Bard’s literary club, the Quill, has recently reestablished itself as of the fall semester. The club previously existed in the form of writers’ forums and open mics, but with its return, it brings one new aspect: a magazine.
Bard is a school that is heavily focused on the literary arts, meaning that there are plenty of outlets for students to have their writings published and shared around campus. What sets the publication of the magazine apart is that unlike these other publications, the magazine is by no means exclusive to our campus. Professor Vinh Pham noted that while the main goal of the magazine is to “establish its presence on campus by having a print publication”, he also expressed interest in establishing a presence amongst other Bard schools down the line. “The dream would be for this to be the premier literary magazine for the Bard early college campuses”, Professor Vinh Pham shared. With this goal in mind, the club seeks to one day receive contributions to the magazine from other Bard campuses. When asked about the trajectory of the magazine, Pham stated, “It’s important that we start here, but we don’t want it to be exclusive to just our campus”. He believes the magazine should be accessible to other Bard early colleges, and that the publication of the Quill could possibly inspire other campuses to create their own versions. He explained that the idea is to create a “cross pollination” in terms of shared ideas as well as to create a “creative atmosphere” in which these ideas can roam. He also emphasized the importance of producing something tangible for the club, to have it become an “artifact” of sorts, something that can be enjoyed and remembered within and outside of our campus. The magazine is also planning to make a name for itself even outside of the Bard community. While not fully confirmed, there have been some discussions of submitting the magazine to the REALM awards. For those unaware, the REALM awards is a competition in which schools from all across the states submit their school’s student produced magazines, from middle schools all the way up to colleges and universities. Similarly to the magazine itself, the competition is designed to spark interest in student-led publications that celebrate the literary arts. Submitting the magazine to it would open up a world of possibilities for clubs in Bard.
But with all this talk of the impact of the Quill on other campuses, what are its contributions to our very own campuses? During the interview, Pham had much to say about the publication of the magazine: “I think that the more lofty idea is to show students that whether it’s the Quill or any other literary magazine, that there is a process that can be made very legible, and if you do want your art or your literary creativity out in the world, there are very manageable steps for you to do that. So, this is part of trying to ease people into learning how that process works in the publishing world”. In short, the production of a printed magazine is meant to inspire Bard students to create, but it is also meant to reassure them that it is possible to have these creations published and shown to the public. He also emphasizes that, if nothing else, the most important part of the magazine is that it is student-led. By creating something so ambitious and high quality, without the full leadership of a teacher, the Quill hopes to encourage other clubs to foster a sense of independence. When asked about what the magazine could contribute to not only the club, but also the school itself, Pham stated, “I hope that the magazine, at some point, will inspire students not only to participate and submit, but also to join in and think about taking up leadership positions. And even if they don’t take up leadership positions, there are still ways for them to be involved in the Quill that are meaningful, that will bolster the sense of community at Bard”. Finding students who are not only willing to attend a club but also contribute to it is a very difficult task, but perhaps even more difficult is the task of finding new leaders to succeed a club after its current leaders’ graduate. However, with the release of a printed magazine, the Quill could gain the traction to find the leaders and contributors needed, while simultaneously allowing them to benefit from a sense of community and the ability to contribute to something significant.
The magazine itself consists of a variety of student-written pieces, from short stories to poetry, and even aspects of visual arts such as photography and illustration. This also includes narratives, essays, cultural commentaries, and even music lyrics or compositions. The diverse pieces featured in this semester’s issue are all connected by the overarching theme of spring, a time represented by renewal and change. Naturally, readers can expect to see pieces that were either written with these themes in mind or even pieces about the season itself. Students can purchase the magazines from the club leaders and can also look forward to finding copies in the library. While prices for the magazine have not been finalized, it is estimated to be about 5 dollars per copy, with a total of 50 physical copies being printed. It is also important to note that these copies are said to be limited edition, so as Professor Pham says, “If you want one, you should get one”, as now is the only time you can do so. For additional information about the contents of the magazine as well as its accessibility, go to thequillbard.com to find out more.