The revival of the Literary Magazine Club

Literary magazine members at their meeting (Photo: Alanis Hill, The Puma Prensa)

By Alanis Hill, staff writer

There are many creative students at Maria Carrillo High School, and one club in particular has made it their goal to help the student body's passions and unique talents shine. 

On a quiet Wednesday afternoon, small groups of Maria Carrillo students pour over the potential beginnings of the next great American novel, a moving short poem, and a horror film during lunch. The club works thoroughly and efficiently, taking votes and critiquing works in N-1.  

This club, Literary Magazine, was first founded in 2001, five years after the school's first opening. Back then the group was called StereoTyped. They offered an annual magazine with works of literature and art from the student body. After a hiatus of about eight years, students have come together this year to revive the group, calling themselves the Literary Magazine Club. Now, inspired by their fellow MCHS artists, they are once again showcasing art and written work via their website and—hopefully—in a magazine this spring.

Natasha Deakins, MCHS AP literature teacher and the club's adviser, was the first to bring up Literary Magazine to her students. She ran the club back in 2015, when it was operating under the name Papercuts, and now she wants to bring back the magazine for Carrillo students. Deakins wants to give this new generation of Pumas a chance to demonstrate their artistic endeavors to the entire campus.The first person to take her up on the magazine was senior Noah Vincent-Blatter, who is now president of Literary Magazine. The other members of the club along with Vincent-Blatter now meet every Wednesday to work on their final product.

“We're trying to keep the dream alive,” says Deakins.

That dream—the end-of-year magazine—compiles all of the editors’ choices from throughout the year. However, this takes great effort on the part of the club. Much of their time is spent sifting through the many submissions. All work will be put on their website but only a select few are given the coveted award of editors’ choice. Those who gain this status will see their work in the final magazine, which will be sold to students at the end of the year. Members also give critiques to submitters who are interested in receiving feedback. Besides judging works, the group itself also contains many artists from a range of backgrounds. Club members specialize in poetry, visual arts, ceramics, photography and even film directing, to name a few. 

“It's a really tight knit community where you can get good feedback. Everyone is very understanding of each other,“ said Elizabeth Mira, a senior and club member of Literary Magazine. 

For those wanting to submit their own art for the Magazine, the process is quite simple. You can submit for two categories, the first being the independent submission which takes in works the entire school year. The second would be a submission that follows the monthly theme that the members decide on. For example, December's theme was Silence, and March's theme isLuck. Students can submit works that follow these categories, but only within the month of the theme. The final deadlines for themes are each last Wednesday of the month. One can submit their work through the Literary Magazine website. Even if you don’t feel like submitting, the website proudly displays your peers’ art.

Literary Magazine has cemented itself as a club exemplifying Maria Carillo’s campus culture. With social media, it may have become easier in general to view the art of the world but it's become a challenge to find work from the smaller community. Many students may feel that they do not know how or where to display what they deem as their own inventive creations. The magazine provides an easy and collaborative way for the school's young artists to show off their efforts as well as improve upon their skills simultaneously. “It's important for us to recognize that people on campus are more than just students, everybody is a creator,” says Vincent-Blatter. The club provides a safe community of equally passionate creators for those who feel they do not have as big of a support group. Even for the non-makers of the community, the club readily provides inspiration and a space to reflect student life. It fosters a joyful environment that Carrillo students may have never been able to see before. 

Looking to the future, Vincent-Blatter hopes to see the club continue long after his departure. He says, “When I pass the torch I know that they will make it even better than this year.”