• About
  • Advertising
  • History
  • Staff
  • Contact

The Andersonian

The Anderson University Student Newspaper

Anderson University’s Student Newspaper

  • Campus News
  • Audio
  • Features
  • Arts & Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
  • COVID-19
You are here: Home / Campus News / Poetry class creating magazine of classwork

Poetry class creating magazine of classwork

November 15, 2017 by Christina Nesslage

In a semester-long project by the students of a creative writing poetry class, aspiring authors are creating a magazine of their own poetry.

The magazine, which will be released digitally in December, is an assignment from Professor Deborah Miller-Fox, assistant professor of English. The magazine is the first one of its kind.

Although Miller-Fox has given a similar assignment in a previous semester, the current class is contributing to one larger work. Each student contributes writings as well as in the setup of the magazine, whereas in the past small groups of students have created shorter compilations.

Based on each student’s skills and abilities, Miller-Fox assigned each of the twenty students to one of four teams: magazine layout, copy editing/selection, marketing/public relations or digital publishing.

“I gave direction and defined the scope and the categories of items that would be included, and I assigned students to different work teams based on their skills and interests,” Miller-Fox said. “But the students are controlling the actual content and organization of the magazine and its design—this really is a product of their talent and invention, not mine.”

The students on the selection and editing team decided which poems are being included in the magazine. Each of the students in the class submitted two of what they consider their best poems from their work this semester and the selection team chose the one that they believe is a better fit for the magazine.

All of the writing in the magazine comes from assignments that students completed during the course.

Abby Johnson, a senior English major, is the leader of poetry copy editing. She said that each of the poems is unique, but because they are coming from the same course, some poems were written to the same prompts. Still, there are unique differences between each poet and poem.

“From the poems that I’ve read that have been submitted, a lot of them have to do with themes of what it means to go to college, to be separate from your family,” Johnson said.

Kendra Martin, a senior double majoring in visual communications and writing, is the leader of the layout team. The layout team was responsible for assigning a theme that fit the poetry that had been submitted for inclusion. Because students were able to select any two poems from the semester, the focus of each poem varied.

“My team struggled at first with deciding on a theme,” Martin said. “Ultimately, we chose one of remembrance and nostalgia.” Many of the poems included are whimsical and provide a glimpse into moments past.

“I personally connect with this theme and hope others will too because of its duality,” Martin said. “Nostalgia can be full of healing, a celebration of what has shaped us into who we are or it can be darker in nature as we recall what has hindered us.”

The marketing and public relations team is led by Lane Webb, a junior English major. Webb explained that his team is working to show the student body that poetry is art.

He sees that a focus on clear and concise communication can turn people away from poetry.“I think that’s why people are being turned away from poetry—it’s kind of abstract, it’s not concise, it’s not direct,” Webb said.

For students who may not typically have an interest in poetry, this magazine may be a way to hear some of the voices of the campus.

“I think it always helps to exist in a community if you are aware of the voices from that community, even if they are voices you might not know,” Johnson said.

“It’s approachable yet highly meaningful. The emotions and effort are tangible, almost as though all of us wore our hearts on our sleeves for this project,” Martin said. “It’s worth looking into for anyone who enjoys a glimpse at the lives of the people on this campus, or anyone who enjoys creative expression.”

The course has focused on the generation of an original body of work as well as the analytical work of interpretation and the precise language to discuss poetry.

“We’ve spent a lot of time looking at what other accomplished writers have done and learning to discuss it in a way that is informed and analytical and exact,” Miller-Fox said. “Because the more [students] learn about how to examine someone else’s poem and recognize all of the different things that are happening in that piece, the more informed their own choices can be when they’re writing a poem.”

By learning from the poets who have shaped the art and have been favored by readers, students are then able to create their own poetry that readers will relate to.

“We have to be hospitable as writers and give our readers the keys so that they can unlock the house that is our poem, or the rooms inside that house,” Miller-Fox said. “Or give them a kind of map to teach them how to read our work, but we can also make that an intellectually challenging process so that people have to invest something.”

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Campus News, Top Stories Tagged With: has_image

Watch

Miles Morey discusses the long-awaited Bronze Ball victory, the baseball team’s double header against Manchester and the Rocket League’s progress.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Jacey Crawford and Jesse Hernández discuss campus restriction lifts, including reinstated events and student attendance for outdoor sports.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Video

Listen

Raven Watch 2020-12-07

On this episode of the Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan is joined by former Big Ten Player of the Year and Indiana Pacer Clark Kellogg as they discuss displaying your faith in sports, Clark’s career as a player and broadcaster and his game of “H.O.R.S.E.” with President Obama.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-12-03

On this episode, Jordan Yaney sits down with senior soccer player Drew Sonnefeldt to discuss his soccer career, trips to Europe, hobbies, and dreams of playing professional soccer

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-09-24

In the third Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan Yaney talks with Hannah Hawkins, a senior basketball player, about starting her freshman year 0-25, becoming more of a leader on the team and facing their one-on-one battle on the court freshman year. Thanks to our sponsor, the Folgate Agency. Please contact Steve Folgate for Allstate insurance and […]

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Raven Watch 2020-09-18

In the second-ever Raven Watch Podcast, Jordan Yaney talks with Kennedy Parker, a senior baseball player, about finding out last season was canceled while the team was in Florida, why he decided to come back for a fifth year and play and what he expects out of this year’s team.

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Audio

Follow

andersonianAndersonian@andersonian·
4 Apr

The Black Bird Film Festival will be held on April 28, with the red carpet rolling out at 6:15 p.m. and the screening beginning at 7:00 p.m. Read more about the annual event: https://andersonian.com/2021/04/03/cinema-students-prepare-for-annual-black-bird-film-festival/

Reply on Twitter 1378527146084302849Retweet on Twitter 13785271460843028495Like on Twitter 137852714608430284910Twitter 1378527146084302849
andersonianAndersonian@andersonian·
1 Apr

Students in our #1 nursing program in Indiana helped administer nearly 400 COVID-19 vaccines today to AU students, faculty and staff!

4
Reply on Twitter 1377724570229149700Retweet on Twitter 13777245702291497004Like on Twitter 137772457022914970025Twitter 1377724570229149700
Retweet on TwitterAndersonian Retweeted
AURavenWatchRaven Watch@AURavenWatch·
30 Mar

The new Raven Watch is up now!

Ravens football takes back the Bronze Ball after nearly a decade, baseball splits Sunday’s doubleheader against Manchester, and the Rocket League team continues to progress in the Collegiate Star League Playoffs.

https://andersonian.com/2021/03/30/raven-watch-2021-03-30/

Reply on Twitter 1376960731422330880Retweet on Twitter 13769607314223308802Like on Twitter 13769607314223308809Twitter 1376960731422330880
Load More...

The Andersonian, the student newspaper of Anderson University, Anderson, Ind., publishes a print edition and maintains this website. As a matter of institutional policy, the University administration does not review or edit Andersonian content prior to publication. The student editors are responsible for both print and online content. While the administration recognizes the role of the student press on a college campus and in journalism education, the views expressed in the Andersonian are not necessarily those of Anderson University.

© Andersonian 2017, All rights reserved · Site by Mere
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.