Virginia Plummer, Washington Academy’s English Department chair, announced that WA’s literary magazine, Silver Quill, has received national recognition for its excellence in writing and presentation by the National Council of Teachers of English. The Silver Quill is one of only two student literary magazines in Maine to receive this national recognition. The cover artwork entitled "Windmill" was created by Yvonne Cheng.

The Council judged the publication on its extremely high quality of writing; the inclusion of a variety of genres; meticulous editing; some writings from other subject areas; attractive design and graphics, pertinent to the writings; and students having strong roles in editorial, production, and business aspects.

The 2009 Silver Quill was staffed by Allison Talbot, Editor-in-Chief; Courtney Pearson and Tom Wood, Literary Editors; Arianna Sanborn, Yide Yan, and Lara Balmert, Business and Advertising; Sam Gaddis and Tyler Holt, Graphic Editors; and Virginia Plummer, Faculty Advisor. Patrons supporting the production included Douglas and Lisa Holmes, Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant, Machias Savings Bank, Bluebird Motel, Inc., Yan Yufeng, Eva Kelley, Edward Hennessey and Traci Sanborn, Samuel Gaddis, Mr. Terrill, Mr. Windsor, Whiting Village Store, and Nancy and Deke Talbot. Many thanks are extended to Mrs. Paula Maker and Mrs. Felicia Avery for their support.

Yvonne Cheng, a senior at Washington Academy, holds the nationally recognized, award-winning
Silver Quill that boasts her pen and ink drawing entitled “Windmill.”

The Silver Quill first began publication in 1991 and has not missed a year since. The 2010 publication, due out this Spring, is accepting submissions from students as well as faculty. Copies of the magazine are $3 each.

This year’s editor-in-chief is Lacie Craven ’10.

The following is an excerpt from the award winning 2009 Silver Quill:

Where is Tomorrow? By Alex Foster
 
All quiet
Bare silk
Silhouetted
In silence
And absence of light
Cast gray
Shadows for tyrants
Ashen rain
Falls swift
On lofty wings
Of sorrow
Piled high
On hollow men
Where is tomorrow?
And where is tomorrow?
I say
It was lost within
Today