some magazine reviews from utne

If you've ever eyed a Dumpster with more than just a twinge of curiosity or despair at what discarded valuables may lay inside, the Fall trash issue of LOUDmouth contains a few tips you might want to thumb through before going scavenging. Aside from the tutorial on "Why Trash is Your Friend," and other literal Dumpster stories, the latest issue of the quarterly zine, published by the Women's Resource Center at California State University, provides a forum to challenge its readers on waste more figuratively conceived. Liz Ohanesian laments that "[w]e are treating bands like the fad accessories of our junior-high years," while Fabiola Sandoval, who works for a nonprofit housing developer, touts revitalizing LA without throwing out poorer members of the community. -- Jenna Fisher

"This is written by teens?" was my first thought upon reading a piece in the issue of New Youth Connections that just landed in our library. This New York newsprint magazine, started in 1980, comes out seven times during the school year and is edited by young journalism professionals. Reading through the September/October issue I was impressed with the scope of issues and the quality of writing. An article by Daniela Castillo traces the reaction of teenagers in New York City to two teens hanged for being gay in Iran, while Gamal Jones reports in "Harlem's Hazards" on a day spent with a nonprofit fighting environmental racism in northern Manhattan. -- Jenna Fisher