The submissions deadline is almost upon us! Next week shall finally be chaotic. I can feel it and I'm not just saying that because midterms are upon us as well!
All in all, it’s been a rather quiet week as of yet. I was surprised when our faculty advisor sent an email out letting us know we are collaborating with the Trilingual Poetry contest (through the World Languages and Cultures Department: Spanish Program). Although, as of yet, I do not know exactly what that entails. I know we will incorporate their winning pieces into our publication but I’m not sure if anything else will come out of that. It’ll be interesting to come to understand how that will happen. Their submissions deadline isn’t until November, long after our own. Last minute copyediting won’t be fun for anyone. It has however inspired me to reach out. I’ve joined Humboldt State University’s Spanish Translation and Interpretation Club. What was their second meeting of the semester today was my first. The club centers on opportunities sought after in the community through the collaboration with other agencies and/or non-profits along with those opportunities found through the school itself. Most of the upcoming jobs and volunteer positions don’t begin until October so I will have more to report on then. That’s not necessarily the only group I can reach out to other. El Leñador, Humboldt State University’s bilingual monthly newspaper that serves the Latinx community on campus, is one while Courageous Cuentos, the publication through the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, is the other. Of course, reaching out to the Latin@ Center for Academic Excellence (or the LCAE) is a definite must on my list.
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Our assignment this week is a bit different. We are to look at two or more of Toyon’s past issue and pay attention to a couple of particulars: title page, masthead, table of contents, and contributor bios. The point is to compare and contrast what’s been done before and how that may influence what we do now. I’m sticking with two issues.
The first I share a common element with. It is issue #36, printed in 1990 which also happens to be my birth year. I may or may have not picked it for that reason. The book is made out of recyclable material, reminds me a bit of papier-mâché, and orange is the only color on it. That draws attention, the orange-printed toyon berries growing out of the masthead located towards the bottom. I like how their title page is set-up except for the bottom script. Something about how the symbol for ‘number’ is displayed throws me off. The table of contents only lists the contents by page number which does not differentiate fiction, non-fiction or poetry from one another. There are no contributor bios whatsoever. Although there is an acknowledgments page and an advertisement in the back, neither have page numbers listed or are addressed in the table of contents. What is wrapped in a lovely package lacks just a bit of a personal touch once opened. In the spring of 2014 the sixtieth issue of the Toyon was printed, but the work for it began in 2013. As such, that issue was chosen as the Toyon that would celebrate Humboldt State University’s one-hundredth anniversary. It’s cover is simple: green texture, gold script, masthead located towards the top, and a unique logo design commemorating the anniversary sits right below that. The tile place deviates with a dedication in the middle of it. While the table of contents may span a few pages and create a sense of space there wise, it still lacks organization of genre. What is unique about the contributor bios placed in the back is that they also include a list of bios from the editors (though none of the other Toyon staff). This particular issue stands out on its own though I was surprised to find not even a blurb about Humboldt State University considering that is what the issue was highlighting. Through the lens of my role, I noticed neither of the issues I perused had a category for multilingual or translated works. The issue from the 1990’s did have one story that included dialogue in another language and the issue in 2014 had a poem that was titled in Spanish. Yet, those were the only instances of a language other than English found. It really draws home just how much more inclusive the Toyon has become within the past few years alone. It makes me happy to be working on the Toyon now, especially since my role has only recently come into existence. Sickness was my companion this week. It never did leave my side. As such, I did not attend the previous class session, which would have been the main filling to this update.
So, let me take a couple of steps back instead. What I’ve actually done so far isn’t all that much. When you sign up to work on the Toyon and are assigned a role (they do their best to give you one of your top three) one of the first things you do is set-up a blogging website. Typically, you blog at least twice a week. One blog is catered around a specific assignment, the other is an update. The rest falls in line with ideas bounced around in class (or on the online forum) or working on any tasks that are specific to your role. As we have yet to leave our final month of submissions everything is geared towards’s that. In class, we’ve had sign-ups for posting flyers around campus and/or tabling. Separately, concerning my role, I’ve split a couple of departments to email with the Multilingual Editor. Our emails were hopefully forwarded within the departments themselves (like the Latino Center for Academic Excellence) requesting they let the students in their purview know we are specifically hoping they submit works in translation or multilingual pieces to the Toyon. I’ve probably skipped over a couple of things, but that is the gist of what I’ve done so far. One thing I’ve yet to mention is the research project due towards the end of the semester. Everyone is given an idea of what you could do for it. For example, mine says I can structure my project around the art of translation. I’m not sure if I want to do that or if it’s that I don’t want to only do just that. I still need to look into it more. Picture not taken by me. Found at http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/collections.html It’s for the birds, the Toyon that is. At least, that is what I learned in the Humboldt Room; a curious name for a curious corner situated in the third floor of the library of Humboldt State University. Ah yes, the Humboldt Room. A room that houses information about Humboldt County, Humboldt State University, and the Northwestern region of California. A place where you can find piles of books and maps among other things. I suppose I should add that in librarian speak those “things” are also known as being a part of the Special Collections and Archives.
During our last class session we met up in the Humboldt Room. I sat down in a comfy chair and listened to the Special Collections Librarian detail what kind of information they archive and what resources (including herself) are available. However, our focus that day was to browse through the back issues of the Toyon since the literary magazine’s inception. To diverge a little, Eric Staley’s “Influence, Commerce, and the Little Magazine” in Paper Dreams was one of the readings this week. He wrote about the emergence and survival of the literary magazines found right here in the U. S. of A. In those lines between the two phenomenas that spanned the growth of literary magazines and the key to their longevity (pages 27 and 30 respectively), he lets us in on a secret. As someone who has taught American magazine history as an actual course, he has noticed that students “…seem less likely to remember that The Little Review was the first to publish the Ulysses than that E. Simms Campbell, a Harlem cartoonist, developed the character Esky as the symbol of identity for the early Esquire, (pg. 29).” A rather interesting tidbit for Staley to drop since the notes in the back of Paper Dreams on page 393 tell us that the editor of The Little Review was fined for printing James Joyce’s work without permission. All of this brings me back to the Humboldt Room. Though I’m a little unsure as to why Staley had to include that little bit, the reference to scandal reminded me of what we had found ourselves. Without alluding to any scandals, browsing the back issues did unearth many strange and interesting quirks. If you are a regular reader of the Toyon or simply curious, head on up to the Humboldt Room and browse through some of the issues yourself. Try and find the issue that was printed like a children’s book with text slapped on over images (I’ll give you a hint, it’s in the 70’s) or find the issue that contains a risqué art piece. There are names you may even recognize. No one ever thinks authors start off in something so small such as a literary magazine, but the Toyon is one of many proofs that that is in fact true. So, go on up. The past collections of the Toyon are there, waiting and plotting against your descent upon them like birds. **Staley, Eric. "Influence, Commerce, And The Little Magazine." Paper Dreams. Madison, NJ: Atticus Books, 2013. 27-36. Print. **Burgin, Richard. Morgan, Speer. Morrow, Bradford. Roth, Marco. Wilson, Robley. "Some Notes On The History Of The Literary Magazine." Paper Dreams. Madison, NJ: Atticus Books, 2013. 389-402. Print. There hasn't been much doing yet so much as learning about what needs doing. Because the deadline for submissions is at the end of this month that is currently the primary focus, garnering submissions.
As the Literary Translator I work side-by-side with the Multilingual Editor. We've divvied up the task of sending out emails to certain programs (like the Latino Center for Academic Excellence or ITEPP) to ask if they would forward the call for multilingual pieces in their own emails. We've also been assigned to distribute flyers to assigned locations or to work the table in the quad. So far, most of class time itself has been devoted to learning about our roles not just in context for the Toyon, but for potential career development. Someone from the Academic and Career Advising Center came to our class the last time. Working through potential careers was pretty fun and informative. It's nice to know my plans to become certified as a Personal Pilot won't get in the way of moving on to attain a Master's Degree. Though, I'm sure as the submissions deadline looms more tasks in class and out will pick up. As a side project I'm looking into getting certified as a Translator. I haven't done a lot of searching, but it seems like it may be a lengthy and costly endeavor. I may need to pick up more hours at work before attempting anything. Literature has barriers. To be clear, literature can only be enjoyed by those whom understand the language it is written in. It is strange to ponder on the many works I will never get to read simply because I don’t understand the language. That’s where translation comes in. As this year’s Literary Translator for the Toyon I have one very overreaching focus. That is, to the best of my ability, I must translate the text in such a way that the new readers (those whom can read in the language I translate to) will enjoy it with the same experience as those of the first readers. For me, that’s making sure the Spanish I translate to still catches all the context of a piece when read in English. There are several goals and ideas I have in mind for this semester. First and foremost, there’s the Toyon website. At least the homepage and the submissions page should include Spanish translation. As the Toyon defines itself as a multilingual literary journal, the multilingual aspect needs to be showcased. Going through the email templates sent to any Spanish-speaking funders is another task. If I have the time, a potential goal could be to seek permission from award winners to translate their works for online reading only. The idea there is to show works in two languages and therefore hopefully encourage more submissions in other languages. Aaron Gilbreth’s “Publishing What We Are Trying To Write” in Paper Dreams is one of the readings for the week, but it did not connect to my role so much. His piece focuses on the value of reading literary magazines and the type of writing found in them. However, his extension of Ezra Pound’s quote, “Literature is news that stays news” to “Literary magazines are the magazines that stay magazines” on page 333 resonated. The Toyon has seen changes over the years and my role only plans to expand those changes further. Growth can be good or bad. As long as the Toyon does not lose its essence I think it’ll be alright. The other piece, Jane Armstrong's "Publication," connected to my role even less. It focused primarily on the feeling of accomplishment for a writer in getting a piece, just one piece, published by a literary magazine. They are excellent readings however and I recommend you give them a gander. Lastly, seen below is a tentative timeline of my semester. It’s broken down by individual days, month-by-month. It will change, of course it will change. I may choose to update it more often so that whomever steps into my role the next year can get an idea of what’s ahead of them. **Gilbreath, Aaron. "Publishing What We Are Trying To Write." Paper Dreams. Madison, NJ: Atticus Books, 2013. 333-40. Print. **Armstrong, Jane. "Publication." Paper Dreams. Madison, NJ: Atticus Books, 2013. 341-42. Print. Questioning the importance of anything is always tricky. Is there any way to answer that that isn’t somewhat subjective? Unless, of course, it falls under the nature of something like the importance of vaccinations. That is wholly important. Please get yourself vaccinated.
Back to the point, the questions placed before me here are thus: why is the literary magazine an important endeavor and what is its value? In Paul Bixler’s 1948 piece “Little Magazine, What Now?” we learn that the little magazine has a nebulously fixed birth date of 1912, (pg. 145, Paper Dreams). The beginnings of the movement, as such, is now ancient. Does its continued and growing survival then bely its importance? Bixler’s categorical description of the nature of the little magazine may provide us with some clues. He names the following four elements as the structure that makes up the literary magazine and what has influenced its growth: size, stability, control, and content. Size is the easy one; literary magazines are, to use a relatively new word, smol. They are so smol in fact that we know making a profit is not in their purview. Stability and control go hand-in-hand as they relate financial need and editorial freedom (which may or may not be in conflict in regards to funding sources). Content, however, is a multi-layered category on its own (pgs. 149-150, Paper Dreams). I rate the value of anything by what it has to offer. The content of literary magazines are intrinsically tied to its value. Bixler writes, “The nonfiction, as well as the fiction, writer needs time and opportunity to develop his ability without the pressure of an institution… at his back calling for ‘results,’ (pgs. 157-158, Paper Dreams).” Overlooking the non-inclusive pronoun use of “his,” I agree with Bixler. Literary magazines foremost should focus on giving young or new writers an avenue to publish their work and grow. Within that same vein, I also agree with Bixler’s claim that the little magazine can grow further by opening their content to the sciences as well as the humanities. The Toyon Literary Magazine’s call for submissions in Environmental Justice Writing is one such example of this step forward in growth (http://www.toyonliterarymagazine.org/submit.html). All in all, creative freedom is what sets literary magazines apart both in their importance and value. **Bixler, Paul. "Little Magazine, What Now?" Paper Dreams. Madison, NJ: Atticus Books, 2013. 145-58. Print. After reading Burt’s article, “The Persistence of Litmags,” I can safely proclaim that the purpose of Toyon is not about making money. As a student-run literary journal without a particularly strong online presence in today’s digital world- it’s a good start to be able to boast of subscribers at all.
So, what then is the purpose and function of Toyon? To answer this other questions must be examined first. Whom is the target audience, for a start, and how is this journal any different from the many, many others already out there? Toyon itself has a moderate history. Baring a single year, it has attained a yearly publication since its conception in 1954. The last few years have also seen many changes that have only encouraged a more inclusive readership/publication. The recent addition of spaces for audio works, multilingual pieces, spoken word, and environmental justice writing reflect Humboldt State University’s vision of diverse individuals seeking to improve our environments and the human condition (Mission, Vision, and Values; humboldt.edu). Toyon is also one of the only literary journals in print in the far North of Northern California. Nothing like being the only one around to beat out the rest of the competition. However, is this enough to make Toyon stand out? In four words, it does not matter. Or better yet, it should not matter. The purpose and function of Toyon should focus on encouraging creative writing and providing learning opportunities in literary publishing for the students at Humboldt State (home page, toyonliterarymagazine.org). In no way do I mean to express that the Toyon cannot expand and further its own interests. Already it receives global submissions and awards for outstanding pieces published have been given to members of Humboldt County along with people from out-of-state. It’s not geared exclusively for the students of Humboldt State University alone. I only wish to reiterate that as long as its growth does not come at the sacrifice of its origin then the students working on Toyon won’t feel like their energies are spent on something where they inevitably look forward to clocking-out at the end of the day versus ringing up a sense of satisfaction at what they’ve produced. Writing is both a tool to express what we cannot say and a way to speak through the ages. It is an enduring form of communication. With Toyon, we can look back and get a sense of the students and the community surrounding Humboldt State University through the written relics they have left behind. We can track its growth through a multi-dimensional society. Writing and the creative arts have always been responsible for stirring up thoughts and emotions. Toyon’s transformation into a more inclusive literary journal (submissions open to all languages for example) is as much an important social step as it can be a political one in today’s atmosphere of tensions across multiple levels of diversity. When it comes down to it, Toyon’s current run exemplifies two things: we are curious and we want to hear what you have to say. Link to Toyon Literary Magazine: www.toyonliterarymagazine.org |
About These Blog PostsWhile we work on the Toyon we must also blog about it. Sometimes it's through simple updates and sometimes we will be given specific assignments that we must answer. Archives
December 2016
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