WINONA LAKE — “Inkspot,” Grace College’s student literary magazine sponsored by the Department of Humanities, recently received the rank of Honorable Mention by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in its Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest.
In the competition, “Inkspot” was ranked against 422 student magazines in 46 states and five countries.
“What an honor after my first year here at Grace to see our literary magazine win a national prize,” said Dr. John Poch, professor of English and the 2024 issue’s faculty advisor. “I only advise the students; they do all the creative and editorial work. They take it very seriously, yet they know how important it is to be playful and cultivate a sense of wonder in the process. I’m confident that we can continue to improve all facets of the magazine, and I believe there are more prizes to come with future issues. We’re grateful to our donors for so much recent support for creative writing.”
“Inkspot” is published as a print volume each spring and is offered to the Grace community at no charge. Students submit original creative work, which is approved, edited and curated by student editors. A student designer designs the magazine’s layout and cover, and the faculty sponsor reviews the final proof and offers guidance as needed.
“I got involved with ‘Inkspot’ because I hope to work an editorial career in publishing after college,” said Maria Ignas, a student editor of the 2024 issue. “I’m thankful for the meaningful friendships I’ve formed with fellow editors Bella, Odessa, Kadon and Riley. I’ve also gained practical experience in developmental and stylistic editing, as well as communicating and collaborating with writers.”
The magazine began in 2016 under the leadership of Dr. Lauren Rich, chair of the Department of Humanities. After establishing a creative writing club, she and several students began brainstorming to launch a literary magazine to showcase students’ writing and inspire more students to get involved. The first edition of “Inkspot” was published that spring.
“A student literary magazine is essential for any college campus; it's a vehicle for students' creative and artistic expression, and the editorial experience for those students who work on the magazine is invaluable,” said Rich. “Even students who never set foot in a creative writing class at Grace are enriched by the opportunity to share their God-given creativity. The Department of Humanities is proud to provide this for our community."
The Department of Humanities holds an annual release party for “Inkspot” as part of Communitas and Day of Worship each spring. The release party features live readings by student authors as well as free coffee drinks and copies of “Inkspot” for attendees.
The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Canada and American schools abroad can nominate magazines.
For more information about the REALM Program, visit: https://ncte.org/awards/program-to-recognize-in-student-literary-magazines/.
To learn more about the Department of Humanities, go to www.grace.edu/academics/academic-schools-departments/school-of-arts-and-humanities/department-of-humanities/.