Students launch literary magazine

June 7, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - It had been 11 years since the last student literary magazine hit the stands at Palmer High School. Thanks to a few timely conversations and an eager student body, the literary tradition was revived this year.

The magazine, "Journeys," is a compilation of 49 different stories, poems, photographs and works of art, all from the minds of Palmer High School students. The magazine was also fully produced by students and is now on sale at the school for $1.50.

The idea of rekindling the literary magazine first took hold when Paul Morley, the extended learning program specialist at Palmer High, started talking to members of the English department about creative academic projects.

"It was mentioned that we had a literary magazine in the past," he said. "Apparently there is a history that goes back, but it's been quite a few years."

It was 1994 the last time Palmer High School released a student publication. In order to get ideas, Morley looked around and got copies of several University of Alaska Anchorage student literary magazines for ideas.

According to Morley, enthusiasm for the idea took off and there were more submissions this year than the magazine could hold.

"We got lots of submissions," he said, adding that a core group of six students reviewed all the works and decided which ones were fit to print.

Morley said one of the goals of the magazine is to provide an avenue for student works and creativity.

"One of the things I do is look for ways to broaden and deepen what kids learn in schools," he said.

Contact Joel Davidson at 352-2266, or joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.