Teen Ink Magazine,
June 2005 :
Nonfiction Articles
A Father’s Love by Amy B., Culpeper, VA I will occasionally go into his study quietly, pretending to be consumed with some small matter, just to watch him. He’ll usually be sitting perfectly still in his big comfy chair wrapped in a blanket. Continue...
An Unspoken Agreement by Isaac W., Princeton, WV This is a tale with a moral. I have to go back four years, to the summer before eighth grade. It is about my brother, and my friends, and who is more important.
My brother, Daniel, and I were never extremely close. He was one of three younger siblings. Continue...
Behind Door 14D by Grace U., Charlotte, NC The apartment building is a rusted, forgotten shade of brown, matching the naked trees outside in the chilling December rain. The sky seems bright and dim at the same time, its whiteness blinding but still subtly subdued by the drizzling afternoon. Continue...
Dad’s Cat by Will G., Auburn, NY “Look,” prompted my dad, a hint of excitement in his voice. He was waving a photograph in my face, its six eyes locked onto mine. “That’s my mother, Fern, her friend Zoe ... with your dad in the middle. Continue...
Dad’s Voice by Erica E., Burien, WA I jump up from craning my neck over algebra homework, trip over my comforter on the floor and barge into the hall to answer the telephone. I pick up the receiver just before the answering machine takes it. A recorded female voice fills my ear. Continue...
Daddy’s Girl by Danielle S., Scituate, MA I came home from school one day and he was crying. Is this really happening? I wondered. I had never seen him cry. I thought he was not afraid of anything. Continue...
Day Two by Curtis J., Lindsborg, KS The hours seem like eternity in the empty courtroom as my mother and I sit there. The Assistant County Attorney walks in and looks at my mom. Continue...
Making Jay Laugh by Steven T., So. Plainfield, NJ Jay sits across the table from me, devouring the plate of chicken. It’s brown and juicy and there’s a side of yellow lo mein: stringy, gelatinous grease. Continue...
My Never-Ending Nightmare by Courtney C., Pittsboro, IN “Courtney, wake up,” my sister whispered. “Something’s wrong with Dad.”
Thinking she was kidding, I told her to go back to bed. I was not prepared for what happened next. Continue...
Papa by Sebastien L., Dallas, TX My French father believes the following: anyone who does not speak French speaks the wrong language. His house is a French territory in the heart of Texas and he has a French radius of ten feet surrounding him everywhere he goes. Continue...
Reunions by Ray E., Gouverneur, NY On most American families’ “Things We Love Doing” lists, going to a family reunion is usually down around family car trips into the side of a tree. Continue...
Sweet Discovery by Stephan N., Eugene, OR I never would have started baking if I hadn’t dropped AP U.S. History. Continue...
That Man by Heather B., Amarillo, TX I was nine years old in a white lacy dress, walking down the aisle of our church with a basket of flowers the first time I knew he would be my “new dad” forever. I hated him. I didn’t want him to take the place of Daddy. Continue...
The Performance by Lisa H., Wentzville, MO Breathe. It’s just one more show to perform. Pinch your cheeks to add the pink of love we share between us. Costume tailored to perfection. Wipe away the tears of emotion, because you are about to perform for a live audience. Continue...
Torn by Morgan M., Shirley, MA Maybe I have issues, but I don’t want to get married. I don’t want to spend my whole life with my high-school sweetheart, and I don’t want to have kids. Ever. I would never be satisfied with being tied down like that. Continue...
Wear a Tie by Kostas P., Springfield, MA “Where would we be right now if I did not have the restaurant? How else would I be able to provide for our family? Who would give me, a man without an education, a job?” My father would say these things whenever we had a father-to-son conversation. Continue...
What Went Wrong by Omar N., Bronx, NY Damn, why me? Why am I so stupid? I can’t believe this. What’s going to happen? I can’t believe I’m being arrested again. On November 22, all this went through my head. Continue...
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