The 23rd edition of Applause, the creative arts magazine at the University of Arkansas
- Fort Smith, was unveiled at a release party that included the announcement of the
cover design winner.
Faculty adviser Carol Westcamp of Muldrow said she was especially excited about this year鈥檚 publication because the students chose to print the cover on a letterpress and hand bind it at Underground Ink, the 妻友社区 letterpress shop and book arts studio.
Westcamp said the staff includes students enrolled in English 3401 鈥淧ublications Staff: Applause鈥� for the fall and/or spring semesters. She said these students worked hard all year to select the works to be published in the magazine.
Applause 2013 includes creative writing, artwork and photography deemed 鈥渂est on campus鈥� by Applause staff members who read, discussed and then voted for what to include in the magazine.
鈥淲e received about 100 submissions and selected only about 15 percent of the works received,鈥� Westcamp said.
Winning the cover design contest was Jeremy Teff of Alma. Each year the magazine staff conducts a contest so that students at 妻友社区 can design the cover, receive recognition for their work and receive a $100 prize.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a joy to work with the students on the magazine,鈥� Westcamp said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly a student-run, student-selected magazine, and each year the magazine reflects the interests and work of the staff. This year鈥檚 magazine is no exception. Because we had students interested in letterpress, we went that route for the cover. The students have really stepped up and taken on the additional work involved in letterpress printing and hand binding the cover.鈥�
Dustin Hilliard, editor of Applause said the staff chose to use a letterpress and hand bind this year to draw attention to other creative arts, not just writing.
鈥淭his way, the magazine showcases multiple forms of creative arts, not just poetry and short stories, but all creative arts, including photography and original art,鈥� Hilliard said.
Jennifer Peterson of Fort Smith, Applause treasurer, said the magazine has always been a high quality publication but the staff wanted to see how much better it could be.
鈥淚f we could reach out to the Graphic Design Department, we could only increase the quality,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淭hey opened the contest up to students in Katie Harper鈥檚 Fine Print and Bookmaking class.鈥�
Once the staff chose the cover, they spent a full day at Underground Ink, printing it. The next week in class, the students folded the covers. The inside pages were printed and folded by a commercial printing company. When the contents were complete, the students met at Underground Ink to gather and bind the magazine by hand sewing it together.
Poems, short stories and graphic arts items selected for the magazine this year include three poems and three short stories that won a creative writing contest judged by English department faculty. These works have now been submitted to the Southern Literary Festival for its regional competition.
Works chosen for Applause 2013:
Alma:
-
Jessica Weisenfells, 鈥淗aving Consulted Gertrude Stein on Half-Authentic Chivalry,鈥� third place poetry contest winner, 鈥淭he Murder Ballad of H. D. Andrews,鈥� first place short story contest winner; and 鈥淪tainless China,鈥� third place short story contest winner.
-
Shawna Mason, 鈥淗ighway 69 to Dallas,鈥� poetry.
-
Jeremy Teff, cover design winner.
Fort Smith:
-
Derek Naegle, 鈥淭o Take the Sun,鈥� second place short story contest winner.
-
Dustin Beck, 鈥淧laster Cast,鈥� charcoal; 鈥淪elf Portrait鈥� in oil; and 鈥淪elf Portrait,鈥� charcoal and chalk.
-
Andrea Bowers, 鈥淔orgottonia鈥� and 鈥淚t Was Mine,鈥� poems.
-
Jenapher Burnett, 鈥淭he Purse-Holder,鈥� a short story and 鈥淯ntitled,鈥� a photograph.
-
Andrew C. Releford, 鈥淣oir,鈥� a poem.
Muldrow, Okla.:
-
Adam Holloway, 鈥淪quander,鈥� first place poetry contest winner, and 鈥淯nited Colors Versus the Little Man,鈥� second place poetry contest winner.
-
Staci Miller, 鈥淧uppies鈥� and 鈥淰isitation,鈥� poems, and 鈥�#BFF,鈥� a short story.
Applause officers include Dustin Hilliard of Paris, Texas, editor; Jalisia Hickman of Fort Smith, layout editor; Jennifer Peterson of Fort Smith, treasurer; Destiny Adams of Van Buren, public relations officer and Emma Shockley of Fort Smith, secretary.
Staff members include Kristyn Moore and Jessica Weisenfels, Alma; Rhiannon Corley, Jessica Epperson, Shael McDonald and Andrew Releford, Fort Smith; Ashley Sura, Greenwood; Adam Holloway and Staci Miller, Muldrow, Okla.; and Crystal Potts of Van Buren.
Copies of the magazines are distributed around campus and may be picked up in Holt 112C.