the laurentian

The Laurentian Literary Magazine is a student run group that compiles together different stories fiction and non-fiction, poems, along with some artwork as well. It is run out of St. Lawrence and is composed of the student’s best work and is published once a semester. The edition I read was from spring of 2007 with thirty contribution from students. Even the cover page is artwork from a student and it is a colorful photograph that has been collaged together. The magazine doesn’t have the same appearance one would think of for a maqazine, instead it is in a book format with a soft cover. The stories to do not read as newspaper articles with many picture beside them, but as chapters in a book with artwork placed every so often in between. It looks like a fairly well loved organization on campus because the book definitely has more prestige and thus more funding than something like the hill news, maybe because it only comes out twice a year but also I think the greatest work from the student body is well cherished and appreciated.
There are no editorial notes or anything describing a true direction in which the work of the magazine is tended. This is obviously because it is a random compilation of work from students and each individually had their own goal or goal of a particular class assignment in mind. When the work comes together it shows the wide range of thoughts and identity of the students and classes on campus. There unfortunately are no bios given on the authors, again because they are less experienced writers being students but this comes well understood when reading the magazine. One of my favorite stories was “Good Morning” by Chloe LaFrance, she wrote very well about a girl who was trying to help her mother through the struggle of her father leaving the family. What I appreciated most about the story was how at the end of the story she talked about how the girl turned into exactly what her mother was like and how she did it because she loved her mother so much. One of my least favorite stories was “Righteous Lizard” by Frank Izaguirre, his story is about two young men who are traveling in the deep rain forests of Costa Rica. The story had two problems in my mind, first it was undbelievable and second there was no real plot. The two young men are wading through a river in the rainforest and see a crocidile not too far from them, and instead of being scared and trying to get away they both laugh it off. This is hard to believe and also that they weren’t attacked is unbelievable. Now also I am not going to conclude that all stories must have plots, but I do think certain stories, if they are not reflective enough or fit into a certain style that it is creative to not have a plot, need to have something going on. This story it seemed like they were on this big adventure and the only thing that happened was that they saw a lizard walking on water, which I guess was rare. The story ended to abruptly and needed more to happen, frankly I think the author should have had the croc attack and that could have made it more interesting than it was. The magazine overall was interesting and I think that if I were to receive one if the school gave them out than I would pick it up and acknowledge the work of my piers again, but I don’t think I would seek The Laurentian out at the library. I think it would be great if my work was published in this magazine because since I go to St. Lawrence it would be a nice step up that is more believable of happening to me in my college years, then Time Magazine using my work. It would be a nice recognition to have my work placed next to the best work of other students, and a good way to get me started in my writing career, if that was the path I wanted to take.