Revived KSU Literary Magazine Provides a Way for Students to Leave Their Mark

KENNESAW, Ga. (Apr 16, 2020) — Revived KSU Literary Magazine Provides a Way for Students to Leave Their Mark

As an aspiring novelist, Mezi Mulugeta, an English major with a minor in professional writing, loves to write and to see her writing in print. But when she started looking for a place where she could share her writing, she found that the KSU literary magazine was no longer being published. So, with the help of faculty mentors and other students, she decided to revive the KSU literary magazine under the new title Waymark.

Waymark will include fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry and art such as photography, painting, comics and even sculpture. According to Mulugeta, work is accepted for consideration “as long as it’s literary, from the heart and has a component of the human spirit.”

Mulugeta said that she’s been surprised at the amazing volume and diversity of submissions from the students. The submissions have come, not just from students in the English department, but from students in departments across campus.

The name for the magazine was chosen because a waymark is an object serving as a guide or a series of signs or paths that show you the way. Mulugeta said having your work published for the first time is a pivotal point in the path of your career as a writer, and this magazine will give students that future career boost. Mulugeta explains that the name is also fitting because published work is “a way for people to leave their mark, or be a waymark, for the person reading the story. It can be life-changing for both the author and the reader.”

Mulugeta acts as editor-in-chief of the magazine, but a whole team will work together to produce each edition. They have students who review submissions, student editors who work with contributing writers to finalize their submissions, and two faculty advisors—Jenny Sadre-Orafai, Professor of English and Executive Director of the Georgia Writers Association, and Lynn Washington, Lecturer of English.

Her faculty advisors have been “overwhelmingly supportive of the endeavor,” according to Mulugeta. They have offered encouragement and help with setting up the process. Sadre-Orafai publishes a literary magazine of her own, so she was instrumental in helping to plot the course of the publication.

The magazine will be produced online and in print and will be free for any KSU student. They hope to work on the project with the Student Media office since that office has an established business operations and distribution network. If that is unsuccessful, they will distribute the journal themselves.

Mulugeta hopes to gain personal and professional growth through her efforts as editor-in-chief. She feels that working on the magazine will deepen her understanding of literature, storytelling and the nature of the human spirit while allowing her to make a mark on the lives of others. Running the magazine will also help her learn the business side of publishing, an additional career option she is considering.

Mulugeta considers the resurrection of the KSU literary magazine to be a hallmark of her experience here at KSU. She believes that hands-on experiences like these make what you learn through your classes stronger and give you wisdom that makes you better prepared for your future. “All of my professors at KSU have been amazing, and all of my experiences here have been enriching. This magazine is a huge part of that, and it will be an experience that stays with me forever.”

Look for the first issue online in late April or early May at waymarklit.com.