by Rebecca Doverspike

WVU’s lovely undergraduate literary journal, Calliope, is now accepting submissions. The journal is student-run and publishes WVU undergraduate work exclusively. Calliope has a long standing history at WVU and has twice won the prestigious AWP Award for Design. Indeed, whenever I see copies of Calliope in Colson Hall’s Main Office, they catch my eye. The shape of the journal shifts a bit from year to year and its various incarnations are alluring; I often find myself paging through the journal while I’m talking with a secretary, passing through to use the copy machine, etc. In recent Issues, I recognize many of the contributor’s names, as those students went on to MFA programs (sometimes right here at WVU) and to accrue more writing publications. Students who work on the journal, in the capacity of an Editor or reader, also have a history of going on to graduate programs. Two-time Editor-in-Chief Natalie Caprini, for instance, is now a PWE graduate student here at WVU.

Here is the journal’s current masthead, overseen by Director of Creative Writing, Mary Ann Samyn.

Caleb Stacy: Editor-in-Chief
Celeste Lantz: Managing Editor
Nathan Ward: Art Editor
Hope Hart: Fiction Co-Editor
Maggie Kinder: Fiction Co-Editor
Tori Dobbs: Poetry Editor
Janelle Vickers: Nonfiction Editor

There are still opportunities for more undergraduate journal readers as well. Anyone interested should can get in contact with Editor-in-Chief Caleb Stacy at: wvucalliope@gmail.com. Caleb articulated the importance of student involvement with Calliope: “One reason I think it’s important to get involved in this kind of role is because of the unique experience it presents for young readers and writers and prospective graduate students. While there isn’t a major requirement for any of our positions (e.g., an engineering major could be an editor), a journal-reader or editorial position would look great on any resume or CV. These positions reflect a person who can work under deadlines, someone who is able to form opinions about several pieces of writing, and someone who is able to work with an overarching goal in mind. I’d encourage anyone with plans for some type of graduate study to consider getting involved with Calliope. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice skills that are useful in both an academic and professional setting.”

We look forward to the next publication of Calliope and wish all the editors and readers well as they embark on the process to select student work for publication.

To read more about the journal and the submission process, visit here.