Hannah Ho
design editor

At the end of every year, students line up to get a copy of the school yearbook (Fife & Drum), which hopes to capture all the highlights and memories of each year. Another student publication that students should look out for at the end of this year is the school’s Literary Magazine (Pulp), an award winning, annual literary and arts magazine.

The Pulp 2018 (volume 12), titled Bona Fide, is dedicated to the memory of Assistant Principal Joseph DuBoyce, who died suddenly of a heart attack in August 2017. The Pulp staff named this volume “Bona Fide” to signify that the magazine aspires to present itself authentically and be sincere in its emotional and intellectual expression. The Pulp staff hopes that this collection of literature and artwork lives up to the magazine’s title by offering an honest, intimate window into the experiences of the school’s diverse community.

Pulp 2018 was published at the beginning of this school year and is currently available for sale on the school’s website as well as in the literary magazine sponsor Zachary Hardy’s room (Room 253). “Buy it now,” senior Arts Editor Mina Senthil said.

Hardy assumed responsibility over Literary Magazine (Lit Mag) just last year following the previous sponsors, English teachers Nick Hitchens and Zachary Lowe. “I joined Lit Mag because it was good fit for me. I helped sponsor the Lit Mag with my teaching mentor at my old school. In addition, I had not sponsored a serious club yet,” Hardy said. “I think I connect well with creative type students. It is nice to work with students outside of the classroom in a different capacity. I like literature and working one-on-one with students.”

Thinking back on all the hard work and effort poured into Pulp 2018, the Lit Mag staff should be very proud. “Wootton students are awesome, gifted and they have a lot of raw talent. Not only are they experienced with photography and digital art, which are more technical arts, many shine in creative writing as well. Some students on staff have a really good eye for design, color and flair for arrangement,” Hardy said.

Looking back on last year’s work, the staff and sponsor are learning from their strengths and weaknesses. As last year was a learning year with new editors-in-chief and a new sponsor, the staff have learned from the challenges and shortcomings of last year to make this year better.

For last year, the biggest challenge was time. “There is a lot of work needed to be done especially when we have to start doing the design process in the beginning of second semester. I made five spreads and stayed after school for at least two hours every day. It was hard. I had to be very familiar with Adobe programs such as InDesign or Photoshop,” Senthil said. “Despite the challenges, it is still nice to write and draw for fun. Lit Mag is challengingly relaxing.”

The two editors-in-chief (EICs) last year and also for this year are seniors Elise Mitchell and Kristina Tsakos. Tsakos started as head photography editor her sophomore year. They became EICs by submitting an application and being selected by Hardy. Junior Alexis Bentz is one of the EIC shadows this year, which means that she will most likely assume the EIC position next year when the seniors graduate.

Lit Mag is looking forward to reviewing more submissions this year. “We have much more defined goals this year such as finishing the Pulp 2019 in April or by early May. Last year we struggled with getting submissions so this year we strongly encourage everyone to submit to [email protected],” Tsakos said. “Names are not disclosed until people’s submissions are selected to be published in the magazine so we protect privacy very well.”

One important aspect of Lit Mag is the close community it provides. Layout editor Harrison Lee has been involved in Lit Mag starting his sophomore year. “As a member of the club, I have the ability to vote on what works are included in the magazine. I am responsible for the design of the magazine and figuring out spreads. I love being in Lit Mag as I get a real sense of purpose, and definitely working towards goals of creating a beautiful magazine,” Lee said. “Being in a community of like-minded individuals makes me feel happy and involved. Although we’ve had a few issues and delays, I loved our final ending product.”

The staff currently consists of 20 people, seven of them being seniors, so Lit Mag is welcoming all interested students to join. “Anyone can join at any time. You do not need to be experienced in art or writing to make a difference in Lit Mag,” Tsakos said. “We plan on doing more club bonding activities such as brunch and are very excited for this year’s Coffeehouse, Lit Mag’s main source of funds.”

Although Lit Mag has a loose theme each year, the overlying topic this year is a bilingual, global take on literature. The beautiful, vibrant cover by 2018 alum Elizabeth Caohuy captures readers’ attention and captivates them to open the magazine. “The pictures and literature pieces were all so carefully selected this year, and the result of everything coming together is the gorgeous Literary Magazine,” senior Layout Editor Lucia Splittgerber said. “I’m looking forward to the 2019 Pulp and have some super exciting new art ideas.”

Lit Mag combines passions ranging from photography, art, poetry and literature. It creates a safe place to analyze literature and art without judgment, all leading to one tangible final end result. Pulp 2018 is a mesmerizing magazine that showcases talented students’ works. Each unique photograph, drawing and literature captures the unique perspectives within our school.