Scope literary magazine is giving poets, artists and writers of all kinds the opportunity to submit their ideas to the fourth annual issue to be released on Monday, April 16.
Writers or artists looking to have their work published can send it as an attachment to scopesumbmissions@gmail.com by Wednesday, March 21 for consideration. Scope has had issues getting the desired amount of usable submissions in the past, and as of right now, still has room for more before the judging begins.
“We will be taking as many submissions as possible,” said Emily Davis, a senior English major and co-editor of Scope. “We still have quite a few open spots for every kind of writing.”
In addition to written submissions, Scope welcomes art and photography entries. Artists who work with a three dimensional media, like sculptures, are encouraged to take pictures of their work to be published.
“We’re looking for anything from short stories to poetry to creative nonfiction to art, in whatever medium it might be in,” said Dr. Amy Sonheim, professor of English. “Let’s say we had a textile artist or a sculptor. We’d love for them to submit a photograph of their work. Even though it’d be a one dimensional representation, it would still be included in the magazine.”
The theme of last year’s Scope was “journeys,” and works related to that were picked.
“We have not chosen a theme for this year yet,” Davis said. “As submissions come in, we like to see what kind of images and emotions they have in common and then choose a theme from that.”
Davis and Sonheim both think publishing students’ work is rewarding.
“Scope gives students the opportunity to participate in a unique and creative community and share their talents and experiences with their peers,” Davis said. “Having a work published in Scope is also a great accomplishment to put on a resume.”
Sonheim said, however, there’s more value to the experience than a sharp resume and the chance to let people see your work.
“The human endeavor of expressing oneself and articulating beauty is important,” she said. “It’s a definitive moment for a person to understand what is amazing about being human. If that person goes beyond the spontaneous expression and edits, revises and polishes it, usually the writer, artist or poet discovers something about themselves.”
While Scope is centered around the people submitting their creative works, putting together a literary magazine like this requires effort from a lot of people behind the scenes.
“We are constantly working for Scope to be something Ouachitonians can be proud of,” Davis said. “We have many creative ideas for this year’s edition. Being a part of Scope means you’re helping grow a sense of communal creativity here at Ouachita, and we’re excited to see what that looks like this year.”
Scope is looking for as many submissions as possible, and all writers and artists are encouraged to submit their work not just for their peers to see, but also for their own self betterment.
“We think that writing a story or creating art is a way of asking the world questions,” Sonheim said. “What is it that you want to know? All you have to do is write about it, and you can find out. This is one of the most valid enterprises that a student can embark on.”
Picture by Kathryn Kelly.
Caption: Scope co-editors Andrew Sweatman and Emily Davis look over submissions to the literary journal.
