A newly established literary anthology on campus looks to connect alumni with their previous experiences at Elizabethtown College. This magazine, called Field Mark, is accepting submissions solely from Etown alumni and bolsters the hallmark phrase “Blue Jays. Always.”
The name of the literary anthology comes from the definition of “field mark,” which is a distinguishable mark that identifies a bird such as a Blue Jay, the College’s mascot.
Started by 2011 Etown alumus Austin DeMarco and 2012 aluma Nicole St. Pierre, the magazine will be released for the first time this year. The two are serving as co-editors of the magazine after being asked by Bowers Writers House director Jesse Waters and executive director of college engagement opportunities Mark Clapper to steer the effort.
According to the Field Mark website, DeMarco has a degree in English with a concentration in professional writing and is currently living in the Washington D.C. area. St. Pierre was also an English major with a concentration in professional writing who previously wrote for The Etownian and is currently residing in Maryland.
Their magazine is intended to integrate the various lives of alumni, serving as an outlet for former students to share their favorite stories from the “Nest” that is Etown. Regardless of where they end up, they will be reminded of their roots here at the College when they reminisce about their undergraduate days.
“I’ve always been very vocal about the positive impact that Elizabethtown College had on my life, and I’ve always been willing to give back to the school in whatever way I can,” St. Pierre said. “For me, it was an honor just to be asked to spearhead the magazine, so I am very excited about it.”
The submission period opened on Homecoming day, Oct. 15, and will continue until Dec. 31. The literary anthology runs in four sections, similar to our campus literary magazine Fine Print. There are fiction and creative nonfiction section, for which submissions must be limited to 10,000 words. Each prose contributor is limited to submitting three pieces.
There is also an artwork and photography section for this magazine that will feature photographs or pictures from any alumi artists that are interested in entering. The editors ask that the pictures are of good quality, and contributors are limited to five entries.
The poetry section is open to various forms, but each alum is asked to enter less than six poems. There is also an option to enter any works that don’t fit in the guidelines for any of the sections above.
If the work of an alum is selected, he or she will receive a copy of the magazine once it is printed, which will most likely be in May of 2017. All work will be selected to fill the magazine by the end of February 2017.
“We want to create a publication that emphasizes the connection we all still have even after we graduate,” St. Pierre said.
DeMarco agreed with his co-editor regarding the magnitude of the impact his undergraduate experience left on him. “Etown provided a really seminal experience for me, and I liken my time there to a four-year conversation with my classmates, learning about myself and others and growing together as a result,” he said. “The success of Field Mark is a continuance of that conversation beyond graduation.”
The magazine is asking for a blind submission process, so when alumni send in their work they will need to keep their name separate from their piece of writing. For details regarding submitting pieces go to etownfieldmark.wordpress.com or contact the editors through the Field Mark Facebook page.
