editors speak

KidSpirit Magazine
Elizabeth Dabney Hochman, Editor-In-Chief

This month Kid Magazine Writers welcomes Elizabeth Dabney Hochman, editor in chief of KidSpirit Magazine. This unique little magazine is written for and by young people, ages 11 to 15 and encourages connections with other kids to think about deeper concerns than what celebrities wear and do. We’re delighted to learn more about this great new magazine. Also, I know some of the KidMagWriters readers are in the KidSpirit age group, so I’m happy to bring out information about a new market opportunity for this part of our readership – see guys, we’re listening!

KMW: Thank you for joining KidMagWriters this month. I’m always so excited when I see new magazines for kids and yours is certainly unique. I encourage everyone to rush over and check it out – though be sure to read this interview first!
EDH: Thanks for including us in your web site--we really appreciate it!

KMW: Now, I've read your mission statement and welcome message. How do you see KidSpirit as different from other spiritual magazines for kids? Is it primarily in the involvement OF kids, or do you really see it going much deeper?
EDH: I am unaware of any other spiritual magazine for young people that shares our mission. We are reaching out to an underserved age-group, namely 11 to 15 year olds, and providing a forum for them to engage each other on life's big questions in an open and explicitly unaffiliated way. To my knowledge, that has not been done before. Three major elements set KidSpirit apart: one is that it is created by and for kids, that we have an open submission process and the ongoing involvement of an all-kid editorial board. The second unusual aspect of our publication is that we don't advertise and are a non-profit. We felt that advertising would detract from our non-commercial message and spiritual focus. Finally, for young teens all over the world to be able to express their ideas about deep questions in a non-affiliated context is remarkable. Our hope is that kids from families that do not belong to a religious community, as well as those who do, will want to share their perspectives and create an expanding circle of mutual respect, support and understanding.

KMW: What surprises have you gotten from starting a magazine -- I know no matter how much we prepare for starting something like this, there are always surprises!
EDH: I have been amazed at how, through the Internet, people are hearing about KidSpirit and subscribing from every part of the country. That this magazine is appealing to a broad range of people is very exciting and confirms our biggest hope—that KidSpirit might be meaningful to kids from every walk of life.

KMW: Do you work with young people who submit something you like but maybe need a little help to get it completely to the level of quality or would you just hunt through submissions for the piece that's ready to run?
EDH: A big part of what makes KidSpirit special is that submitting a piece is a fun and interactive process. No matter what shape the writing may be in at the beginning, every submission that we can print goes through several rounds of revisions with the Editorial Board. When it goes to press, our contributors naturally feel proud of their work, but more importantly, they have grown from the process itself.

KMW: What do you like to see most in a submission? Do you have an age range for young writers?
EDH: Our young writers range from nine to sixteen, but most are somewhere in the middle. Several things catch our eye in a submission. First, we look for a clear passion on the part of the writer to communicate something that matters to them. We are always drawn to a creative approach to our themes and sense that the writer shows some interest in the details of writing: organization, sentence structure and spelling. These things don't need to be perfect, but we want to see some attention to detail in the article, as well as the commitment on the part of the writer in participating in a process with the Editorial Board prior to publication.

KMW: I see that you accept both email and postal submissions from young people -- do you have a preference?
EDH: Not at all—we are excited to receive submissions in any format.

KMW: Do you ever use anything by adults? If so, what sorts of things?
EDH: Yes, in each issue we invite one or two adults who have demonstrated both a particular expertise in our theme and a commitment to an inclusive perspective. In our issue Roots of Spirit, theologian Matthew Fox wrote about the interfaith roots of spirit and Tribal Elder Clifford Duncan shared a Ute creation myth. For our current issue, Spirit & Materialism, Tibetan Buddhist teacher Lama Surya Das addressed the apparent dichotomy of materialism and the spirit, while Christa Reynolds shared the story of how she created an interfaith board game called "Enlighten." Our next issue, Myth and Meaning will include an article by renowned mythologist Jonathan Young.

KMW: How often does KidSpirit come out?
EDH: KidSpirit comes out quarterly in September, December, March and June.

KMW: Have you developed any dreams for the future of KidSpirit?
EDH: In general, we hope that KidSpirit will be read by an increasing number of kids in this country, and ultimately around the world. We feel that the web enable us to reach kids in all corners of the globe and one day we would love to be able to harness the power of the web to put kids in dialogue with each other in real time through our web site. We would also love to have the opportunity to get kids, both religious and not, to share their thoughts and deepest ideals with each other in a KidSpirit Summit.

KMW: Thanks again for sharing with us. KidSpirit sounds like a fantastic new magazine. I like any magazine that encourages kids to think instead of just telling them what to think – I hope KidSpirit reaches around the world.

This page last updated on 01 October 2008