Dear readers, Our school is made up of thousands of students, each with a unique and interesting background. We have people who have lived in the same home since they were born and others who have moved to a new country every three years. Yet, we have all found our way to this one school in this one state in this immense and ever-changing world. McLean High School is the common thread that ties all of our backgrounds, entwines all of our futures, and unites all of our creations. In this year’s edition of The Tartan literary magazine, we wanted to showcase those connections. We wanted to explore how the flickering light of a sparkler can find its way into a poem about anger, how a satirical piece on social media can be juxtaposed with the melancholy hues of blue and yellow acrylic paint, how three camels walking in the desert can move with a poem’s transition from Hebrew to English. Each piece we hand selected for our publication reveals a glimpse into the life of one of our community members and connects it to the work of another, a theme underscored by the lines reaching from one page to the next. We hope that you too connect to the words on the page, to the illustrations in print, and to the message that laces our paths together.
With Love,
The Tartan
