Story by Leanne Stahulak
Photos provided by their respective organizations
Miami’s campus contains no shortage of creative producers — writers, artists, photographers, designers and more — and thus no shortage of student-produced creative works. We at MQ decided that this plethora of original content should be celebrated, so we sat down with the representatives of a few publications to find out how they contribute to campus life. Each magazine or journal represents an integral part of Miami’s community, sharing student work that deserves to be recognized and applauded. Read on to see how these three publications came to be and how their published pieces represent the bold and creative minds on campus.
Happy Captive Magazine:
About eight years ago, Happy Captive was nothing more than the pipe dream of a few graduating English majors as a potential senior capstone project. They passed that dream of creating a tangible literary magazine on, forming an organization that met and planned for two to three years. In spring 2015, Issue I of Happy Captive finally hit the bookstands.
Current editor-in-chief Anna Maltbie, a senior English lit, professional writing, and economics major, emphasized how the magazine focuses on relatable, underground narratives that merit a chance in the spotlight.
“Our tagline is no story left untold,” Maltbie said. “Whenever we get a piece…we’re always looking for the story inside of it.”
Even if an author submits a beautifully written poem or short fiction, if there’s no vital story to it, the magazine will pass on publishing it.
Happy Captive also prides itself on its blind reading process. All works go through Maltbie first, who checks that submissions are free of any identifying information before she passes them onto the readers. Members also forgo submitting their own works for publication, focusing instead on outside student submission so that underrepresented writers have a chance to showcase their work.
“There's a lot of diversity at Miami University,” Maltbie said. “It's not always immediately visible, but every person has their own story about what they're doing, and they have their own ideas on their own lives that they are living. So we really want to make that very visible to everyone.”
And as for the name “Happy Captive,” Maltbie gives credit to that group of brainstorming and dreaming seniors.
“[The name] kinda came out of the idea that authors are captivated by their writing, and they're happy prisoners, so it’s kinda got that duality,” Maltbie said.
Have a story you’d like to put out into the world? Shoot Happy Captive an email at happycaptivemagazine@gmail.com. And be sure to visit their website www.happycatpivemagazine.com for more information about the magazine, the team members, and the submission process.
Effusions Student Journal:
While other student publications will publish a mix of art and writing, Effusions Student Journal is sponsored and run by the Miami University Art Department and its students. Started under dele jegede, chair of the department from 2005-2010, Effusions focuses on art-related works and writing.
“We’re dedicated to publishing student art and either historical research or creative writing,” said Diana Karasanow, editor-in-chief of the journal. “And so we target artists on campus, whether that be in the art department or the college of creative arts or outside of that.”
Majoring in art history and arts management, senior Karsanow has worked with Effusions since her freshman year, when her professor encouraged her to attend a meeting. Now, four years later, she’s the one promoting students inside and outside of the art department to submit to the journal.
Artists don't need to adopt a certain style or format to submit — Effusions prefers to publish a motley group of pieces in their annual issue. Karsanow pointed out that the journal doesn’t follow a strict theme with its published works, but goes by the look and feel of the pieces submitted.
“We’re not looking for a specific type [of art], it’s more just things that we feel like express the student and their talent,” Karsanow said. “Every one who submits has to also include an artist statement explaining what the piece is and what motivated them, and also their history in the arts.”
And for the lucky student whose artwork is selected for the cover, Effusions will feature them in an “Artist Spotlight” for that issue.
But Karsanow doesn’t want non-arts majors to worry about their works not being considered — Effusions is meant to highlight all student work, not just art produced by the department.
“We take all majors, all years, all mediums, so it’s very open and every year it's different,” Karsanow said.
Want your art to be featured? Send it over to mueffusions@gmail.com or check out their website at www.effusions.lib.miamioh.edu for more info about the team and previous published works.
Inklings Arts & Letters:
As the oldest literary magazine on campus, Inklings has a proud history and legacy of publishing generations of quality work. Named for the famous reading group featuring C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien, Inklings focuses on experimental and revolutionary pieces that showcase creativity and innovation in style.
“We really aim to uplift experimental work,” said senior creative writing and professional writing major Meg Matthias. “We look for things that push boundaries, surprise us and excite us.”
Matthias, who runs social media and marketing for Inklings, stressed how the publication focuses on aesthetics in writing and art as well as content. The members of the exec team consult their own aesthetic abilities when putting together the magazine, balancing out different styles and forms to see what creates a cohesive, engaging work.
“Inklings is a really great space for students to just learn more about their aesthetic abilities and what they want their art and writing to look like,” Matthias said, “and I think [they’re exposed to] more writing that's different from what they might see in a classroom.”
The publication publishes twice a year, once each semester, and the exec team meets weekly to go over that week’s submissions. For prose or poetry works, after ensuring there’s no identifying marks on the piece, a member will read it out loud to the whole group. Members will weigh the pros and cons of the piece, seeing where it’s successful and where it’s lacking. The art submissions are assessed slightly differently.
“The artwork...we spread them all over the floor, and when we’re ready to discuss, we talk about what [each piece] is doing formally, what it’s doing narratively, and again there’s pros and cons of the piece,” Matthias said.
Feel like you’ve got an aesthetic worth sharing? Artists, reach out to inklingsart@miamioh.edu. Writers, contact inklingswritings@miamioh.edu. And for anyone who has general questions or comments, check out their website www.inklingsartsandletters.wordpress.com or email them at inklings@miamioh.edu. Experimentation awaits.