Leave This Song Behind: Teen Poetry at Its Best

It's been 10 years since the last book in the Teen Ink series Written in the Dirt was published. Now, a whole new batch of teen writers has emerged with their own unique voices. Leave This Song Behind features the best poetry submitted by those writers to Teen Ink over the last five years.

The pieces in this book were chosen because they were so powerful that they stood out from the rest. Teen Ink editors took a deep look into each poem's strengths then divided Leave This Song Behind into seven sections based on the poetic techniques or qualities that moved them most. Vivid sensory details made some poems shine; others caught their attention with simple, sparse language. Still others were chosen because of their thoughtful use of form; compelling stories; strong figurative language; unexpected connections and wit; and fresh writing about familiar topics.

Dig in and let these brave young voices capture your heart and mind with their passion, their pain, and their amazing poetry

Adam Halwitz, Teen Ink’s book development editor, joined the magazine’s staff in 2007. As an intern and later an assistant editor, he’s read and evaluated thousands of teens’ poetry submissions. He graduated from Marlboro College in 2014 with a degree in philosophy and writing. John Meyer, with his wife, Stephanie, founded the nonprofit Young Authors Foundation, which publishes TeenInk.com and Teen Ink, the national monthly print magazine that has showcased the work of 65,000 teens since 1989. Stephanie Meyer, with her husband, John, founded the nonprofit Young Authors Foundation, which publishes TeenInk.com and Teen Ink, the national monthly print magazine that has showcased the work of 65,000 teens since 1989. Cindy W. Spertner, associate editor, has been working for Teen Ink magazine for seven years. With a background in education and an MA in writing and publishing from Emerson College, she is thrilled to be immersed in great writing and helping to make a positive difference in the lives of teens.