Almost every magazine at the local newsstand has stories about either weight loss and the latest celebrity gossip (amid too-skinny models advertising expensive makeup) or global tragedies that are important to know about but hard to confront. Online, as well, outlets for young adults (specifically girls) seem to be all about getting thin and trending scandals. For these reasons and so many more, Rookie is such a special and admirable resource for teens, young adults and women in their early twenties.

Founded by Tavi Gevinson in 2011, Rookie is an “independently-run online magazine and book series” that publishes “writing, photography and other forms of artwork by and for teenagers (and their cohorts of any age!)” Now 19 years old, Tavi is still editor in chief of Rookie, and even as she nears “adulthood” (whatever that is), she is committed to keeping this outlet as one for young girls. She shared this when speaking at a panel at the Book Con in New York City, called “Girls Online/Girls IRL: Young Women in the New Media” this past summer).

While waiting for the panel Tavi Gevinson participated in this summer, I sat with my dad showing him what Rookie is and why it’s so important to me. A nearby audience member overheard, tweeted about it to Tavi, then Tavi retweeted it. I know the tweet is about us because my dad happened to be the only dad there.

Book Con. Tavi Gevinson is on the far right.

I started reading Rookie last fall after seeing Gevinson in the Broadway play "This Is Our Youth." I was waiting at the stage door after the show and noticed a few girls holding “Rookie Yearbooks” and Sharpies in their jittery hands. When Tavi appeared, they gushed over how inspiring and important Rookie was to them, so as soon as I got home I began to look into this beautiful magazine. Rookie Yearbooks are essentially anthologies of selected Rookie content from the previous calendar year, ranging from personal essays, Tavi’s inspiring monthly editor’s letters and comics to celebrity interviews that make these well-known people realistic and, well, human. (I have Yearbook Three at home and cannot wait for Yearbook Four to hit the bookshelves on October 20th!)

The categories!

I read Rookie on the web every day, as it’s updated with new content three times every week day and once a day on weekends. What drew me to Rookie and what gets me to hit refresh on its website every day, is how honest the content is about things as broad as the shared human experience to things like extremely specific emotions in many different forms of media. Advice pieces, personal essays, Sunday comics, “eye candy” (photography, collaging and other art forms), open diary entries, “Ask a Grown Man” videos and Friday playlists are only SOME of the amazing contributions to Rookie that make the publication so unique and relatable. Every month is a different “theme” that is shared in Tavi’s letter from the editor. Despite content pertaining to a specific theme, a plethora of common issues and relevant topics are tackled every month, from self-care and mental health/illness to dealing with death and racism.

Some of the recent monthly themes!

Another aspect of Rookie that strikes me is how positive the content is; I don’t mean in a shoving-unrealistically-optimistic-advice way, but in a self-accepting, light and understanding way. Reading the narratives contributed to Rookie by “Rookie” writers is like reading pages of their own diaries. The honesty and empathy that shines through every piece connects the readers not only to the writers, but to each other, by way of discussing the idiosyncrasies of the human experience, from struggling with identity down to just awkward situations. As a writer (and reader), personal essay and memoir are my favorite genres and the fact that there is such a strong emphasis on the idea of personal experience and capital-T Truth is really exciting to see, especially since these genres are often not as valued as they should be. Whether or not I can directly relate to what I’m reading, each writer's strong voice and heartfelt words make every piece not only enjoyable but also a learning experience.

Just over the past couple weeks, RookieMag.com has gone through some major updates in terms of website organization and categories! The new website format has been introduced, and it makes past issues and the 15 categories way more accessible, and a new weekly activity has been introduced. Sept. 1 marks the “first in an ongoing series of activities for your inspiration zone,” which will consist of prompts that give Rooks (Rookie readers) the opportunity to create and submit interpretations. Along with the description of the first activity, Rookie promises to “display some of the sparkling gems of creativity you mined from your brains after the previous week’s prompt and will give you a brand new prompt” every week. Rookie will also be posting more than three times per day from now on.

Despite Rookie being designed for young girls, a lot of the content a is completely applicable to adults of any gender. This, I believe, is because the high quality of the content presented in Rookie Mag is grounded in acceptance, individuality, and inspiration.

Thank you, Tavi, the editorial staff, and the wonderful Rookie writers/contributors who offer such a dazzlingly inspirational magazine.