Brushing, the Rollins College Literary Journal, provides Rollins students and faculty a chance to have their works published. Any work can be submitted to go through the process.
Publication is the dream of the liberal arts major and an achievement longed after by various academics breeds. Who can blame a person for wanting to be published? Having your works printed and read harkens immortality. Once a submission is accepted and bound, transformed into something that can be preserved and ingested for generations, the writer transcends into the untouchable. This was the view I was raised with, first at the University of Iowa and then through the Rollins College English Department, studying the greats of literature and poetry alike. At the end of the day, it is our works in which we establish permanence.
Unfortunately, as desirable as publication is, it is often a daunting, complex process. Cover letters, submission fees, and the actual submission piece combine to create a Frankenstein‘s monster of impossibility. The result is that not many college students submit. There is the combined struggle of not enough time and energy spread thin. However, for the Rollins student body, an accessible outlet for publication does exist at Rollins College. This outlet is Brushing, the Rollins College Literary Journal. Brushing staff, as a group of students themselves, seek to make the publication process enjoyable and easy for the Rollins community.
Brushing published its 44th edition last year, accepting submissions from the entire Rollins College community. Submissions are accepted from all full-time students, Holt students, faculty, and alumni up to four years post-graduation. In order to accommodate all different forms of artistic expression, the Brushing staff encourages authors to take advantage of verbal cover letters, a process new to the 2014/2015 edition. Verbal cover letters allow students to explain their piece to the Editor-in-Chief in a sit-down session. Submissions requesting a verbal cover letter close November 21. If you are submitting a traditional piece containing a traditional cover letter, the deadline is December 14 at midnight.
So what does Brushing accept? The answer is almost everything. Brushing is a literary and arts journal. It does not accept solely literary works. All forms of aesthetic work are sought after including: poetry, creative fiction, essay, non-fiction, micro-plays, art, photography, and digital art. Writers who submit written pieces are encouraged to keep their submission under 2,000 words. Most pieces accepted over 2,000 will be published in the journal’s online edition, debuting in 2015. Do not hesitate to contact Brushing staff if you have questions regarding submission or feel like your art falls outside any of the aforementioned categories.
Once a submission is rejected or accepted, the Brushing staff offers workshops where students can work alongside Brushing staff in editing and developing their pieces. This is not a mandatory process, but open to students curious about the publication process.
Brushing staff understands the challenges that come with publication and are eager to answer questions and help any individuals interested in submission. You can email the Editor-In-Chief, yours truly, anytime at cperry@rollins.edu. The Brushing staff and I look forward to reviewing the work of the Rollins community.
Be First to Comment