comments were these: Lovely 20pts. All of the work that student had put
into the story, and this was all the teacher could muster? It was then that we
made a decision to provide feedback to every submission, regardless of its
readiness for publication. That began our deep commitment to editing.
Q (for Billy Lombardo): How
are the selections in each volume chosen, and do you see themes that run
through this latest volume?
A: Our student editorial
board is now comprised of 200 high school students from all over the world. Any
high school student can apply to be on our staff. The application involves
reading our editorial guidelines and doing a sample submission. We currently
have almost 200 active editors.
Each submission goes through
the editorial pipeline that includes at least three readers/editors: a First
Reader, a Second Reader and a Genre Editor. At each step of the process, the
readers and editors recommend the piece be accepted or declined. An Executive
Editor gets involved with tricky pieces and to make final decision about
acceptance.
The magic happens when we
send the young authors/poets not only a letter about acceptance/rejection but
also in-depth commentary from the three or four readers/editors.
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| Billy Lombardo |
My favorite emails to receive
are from authors and poets who send thank you notes to me for the commentary we
provide. Even the ones who are rejected are often incredibly grateful for our
attention to their work.
We had one poet whose work
was rejected 32 times before she had a piece accepted. When they return to us
like that, I am reminded of the value of supporting young writers.
Q (for Billy Lombardo): Since 2004, have you seen changes in the topics that
high school writers choose to focus on?
Oh, I think we’ll always
receive love poems and breakup poems and poems that ask the questions I suspect
young people have asked of the world since the beginning of time. And I have to
say that we constantly remind each other of the importance of valuing them
all.
Wallace Stevens called poetry
“the cry of the occasion,” and I impress upon our editors to think of every
submission, in every genre, as a testament to Stevens’ statement.
Our authors pay attention to
the world and so we get stories and poems that hint at their lenses and worldviews.
The occasions of the young are as varied as the occasions of grownups, and the
submissions reflect that diversity.
Q (for Billy Lombardo): Who
do you see as the primary audience for these volumes?
A: We make the claim that the
annual magazine represents the best high school writing from around the globe. We
think high school students, teachers, and librarians want to know what that
looks like. The quality of the work, though, makes me also hope that the
audience will one day be comprised of everyone who believes in the power and
beauty of language and of the human voice.
Q (for Cate Pitterle): How
did you learn about Polyphony Lit and how did you become one of the editors?
A: I found Polyphony through
an internet search. I'd seen that many literary magazines employed high school
students on their staffs, and I knew I wanted to edit for a magazine.
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| Cate Pitterle |
When I saw Polyphony's
website, everything clicked into place--it had a huge community, which I loved
because it would allow me to learn from others, and the work they published was
incredible. I emailed billy asking to join the staff, and he sent me the First
Reader Files and application. I’ve been editing for Polyphony ever since!
Q (for Cate Pitterle): What
do you think the publication offers for high school writers and readers?
A: Polyphony is so different
for any other literary magazine I’ve encountered. Forget the generic,
often-callous form letter; Polyphony’s purpose, unlike that of an ordinary lit
mag, is to help every author improve— regardless of whether we end up
publishing their piece.
We spend countless hours each
year writing editorial comments for submissions, and submissions are seen and
commented on by at least three editors and readers before they’re finally
accepted or rejected.
We’re dedicated to
politeness, too. Most of us are writers ourselves, and consequently most of us
are used to getting rejection letters and know how much they can hurt.
Therefore, when we comment on
a piece, we try to be as polite and constructive as possible—we work by the
motto that every piece has beautiful moments, sparks of brilliance, strokes of
genius within it. It’s a great pretense to work under, and I've learned so much
about storytelling from the pieces I’ve read and edited.
We also don’t just provide
feedback to authors; we provide it to each other. Readers all receive
commentary on their work from upper-level editors, and just like we do for
authors, we try to be as constructive and polite as possible in that
commentary.
The commentary I’ve received
has made me into a better editor, too—there are so many brilliant people on
staff at Polyphony that there’s always something to learn from each other.
Q: What are you working on
now?
BL: We never cease to be
astounded by the number of teens online seeking literary engagement. So, we are
working hard to provide more engaging content. I think the editor blog,
“Voices,” will delight any teen who wants to geek out about writing and
editing.
And our students are about to
release an interview series with “real writers.” No kidding, the first writer
they talk to is Pulitzer Prize Winner Jennifer Egan. We are dazzled by her
attention to us, and realize that most of us are eager to work with young lit
talent looking to gain wisdom.
Finally, we will be releasing
an online workshop, “How to Be a Literary Editor,” to support teens who wish to
grow into leadership roles in literary organizations or media.
And of course we’re always
working on the next issue. So far this editorial season, we have had
submissions from 21 countries. Delights us to think about an editor from
Pakistan working on a submission from Nigeria.
CP: I actually have a
submission due tonight! I’m writing commentary for an edgy, bold poem about
adolescence and rebellion, centered around a nighttime romp to a grain silo. It
utilizes some really cool poetic techniques, too.
Q: Anything else we should
know?
BL: We are on a mission to
support literary teens everywhere. Education is a great equalizer, so we are
especially glad to reach teens everywhere and especially in under-resourced
areas. It is free to submit to us and free to become an editor.
Some of our students have
told us, “you were my entire writing education.” We think we might just be the best thing
happening on the Internet!
CP: Polyphony also has a
really cool blog called Voices. I’ve loved reading the articles on there— it
has everything from editing tips to how-tos on getting through writer’s block
to a very witty, very thorough investigative satire on why our managing editor,
billy lombardo, only types in lowercase.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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