After much contemplation about a proper use of the frustratingly excessive amount of thoughts constantly swirling throughout my overly analytical, obsessive mind, I’ve come to an interesting conclusion. I’ve decided to begin an online zine/collective. The Odyssey will be written by teenagers, dedicated to teenagers, and edited by me, yet again, a teenager. I possess myriad dreams. Myriad ambitions. Too easily, these ambitions muddle into one another, confuse me, and it becomes quite difficult to combine all of these numerous ideas into a united project. Here, I hope to achieve this unity. I hope to allow anyone experiencing the strangeness of adolescence, of any gender, to feel uninhibited, free to express their opinions, share their art in whatever way they wish to. Primarily, I hope to cultivate a safe space, one in which we talk about things that often go ignored or possess misconceptions surrounding them, such as intersectional feminism, literature, mental illness, and, more generally, adolescence.

Teenagers lack appreciation, so often, too often, and we pay for it. We are constantly and repeatedly invalidated, discredited, and insulted because of an arbitrary thing such as our age. We are told to talk less, to be unconditionally complacent, often in our own dehumanization. We are told to go through these mind-numbing motions, of high school, of “growing up”, and we too often forget who we are underneath all of it. We forget who we are underneath the set path adults repeatedly teach us we must follow.

The name “Odyssey” comes from the famed Homeric epic, the Odyssey. I am an enormous fan of Homer, but, more so, the name is fitting because of its other definition: a long series of wanderings or adventures,especially when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc. I believe in reconstructing the path we’ve been expected to follow without question. I believe that every single human has their own odyssey, and in adolescence, we’re caught up in one of the most confusing and strange ones of our lives.

I believe that teenagers possess infinite amounts of power, of insight, of innovation. I cannot help but need to create a space to allow all of it to thrive. I cannot help but need to create a space where we can, without fear, be heard.

This is the beginning of something, what that is, I’m not 100% sure, but, it is something. I thank you, an infinite amount, to contributing to this something with me.

Our first issue’s theme will be LOST. Interpret it as you like. Submit to theodysseyzine@gmail.com. Writing, art, music, everything.

Thank you.

–Sofia 

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