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The Tributary, an annually published literary journal edited by students at Lycoming College, released its 2022 issue. This year, the journal, comprised of student prose, poetry, and artwork, is available in print as well as online with The Tributary’s new online presence. Along with this new medium, the journal will be implementing new changes over the next year, including opening up to national undergraduate submissions and establishing pay for student submissions.
“Having a student-run journal is a great opportunity for students at Lycoming College, so I was glad to jump in and bring my background in editing other projects to this experience,” said Phoebe Wagner ’14, assistant professor of English and creative writing. “The student interest is wonderful, and I hope to see that interest grows as The Tributary grows as well.”
The 2022 issue welcomed new and familiar faces to the journal. The following students worked diligently as editors with its new adviser, Wagner:
- Managing/ Layout Editor: Caleb Hipple ’23
- Fiction/ Non-fiction Editors: Maya Jenkins ’23, Tanix Enx ’22, and Bailey (Spencer) Innerarity ’23
- Poetry Editors: Hipple and Jenkins
Each year, the journal awards prizes to the top submissions in prose and poetry, decided on by the faculty, as well as submissions in art, decided on by the publication’s staff. This year, the prize for poetry was awarded to Hipple for “Who’s the Bastard Now?,” the prize for fiction was awarded to Enz for “Legendary, Deadly,” and the prize for art was awarded to Rylee Delaney ’22 for “No Trespassing on Tower.”
“I think what most impressed me this year was the varying strengths and mediums artists displayed in their works,” said Hipple. “The pandemic really forced people to stay in their heads, and I think with that force and pressure a lot of good ideas hardened into even better works.” Hipple continues that the words on the cover of this edition, “No Trespassing on Tower,” encompasses how each work is unique to the author. “Art isn’t to be walked over or imitated.”
While edited and run by students, the journal is advised by Wagner. As a former Lycoming College student, Wagner worked on The Tributary for two issues as fiction editor and one issue as managing editor. As advisor, she hopes to take the journal to a new chapter, aiming to foster student interest in editing and publishing and to give writers and artists a chance to showcase their work in a published journal.
The rebranding of The Tributary is an ongoing process that will see changes implemented over the next academic year. As well as accepting student works at Lycoming, the journal will open up in 2023 for national submissions from undergraduate writers and artists. Wagner said, “This change will allow the editors to make connections with other writers in the same point of their career and hopefully build more community.” In the next few years, Wagner hopes to be able to pay students for their contributions with the goal to match professional market rates for student work.
The Tributary is open to additional ideas for the rebranding process as well as open to students, regardless of major, who are interested in submitting or working for the journal. To learn more about submissions and how to get involved, visit www.lycoming.edu/tributary.