Organization and creativity are a hard match to find together. The current editors in chief of American Literary, AU’s premire creative arts publication, have struck the prefect balance though. In their term as editors they have helped to foster many friendships in AU’s arts community, a population at the university that often goes unnoticed and underappreaciated. They have seen a significant increase in the number of submissions to the publication. They also planned the inaugural D.C. Intercollegiate Literary Conference hosting publishers, writers, and professors form across the DMV to speak to the AU community about how to make a post-grad living in the fields of arts and literature. In the middle of their busy schedules they made some time to sit down with us to share a little more about their position at AU.
Her Campus: How did you first get involved with AmLit?
Brendan Williams-Childs: I first got involved with AmLit as a freshman in 2011, after having read some magazines during orientation. Like literally everyone who comes to the fall general interest meeting, I wanted to get my stuff published.
Julia Martins: I had a brief affair with SIS my first semester at AU probably because the building was nice, but turns out International Relations was one of the most boring disciplines known to the human species for me. So I turned to the Literature department and tried to find all things art related at AU, leading me to AmLit. I probably sent an email to Annie and Marlena (the EICs at the time) that sounded desperate and sad like “please let me talk about art PLEASE!!!!!! Help!!!!!!” I never left because it was the best thing for me.
HC: What is the greatest lesson AmLit has taught you so far?
BWC: I’ve learned that giving people the language to speak about art is essential to making a real conversation. It seems obvious, but when I first came to AmLit, I don’t remember anything like the current practice review sessions we have now. I think there’s the assumption that everyone interested in the arts in some way comes from a similar background, but it’s not true. Like anything else, you have to give people the tools if you want them to build something; be that a physical product or a great conversation.
JM: Oh, man. What hasn’t AmLit taught me? I am a way more competent human now that I’ve had the chance to be EIC. One of the hardest but most important lessons AmLit has taught me has been how to boss around your friends without being a jerk. In other words, AmLit has been really helpful in teaching me how to separate friend time from work time. But probably the most important lesson AmLit has taught me, or more so, reaffirmed in me, is the power that the arts have to bring diverse groups together.
HC: Who are some of your favorite writers?
BWC: Joyce Carol Oates, Bret Easton Ellis, Jay McInerney, Ray Bradbury, Christopher Isherwood, Katherine Dunn, and, even though this is cliche and horrible and incredibly obvious, Ernest Hemingway.
JM: Kate Chopin. Literally no one else matters to me. (Okay that’s a lie I care about other authors. Ariel Dorfman, Marie Vieux-Chauvet, and J.M. Coetzee matter to me a lot.)
HC: What does your position of EIC entail? Struggles? Rewards?
BMC: Being an EIC is mostly a job of logistics. It’s the behind the scenes work that makes sure we have the rooms reserved for meetings, reviews etc. It also requires a lot of collaboration with other members of the Media Board to make sure the release party gets set up, catered etc. I think the struggles come mostly from having to deal with university administration. For example, when Julia and I were going to Princeton, we rented a car through AU but due to some paperwork mixups, we almost couldn’t go anywhere. The rewards, of course, are the interactions with our staff and the finished product of the magazine itself.
JM: EIC is a lot of planning ahead and a lot of organizing. I’ve gotten very chummy with calendars. I’ve also had to learn to think in terms of PR/marketing, which has been a challenge. But, of course, the hours Brendan and I spend in the office are well worth it because our editorial board and staff are the most lovely people ever, so getting to spend time with them creating something beautiful and seeing that final product is well worth the time and effort.
HC:What kind of legacy do you want to leave with the magazine?
BWC: Expansion. In my time at AmLit I’ve seen the number of submissions to us go up, and I want that trend to continue. I think people are really coming to understand that AmLit is a community effort, and that the end product thrives only because of what’s given to it to begin with.
JM: I really hope AmLit continues reaching out to the greater D.C. and Mid-Atlantic literary community as Brendan and I have worked towards this year. We had the pleasure of attending Princeton’s Intercollegiate Literary Conference, inspiring us to host our own D.C. area conference featuring local editors of literary magazines and writers. I think it’s very important for AmLit to continue fostering relationships with the small (but mighty) literary community we have right here in D.C.
HC:Where is the best place to read in D.C.?
BWC: The Georgetown University Library, third floor. All the DC libraries are connected, and I live in Glover Park, so it’s not hard for me to get to Georgetown. They have a beautiful library, lots of natural light, and free wifi for visitors.