Writing Club Highlight: Avant Literary Magazine

Written by Meg Nielsen

Image Source: rowanavant.com

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Avant Literary Magazine is the 2nd oldest club on Rowan University’s campus, having been established in 1960. Since then, the club has been collecting prose under 2000 words, poetry, visual art, and photography from Rowan students and publishing them in a print magazine (approximately) once a semester. This week, I talked to members of Avant’s E-board, and asked them how they felt their participation in the club has benefitted them:

Steven Flickinger (Editor in Chief): "Being part of Avant has defined my college experience. Whether I was a club member, assistant editor, or editor in chief, being part of the club made me feel like I was in the heart of the on-campus writing community. I’ve gained tons of workshopping experience and have become much more comfortable having collaborative discussions with other writers. The club has also shown me a wide variety of forms and styles that have diversified my own writing, simply by reading the work of others. I can’t imagine where I’d be without Avant."

Adam Buckley (Assistant Editor): "Avant has been a part of my college career since I was a freshman. Even before I was on the e-board, I felt like Avant was the writing community to be a part of at Rowan. Showing up to meetings and reading the work of my peers made me a better writer by sheer exposure. As an Assistant Editor, and anticipating being Editor in Chief next year, I think about how doing this job has helped me become a better writing professional, team member, and friend. Without Avant, I’m not sure the kind of person I’d be."

Megan Nielsen (Assistant Editor): "I joined Avant the 2nd semester of my sophomore year, and it drastically changed my college experience for the better. I immediately felt so welcomed, and everyone is so friendly. At meetings, I’ve learned how to properly articulate my critiques and feelings about a piece in ways that genuinely benefit writers and let them know what they can improve on. I’ve been able to apply this skill during class workshops, and have been actively sought out for my feedback. Avant has also allowed me to have my writing looked at by others in a judgment-free and productive environment. Without Avant, I wouldn’t have nearly as many friends in my major, and I’d be a worse writer too."

Emily Carabasi (Social Media Coordinator): "I started attending Avant meetings during my freshman year, and joining the club helped me grow not only socially, but academically as well. Avant was such a welcoming environment for me, and it helped me a lot with becoming more involved on campus. It also introduced me to the Writing Arts community on campus and is the reason I decided to take a Writing Arts minor! Joining the e-board my sophomore year as the Social Media Coordinator has given me lots of professional experience and overall has made me more confident in myself and my skills as a writer."

Samantha Szumlotz (Layout Editor): "I served as Avant’s Graphic Layout Designer for two semesters at the end of my sophomore year and in the beginning of my junior year. I have also assisted in the selection and copy editing process of the publication. Being an Avant member introduced me to the principles of submitting creative works to literary magazines and editing other people’s works. I was also introduced to the world of graphic design and software like Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop, which expanded my skill set list. I wouldn’t be where I am in my academic journey without Avant."

It can be seen in all of these testimonials how participating in Avant on campus can be beneficial to Writing Arts students. This semester, Avant meets from 7-9pm on Wednesdays in 260 Victoria, room 301. If you’ve ever thought about attending, but haven’t gone, take this as your sign! It’s never too late to get involved.

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