The Third Book of the Bible: The Prophet Echo
Some of the best collections of literature came from illustrious colleges, beautiful cabins, and from the cathedrals of intellects. The Echo Literary Magazine did not quite have such a prestigious hearth, but it was enthralled with the same passion and love for literature that carried it so far.
Once upon a time, in the armpit of a Florida high school, the Echo was born. Under the wing of John Eric Vona, shakespeare mug owner and spaceship extraordinaire (idk he writes sci-fi) the best creative writing students banded together to create a literary magazine. Named after the greek muse Echo by a boy known for his soundcloud rapper brother, it was destined for success.
But alas, the Echo had very little time to be together, and very little funding. PTA moms weren’t the most inclined to sponsor a room filled with dyed hair and weird hats. We came out with a few magazines still beloved to this day, but we wanted more.
Lit mags are like drugs. You start with one a year, and then two a year, and all of the sudden your thirty minute a month club is an hour long a day class, alive with people scurrying everywhere.
And still, creative genes coursed through the class period, and we came out with more than just magazines. Terribly organized haunted houses, horror podcasts, and parody news shows were just a few of the special sauces we brewed: the biggest being SatirEcho. SatirEcho was a student produced parody of the morning show at school- and eventually grew into What The Florida: starring Florida Man. Unfortunately, this news was too powerful for those around us, so it didn’t last long.
The antics didn’t end with projects. Incidents like The Great Glitter Bombing brought the Echo closer together (and everyone else farther away). We’ve followed our arch nemesis- the Narcissus to our Echo- the yearbook club, to their conventions. On one of the most notable days, we wore Echo shirts that read “Submissive and Readable.” The hosts of this convention found us delightful!
While the yearbook is jealous of our coolness and swagness, others have been enthusiastic to sponsor us. Poets, musicians, and other assorted attention lovers have joined us at open mics we’ve hosted, kindly donating to our magazine.
And yet, a supportive school community wasn’t enough. In 2021, the Echo eventually spread its wings and allowed people from all around the world to submit. After adequate brainwashing, the Echo has received writing and art from many countries: such as Nigeria, Poland, Singapore, and the Phillippines.
The Echo will never be pompous. It won’t be the Gettysburg Review, and it won’t take literary elitism to new heights. But it’s crafted with the unique passion of teen writers, to give a voice to people like them.