zoëtrope

Well, while working at the Lensic the other day (a rather slow day) I perused grad programs online and realized what would be an excellent next move for me. Publishing! DUH! 

I got excited because I found a certificate program in Publishing at Harvard, but they're phasing it out! Ugh! 

However... there is an M.S. in Publishing at NYU, and that seems most likely and doable. I also saw programs at BU and Emerson. I definitely want to be on the East Coast. I'm sure there are other fine programs, but I haven't fully investigated this new avenue yet. 

This semester I was the co-editor of CSF's literary magazine, Glyph (the current issue's cover is posted here). Although it was a crazy, hectic and often times frustrating experience, I really do value every minute I spent creating it. I was so pleased when I was chosen to co-edit the magazine, as editing has always been something I was good at and enjoyed. I also don't get that many leadership opportunities, and it was fun to be in charge. :) My co-editor, Rex, also worked really hard on the endeavor. (He, unfortunately, had put up with me being a bossy, madwoman! Hah). We didn't always get along during the process, but the outcome was really great. Not only had we created a tangible book with great writing on its pages, but we also formed a friendship. Yay!

Creating Glyph was extremely time consuming. We only had 'til February something to complete the whole thing, and we only started choosing the work late January. Scheduling was nuts! 95% of my time was spent doing something for the magazine in that month. All other school work took a backseat. 

Rex and I, and the Glyph class, and Robin and Don, the Glyph professors, had to choose what work would get in the magazine. Then the chosen work went to copy editors, proof readers, etc. and then finally back to Rex and I for our final eyes. There was also event planning, ad-getting, designing and assembling that had to take place. 

The best part of the process, I think, and I believe Rex would agree, was getting to work directly with the authors of the chosen work. Rex took the prose writers, I the poets, and we met and discussed edits and revisions. While I met with my authors, I realized how much I enjoy talking about writing and helping people improve their own without being too directive. I think this process really ensures the quality of the work going into the publication. 

Several trips to Sunstone Press (the publishers) were made where Rex and I thought we were finished, and then we were sent back to fix formatting issues. Finally we worked everything out, we waited, and then we received proofs. 

When the finished copies of the magazine were distributed in Glyph class, I was not notified to come to class that day, and I didn't get my first copy until the following afternoon. I got a few texts from people in the class telling me I had missed out. Boo. I wish I'd have been there for that moment. But when I got my hands on my copy of the magazine I beamed with pride. This was like my child, I had birthed this thing, this beautiful magazine. 

Then there was the Glyph event, Glyph's 21st birthday party, the unveiling. Rex and I played emcee and we also both read our work, as we'd both received prizes that the Creative Writing professors award to a select few of the writers in Glyph. I got honorable mention in poetry and Rex got 2nd place fiction prize. We introduced each other as well as the other readers--writing intro's isn't as easy as one may think. 

After the reading we all headed over to O'Shaughnessy for the party--food, dancing, smoking cigarettes with professors! What a great night!

It was a great relief to have the magazine completed. I had done the same thing in high school: editor in chief of Prism. I look back at that thing and see how much I have grown as a writer and editor. How I have grown as a human. Nevertheless, I am proud of both publications. 

Back to the main point of this post... So Publishing seems like the right field to enter into. I will go and get that MFA in Writing someday, but for now, Publishing seems practical and interesting. Hopefully I can bust out some decent GRE scores and get into one of these programs! Wish me luck!