|
Magazine to publish works
SCSU's Upper Mississippi Harvest, the annual literary magazine, has reaped a bountiful work of poetry, short fiction and photography from 22 students.
"A very exciting issue, a very strong issue," said faculty adviser Sally Jo Sorensen. "It all (creative work) comes together (in the Harvest)."
The literary magazine's sections � poetry, short fiction and photography � each have distinct personalities."
"For the poetry," Sorensen said, "the voices seem very distinctive, the content is provocative � there's more potential.
"For the short stories," Sorensen said, "there's a wide range � a variety of voices and styles, healthy liveliness, very fresh."
John Gilder, whose work was chosen for the literary arts magazine, writes poetry, "because I love to write it."
Gilder's poems in the magazine are: "Running on Empty," "Throws of Passion" and "U.S. Prime."
Although "it might be wishful thinking," Gilder said and believes, "more poetry is being read more and more."
As a teaching assistant in the English Department, what Gilder likes most of the task is "encouraging new writers to discover talent and use it well."
Gilder encourages everyone on campus to submit writing. "Then we could put out another publication," he said.
Ann Waldum is another student who has her poetry in the 2002 Upper Mississippi Harvest. Called "Sparkling Constellations," Waldum wrote the poem for "my dad's birthday � the memory I had of him doing maple syrup."
Waldum said Bill Meissner and Jerry Wellik are two professors that have huge inspiration to her.
Since she's started taking classes at SCSU, Waldum has vastly expanded her reading of poetry.
After reading Langston Hughes' poetry for the last few years, Waldum favors it over others.
This year marks 100 years since Hughes was born. He has been chosen by poetry societies, such as Academy of American Poetry and Poetry Society of America, as the poet of the year.
Sorensen said Hughes' poem "Let America be America Again" might showcase why he was chosen.
The poem, said Sorensen, "brings everyone back in again and acknowledges that everybody has a past."
Exposure to poets and their poetry might be similar to learning and liking that certain band that records a CD for fans to listen to.
"Each poem has a unique style," said Waldum, "but after reading more and more poems of a poet, you pick out how they must be that poet's work."
Waldum, who also judges, sees that (the process) grows every year. "Over 200 poems and over 30 short stories were submitted."
Waldum said, "(Showing your work of art) is an important way to express yourself. And there's a level of pride that comes out."
Although Andy Brick judged the previous two years to the current edition, this year he took off from this role, and submitted poems and a short fiction to be judged. His poems, "My Tongue Spoke" and "Your Father: so like a god," and short fiction, "Old Man at the Laundromat," were chosen for publication.
Brick remembers his judging years. "There's more than one judge. There's a panel of judges � all subjective to style, tone or subject matter.
"The only reason it would be objective, if there isn't a consistent pattern or technique in the design of the poem," Brick said.
Brick enjoys writing and takes personal satisfaction in it. He thanks his teachers for inspiration.
Besides continuing to write as a way to get better, Brick recognizes reading also as necessary.
"You recognize what is good. (Reading other people's works) helps me see what good writing is," Brick said.
Brick's favorites are Brothers' Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
"My style is still developing," said Brick. "I like surrealism and everything I have written has an element of that in it."
Brick also characterizes himself as "a reserved writer � not proactive or blatant."
In a press release, editor John Quijano stated the new "'Harvest will be out in April."
The release of the literary magazine will be quite the ordeal, too.
"We're going to have a launch party at the Write Place to celebrate National Poetry Month and let the campus know about the talented writers and artists among us," Quijano said.
Pick up an issue in April � there's one for every student.
"It's a hot issue," said Sorensen.
Tom Meyer can be reached at: [email protected]
|
|
|
|
|
|
