In an intellectual wilderness where young voices are too often neglected, a voice cries out: “The New Critic,” a new independent literary journal serving as a catalyst for discourse among America’s youth. Founders Tessa Augsberger ’26, Rufus Knuppel ’26 and Elan Kluger ’26 partnered with Swarthmore College junior Milla Ben-Ezra to establish this outlet for critical expression. The first publication of The New Critic, titled “Pulling the Veil from the Void” by Knuppel, was released on May 5.
“Our goal with The New Critic is to empower young writers to write the pieces they want to read,” Augsberger explained. “We are politically neutral as a publication, but we want our writers to express their political, social, cultural and personal opinions freely.”
This commitment to open expression is in response to broader challenges young writers face. Augsberger blamed institutional judgement for the scarcity of meaningful literature published by college-aged individuals.
“It is not the fault of today’s youth,” she said. “Such responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of those who call young writers naïve and untried in the wizened old eyes of the world. But students in the 1960s were not starry-eyed, and we are not starry-eyed now.”
Augsberger described the journal as one that “demands honesty” from writers and will “induce [their] readers into honesty in turn.”
Augsberger and Knuppel developed the idea for the journal earlier this spring while visiting friends at other universities. After spending time with Ben-Ezra at Swarthmore, Augsberger drafted a personal essay documenting a feeling of “collegiate malaise” attributed to intellectual stagnance.
“At our individual schools, we tend to forget that college, not on its surface but at its essence, is a universal experience. So is youth,” Knuppel said.
Building on this reflection, he explained how technology has complicated the sense of connection that should define such a universal experience. He shared his frustration with the insular and restrictive nature of American college life as a result of social media, explaining how young people today are “considered naïve and local” for becoming so dependent on it.
“Their lives and their criticism mattered to my own,” he said. “Graduated adults possess established, national channels for their ideas and debate — young people, not so much.”
The two were inspired to address that disconnect.
“We needed to create a pulpit for the young writer, brimming with enthusiasm and argument, that respects their youth and values — without qualification — our generation’s internal discourse,” Knuppel said.
The two pitched the idea of the journal to Kluger and Ben-Ezra, who agreed to help bring it into existence.
The New Critic has already published three essays in its short lifespan. “Pulling the Veil from the Void” by Knuppel, examines the epidemic of digital dependency. The second article, titled “Two-State Friendship” by Kluger and Ramsey Alsheikh ’26 explores how their friendship thrives despite their political differences. The most recent essay, “From the Mouth of the Flytrap” by Swarthmore College junior Eva Murillo, dissects the stigma around sex.
Although the journal does not draw on any pre-existing publications for its structure, Kluger shared other literary magazines that exemplify the young, insightful engagement he hopes The New Critic encapsulates.
“We do not have any direct models,” he said, “but the early Commentary magazine serves as a model of youthful vigor transformed into intellectual acuity. Their early writers are our current lodestars. Substack has changed the game — The Metropolitan Review is an example for us of how Substack can enable the creation of an intellectual scene.”
Augsberger said that Substack is a convenient forum for The New Critic.
“It’s an accessible interface that’s both user and creator-friendly,” Augsberger explained. “The relative newness of the platform also makes it a great vehicle for attracting young writers.”
Ben-Ezra described the journal’s ideal submissions from young writers to be ones that are “engaging, dynamic, relevant and personal on some level.”
“We’re looking for essays that discuss pertinent issues — argumentative essays with strong themes that the writer really cares about,” Ben-Ezra said. “What’s affecting America’s youth today? What tensions are confronting us as we navigate this transition between youth and adulthood? The essays should have an argument or central opinion.”
Though The New Critic just began publishing earlier this month, Augsberger, Ben-Ezra, Knuppel and Kluger hope to build enough momentum to release new material twice weekly. The four also hope to establish a legacy through the journal — one that future contributors will continue long after the founders themselves have graduated.
“I think the goal is that the journal will be self-sustaining,” Ben-Ezra said. “A new generation of undergraduates will feel inspired to take the journal into their own hands and continue providing a platform for undergraduate thought and writing.”
In the end, their aim is to “incubate the great writing of our generation,” and, as Kluger explained, to “change the world.”
“Nothing less would be false modesty,” he said.
Tessa Augsberger ’26, Elan Kluger ’26 and Ramsey Alsheikh ’26 write for the mirror section, the opinion section and serve as an opinion staff columnist, respectively, for The Dartmouth. None were involved in the writing or production of this article.
