DePaul’s Blue Book

Best American High School Writing is a one-of-its-kind annual anthology featuring the best writing from high school students from across the United States. The collection is both a digital and print anthology. The editor of the anthology is Prof. Chris Solís Green who coordinates selection of work by graduate student editors in DePaul’s English, Journalism, and Writing, Rhetoric & Discourse departments.

Each year, the Blue Book features outstanding student work from high school literary magazines (poetry, fiction and essays), school newspapers (narrative journalism, profiles and feature writing). We also accept individual submissions from high school students. We encourage and include Spanish-language pieces in all of the above categories.

Free copies of the Blue Book are distributed to contributors, finalists, and teachers who submitted ‘accepted’ work. Anyone can also order free copies on our website. And the digital version of the anthology is free to read
 

PARTICiPATING DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS

English Department
Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse Department
Journalism Department

Meet our Staff

Editorial Assistants

Allie Dulabaum

Hi y’all! I’m Allie Dulabaum (she/they), a senior at DePaul, majoring in English-Creative Writing with minors in Sociology and Urban Planning. My writing is heavily influenced by existing art, making my favorite place in the city Chicago’s Art Institute (which is free to DePaul students!). In my free time, I walk around Chicago, taking pictures of tags, street art, and all things odd. My hope for this next year is to publish my own zine. I am honored to be a part of this year’s Blue Book and am looking forward to your submissions!

Lillian Groth

Hello! I’m Lillian Groth (she/her), and I’m a sophomore majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. This project is right up my alley since I hope to do something within publishing in the future, although I am also a musician and am heavily involved in musical theatre, so I can see my future path going in many different directions! Some of my other hobbies include going to museums, watching movies, listening to very specific playlists that I’ve crafted on Spotify, and baking. I am absolutely thrilled to be on the Bluebook team, and I am looking forward to everyone’s submissions!

Graduate Student Editors

Jermaine Nolen

I am born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and have a deep connection to the place I call home. I am an artist who has explored storytelling through journalism, poetry, short stories, and I am proudly pursuing an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing.

Juliana Palaez

Hi everyone, my name is Juliana Pelaez, and I am a second-year graduate student in the Journalism program here at DePaul University. I received my B.A. from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa with major in Journalism and Communication and minor in both Leadership as well as Creative Writing. I was thrilled to be recommended for a position on this team of amazing leaders of students. I think connecting with students and sharing their work on a broader level goes to showcase that they are exceptional at what they do. So, I am glad I get to be a part of a team that helps showcase that! Some of my hobbies that I like are singing, I was in choir from the seventh to two semesters in college, and reading, mainly manhwas but I do like reading physical books which I have a small collection at home. Well I’m glad to be on this team and hope to work well with everyone.

Elias Castillo Ahumada

I am a first-year graduate student in the Creative Writing/Publishing program at DePaul University. I have a B.A. in Multimedia Photojournalism from Columbia College Chicago and a background in elementary, middle, and high school teaching. My style of writing is a mixture of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. My hobbies include writing, photography, watching tennis, listening to music, playing UNO, and reading. A few of my favorite books are Fallen Angels and The Alchemist.

Leo Swearingen

I am a first-year graduate student in the Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse Department at DePaul University. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse from DePaul University, gaining experience with publishing my academic work in DePaul’s undergraduate journal Creating Knowledge. I also work as a tutor and graduate assistant at the University Center for Writing-based Learning. Outside of work and school, I enjoy drawing and painting, making and listening to music, writing poetry, competing in chess, and most recently, getting my motorcycle license. Some of my favorite books are RebeccaFrankenstein (1818 version), and The Catcher in the Rye.

Web Editor

Audrey Juergens

Hi everyone, I’m Audrey. I am the Web Editor for DePaul’s Blue Book. I am also the Assistant Director of the DePaul Publishing Institute, which is home to DePaul’s many publications, including the wonderful Blue Book!

 

Book Designer

Natalie Mills Bontumasi

Hi! I have been a designer in Chicago for many, many years. My company, Good Thomas Design, focuses especially on non-profit organizations and small businesses. I love my work: the collaborative aspect of it, and that it is both visual and verbal. I have been surrounded by books my whole life, so it’s a pleasure to design them. My work is included in the Chicago Design Archive. I like to read, dance, go to the theater and play cello. 

 

Editor 

Chris Solís Green

I’m the author of four books of poetry: The Sky Over Walgreens, Epiphany School, Résumé, and Everywhere West. My poetry has appeared in such publications as Poetry, The New York Times, and Prairie Schooner. I’m also a founding editor of Big Shoulders Books whose mission is to disseminate, free of charge, quality works of writing by and about Chicagoans whose voices might not otherwise be heard. I’ve edited four anthologies including I Remember: Chicago Veterans of War and American Gun: A Poem by 100 Chicagoans. I’m currently editing Chicago Mosaic: Immigration Stories of Objects Left, Lost, or Kept. I teach in the English Department at DePaul University. More information can be found at

www.chrissolisgreen.com