Whether your goal is to work in the literary field in the future or you’re a budding poet or avid reader or you have just the slightest interest in writing, getting involved with the literary community on Bucknell’s campus is always a good way to go. While it may seem like this community would be full of English majors and students who read for fun (as if), the truth is there’s a lot of diverse backgrounds, talents, and interests represented in the many facets or “hubs” in the lit world here! Here are some ways you can dip your toe into the world and get to know some literary-inspired peers:
Explore and take classes in ENGL departments
The first and foremost way to dive into the literary community is, of course, to explore and take some classes in the English departments; the overarching English department includes Literary Studies (ENLS), Creative Writing (ENCW), and Film and Media Studies (ENFS). A Lit Studies class will teach you how to analyze texts and how to find meanings in words and phrases that relate to so many relevant, important issues (you would not believe how many times one can re-read The Great Gatsby and continue to find new meanings). A Creative Writing class allows you to exercise a different part of your brain, and who knows, you might be a poet and you didn’t even know it! A Film and Media Studies course will add a whole new dimension to analysis, from the script to the recurring images to the mise en scène. As a Literary Studies major who has taken a handful of Creative Writing courses, I can vouch for the amazing professors in these departments. These are the types of professors who will go out of their way to get to know you and treat your work–your writing–kindly in an effort to actually help you improve, as they know that writing is art. While many STEM majors tend to complain about their W1 and W2 requirements, I encourage everyone to take the time to explore all the ENGL courses in the course catalogue because I guarantee there will be at least one topic that interests everyone. One class in particular that I recommend for those who want to explore the literary community more seriously is: The Writing World, taught by Professor Scapellato. In this course, you will learn about the various careers in this literary world as well as how you can practice literary citizenship in your everyday life!
Join the Creative Writing Club
Speaking of The Writing World, it seems fitting for me to plug the club I created for the final project in the course: The Creative Writing Club! The purpose of this entirely student-run club is to foster a greater sense of community among all those who share a common passion for writing to any degree. It serves as a “hub” for all other literary communities by hosting various events–such as open mics and lit festivals–and encouraging members to attend poetry readings, apply for internships, and more. Since our mission is to bring together anyone and everyone who is interested in writing, we stand by a “get out what you give in” mentality; essentially, nothing about the club is ever mandatory or required, it is simply here for students to be as involved as they want. That being said, the club holds meetings every Tuesday in which members engage in freewrites and workshops and just chat about what’s going on in the lit world. As a “hub,” the club also builds strong relationships with other clubs, the Stadler Center, and professors and individuals who have strong roles in the literary community. If you’re looking to join a community that will provide you with opportunities to get involved and get to know a new group of people, consider joining the Creative Writing Club!
Submit work to confetti head
Are you a poet? A flash fiction writer? An artist? And… are you looking to get published? Look no further than the student-run literary magazine: confetti head! First established in 2018, confetti head fulfilled the absence left behind by the former student lit mag, Fire and Ice. Last semester, a new masthead took over and not only released the fullest issue to-date but also re-branded the magazine. confetti head accepts work from all undergraduate students and strives to serve as a platform for the voices of all student writers and artists. They will be open for submissions for the spring issue next week. Visit the confetti head website for more information on what to submit and how to submit. Moreover, the masthead takes on new editors each year so, if serving on the masthead of a creative literary magazine interests you, keep confetti head in the back of your mind.
Join Writers of Rohan
Another literary club on campus is the Writers of Rohan. This organization focuses on fiction and fantasy writing; they welcome all aspiring writers who are interested in sharing their work, getting peer reviews, and playing fun writing games and activities. Writers of Rohan meet once a week to engage in these activities.
Join The Bucknellian
Did you know Bucknell has a student-run newspaper? There are many ways you can get involved with The Bucknellian and grow your experience in the journalism field. The first way you can get involved, and the best way to start, is by writing articles for the newspaper. Any student can write articles for any of the sections: news, opinions, satire, sports, and special features; students can write articles as often as once a week. This is a great way to not only get involved with the literary community but also to get more involved with the campus community as well, as most articles require writers to attend events and reach out to various people for quotes. If you’re looking to get even more involved, you can join The Bucknellian masthead as a content editor or a layout editor. Content editors are assigned a section, sometimes with a co-editor, and they are responsible for coming up with article topics, getting writers in their section to write articles, editing said articles, and often writing articles themselves for their section. It is a heavy commitment that comes with a lot of rewarding benefits. Layout editors are also assigned to a section and are responsible for creating the layout for the print issues each week. From these roles, you can even work up to print managing editor, print presentation editor, and/or editor-in-chief. The best part about working on the masthead of The Bucknellian is definitely the close-knit community that comes with it. Contributing in any way to The Bucknellian means you are contributing to informing the campus community through quality journalism!
Apply for the West Branch Internship
If you don’t know what West Branch is, it is the professional literary magazine that runs out of the Stadler Center; West Branch publishes work from up and coming poets and writers from around the nation and is well-established in the industry. Each semester, they offer an internship to undergraduate students to gain experience working on a professional masthead. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to apply; information on how to apply can be found on the University website. Interns are responsible for managing submissions, creating editorial packets each week, reading submissions and engaging in discussion with the rest of the masthead at editorial meetings in order to determine what will be published in the issue. This is a great, often competitive, opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the publishing field, and it also counts as one course credit. Most importantly, the professional staff on the masthead is made up of amazing faculty and staff members who will serve as mentors.
Apply for the Bucknell University Press Internship
Another internship opportunity on campus is at the Bucknell University Press. While many people don’t know much about the press, they offer an intensive internship — formally titled the Cynthia Fell Internship — in which students can learn about and gain experience in the business of scholarly publishing. Unlike the former opportunity, this internship is a yearlong commitment; it also counts as one course credit. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to apply; information on how to apply can be found on the University website. In addition to designing content, evaluating manuscripts, and attending weekly meetings, interns will be in charge of creating two original projects.
Work at the Writing Center
One of the best ways to get involved with the literary community and truly make an impact on others is to work at the Writing Center as a Peer Writing Consultant. The Writing Center has been a resource at the university for many years, and it houses an amazing professional staff of individuals who care a lot about making the community inclusive and supportive. Students go to the Writing Center to get individualized help on their writing assignments, while also growing their own writing skills with each session. In order to work as a Peer Writing Consultant, you must take a course titled Working with Writers (UNIV 239) in which you will learn the theory and practice of assisting students with their writing in consulting-style appointments. As a PWC, you are expected to work 4 hours a week, with one 1-hour day shift and 3-hour evening shift, and attend a weekly meeting where you will discuss sessions in order to continuously improve the Writing Center strategy. As a PWC, I have had the opportunity to truly help some students through memorable sessions while also engaging with written work on topics I wouldn’t learn about otherwise. If you feel confident in your writing skills and consulting skills, you should definitely inquire about working at the Writing Center!
Attend poetry readings and other Stadler Center events
One relatively low commitment way to get involved with the literary community is to simply attend events hosted by the Stadler Center for Poetry and Literary Arts. Each semester, the Stadler Center (which also houses West Branch) hosts many events for students, faculty, as well as the local community to attend. Events include poetry and fiction readings, Q&As with writers, student open-mics, and many more! The crowds at these events are always warm and welcoming, so everyone is encouraged to attend at any point during their time at Bucknell.
Join HerCampus!
Last but not least, of course, I had to mention joining HerCampus! If you’re interested in writing articles like this one or other articles about trending styles, how to stay healthy and productive during the rough parts of college, what your favorite dorm-room recipes are, how to make a long-distance relationship fun, and so many more, HerCampus is the place for you! More importantly, it allows you to contribute to bettering the community of women on your campus through journalism.
All in all, there are a lot of ways to get involved in the literary community on Bucknell’s campus; from simply attending events 0r taking a class to working an internship or a job, there’s something for everyone!