Illustrations, poems and prose – oh my!
The Phoenix Literary Art Magazine celebrated its fall publication with their bi-annual Phoenix Showcase hosted in the Mary Greer Room in John C. Hodges Library Thursday night. The student-run operation includes a semester’s worth of poems, drawings, artistic achievements and photographs.
Shelby Stringfield, editor-in-chief of the Phoenix, said she believed the finished product was a success despite the rapid production pace.
“We took the first half of the semester to collect the works published in the magazine,” Stringfield said. “It was a bit frenzied, to be honest.”
Published on campus for 56 consecutive years, the magazine is a commemoration of the work of university students and staff.
“I think the Phoenix captures this campus unlike any other publication is able to, simply because it is the summation of an entire semester’s work and effort,” Stringfield said. “It’s a great way to look back in time and say, ‘I was with these people and this is what we created.'”
Eric Smith, the Phoenix’s faculty advisor, agreed, saying the publication captures how students and staff feel at this specific point in their lives.
“It’s there forever,” Smith said. “For young students, it’s very exciting to be a part of and very important just for the university to have the Phoenix.”
Writers and artists who are published in the Phoenix once rarely have a chance of getting published in the magazine a second time due to the constant turnover amongst contributors. Smith said this makes the selection process very “thoughtful and thorough.”
“We had lots of quality material,” he said, “and I’m really proud of the staff for doing very well in selecting these works.”
Stringfield explained the process a little further, stating that, after extending the deadline for submissions twice, the Phoenix staff met up two times during the semester to determine which pieces would be included.
At the showcase, several students recited and explained their poems and artwork. Taylor Klock, artist and poet of “Metamorphosis,” a painting with a companion poem, explained her process for creating art.
“Most of my work starts off as a sketch, then sometimes I find out that I like it more and more,” Klock said.
This fall, the Phoenix magazine contains contains three fictional works, seven poems and 15 art and photography pieces.
Ultimately, Stringfield said the the importance of the Showcase is to further bolster the stories behind the works.
“It’s very special for those who come to hear and understand, because it’s more than just looking at the magazine,” Stringfield said.
The Phoenix Literary Art Magazine can be picked up at several on-campus locations. To get a copy of the fall 2014 edition of the Phoenix, readers are advised to call Student Publications at (865) 974-4504.
Stringfield is also requesting editor and staff applications. She can be contacted at [email protected] for further information.
