Laurus Magazine

With the end of another school year upon us, we wish all of our newest graduates a heartfelt congratulations! Have a happy summer, everyone!

As the semester comes to a close, the editors wanted to give an update regarding the status of the Laurus 2021 literary magazine: the 2021 magazine has been sent off to print! More updates to follow on when they're available for pick up.

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for Senior Editor Sarah Kee! Sarah is a junior English major with minors in Spanish and Math. Here are Sarah's responses to some fun literary questions:
- What kind of character in a book would you be? The character that has a mysterious past and randomly shows up throughout the book.
- What is your favorite book? BUNNY by Mona Awad.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Thomas Shelby from PEAKY BLINDERS.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? painting, reading, & crocheting.

Love the idea of poetry but don't know where to start? It can seem intimidating, but we've got some ideas for you to feel more comfortable in the first steps of your poetry writing journey:

- Read more poetry! Seeing what others have written before you (especially the famous greats) can serve as inspiration and guidance
- Challenge yourself to write in specific forms like sonnets, haikus, and odes
- In a special notebook or note, record the seemingly random words, phrases, and descriptions that you come across and find to be particularly unique or creatively useful
- Don't be afraid to use poetry prompts, poetry writing exercises, or thesauruses

Missed the deadline to submit to Laurus? Have no fear! The UNL-affiliated literary magazine Prarie Schooner is accepting general submissions until May 1! Prairie Schooner is passionate about showcasing brilliant writers no matter where they are in their career, so don't hesitate to submit even if you've never been published before! Happy writing!

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for our Design Director, Janica Choong! Janica is a Senior Advertising and Public Relations major with a minor in English. Here are Janica's answers to these fun literary questions:
--What kind of character in a book would you be? The serene side character that stays out of main events and wonders at the antics of the main character(s).
--What is your favorite book? THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini.
--Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Five from THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY.
--What are your creative hobbies/interests? Taking pictures of the skyline, writing short story plots that never get anywhere, & slapping new recipes together.

I bet we've all wished that somebody would write about us the way authors describe the characters in their writing. . . well, you're somebody! Try painting a literary self-portrait describing raw elements of yourself like your favored sayings, fresh bedhead, face with vibrant makeup, or nervous habits when talking to somebody new. Turn these descriptions into a beautiful poem or short story!

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for new editor Cecelia Bialas! Cecelia is a junior English major with minors in Communications and Humanities in Medicine. Here are Cecelia's answers to these fun literary questions:

- What kind of character in a book would you be? The intriguing side character; in a multiple POV story, you're most excited to read their sections.
- What is your favorite book? WILD CHILD by Linda Ashcroft.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Claire Fraser from OUTLANDER.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? Photography, watercolor, painting murals, writing and reading poetry, and playing the piano.

This creative tip goes out to all of our visual artists: Whether you're working with paint, colored pencil, or digital photography, challenge yourself to stick with a color scheme! Bring out the unexpected blues in your subject's face, or view that still winter-dead tree grove through a springier, more colorful lens. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and play around with less realistic, more interesting colors!

Didn't make the deadline to submit for Laurus but still have work you want to be published? Consider submitting to Sink Hollow, an online literary magazine established by students/faculty at Utah State University! They are committed to publishing undergraduate work and "value pieces that light fires strong enough to survive a freeze." Their deadline to submit for 2021 is April 9th, so head over to their website quickly to submit your work or check out their past magazines. https://www.sinkhollow.org/ Sink Hollow Literary Journal

Today's Editor Spotlight is for new editor Zach Wendling! Zach is a sophomore Journalism, Broadcasting, and Political Science triple major. Here are Zach's responses to some fun literary questions:

- What kind of character in a book would you be? The clumsy hero who has good intentions but messes up a lot along the way.
- What is your favoirte book? WHAT IF IT'S US by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) from HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? Writing, poetry, working for The Daily Nebraskan.

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for new editor Thara Michaelis! Thara is a sophomore English major and Spanish minor. Here are Thara's responses to some fun literary questions:

- What kind of character in a book would you be? The sweet side character.
- What is your favorite book? PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Lily James.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? world building

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for new editor Melina Kostal! Melina is a freshman majoring in Journalism and English. Here are Melina's responses to some fun literary questions:
- What kind of character in a book would you be? I'd like to be a wizard who occasionally offers sage advice but mostly just chills.
- What is your favorite book? Can't just pick one, but I love THE ILLUMINAE series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Tessa Gray from THE INFERNAL DEVICES.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? I like to read, write, and do random crafts like knitting.

We're sharing another submission opportunity with you creatives! ANGLES is a literary magazine edited by an undergraduate staff at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. Similar to LAURUS, ANGLES accepts photography and visual art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. They value purposeful, attention-grabbing language used in writing to share unique perspectives, and they publish two issues per year. The deadline for all submissions is April 1, 2021. Visit projects.sjfc.edu/angles/submit or their Instagram for all submission guidelines!

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for new editor Abby Cleveland! Abby is a freshman English major and Art minor. Here are Abby's answers to these fun literary questions:
--What kind of character in a book would you be? The character serving ice cream to two love birds while feeling jealous.
--What is your favorite book? My favorite book right now is BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley.
--Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner wtih? Max in the last season of WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE.
--What are your creative hobbies/interests? I like to make charcoal portraits and write poems.

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for Editor-in-Chief Haille Cox! Haille is a senior English and Sociology major. Here are Haille's responses to some fun literary questions:
- What kind of character in a book would you be? I feel that I would be the main character in a romance novel that overthinks her feelings for her love interest. I think I would have a sassy best friend that would tell me the cold hard truth.
- What is your favorite book? THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker.
- Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Elizabeth Bennet.
- What are your creative hobbies/interests? I like to read, write, do yoga, ride my bike, and play with my cat, Vitani.

Today's "Editor Spotlight" is for new editor Adison Pace! Adison is a senior English and Sociology major. Here are Adison's responses to some fun literrary questions:
--What kind of character in a book would you be? Villain-they're always the coolest character.
--What is your favorite book? HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski.
--Who is one character from a book or film/television show that you would like to have dinner with? Obi-Wan Kenobi.
--What are your creative hobbies/interests? I like to write fiction about people who must leave their comfort zone and do things that test their character.

Staring at a blank screen or piece of paper before starting a new writing project can be overwhelming. If you’re finding it hard to find the perfect first sentence, take off the pressure by doing a 10-minute writing exercise. Set a timer and write whatever comes into your head about the project without stopping until the timer is finished. Most of it might be incoherent, but you could be surprised by new ideas that come up!

Today’s book recommendation, I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, comes from our editor Melina. This beautifully written contemporary novel follows the perspectives of Noah and Jude, two twins who have had a traumatic event drive them apart. As the story unfolds along two separate timelines, the reader is able to unravel the mystery of their falling-out as the characters find their way back to who they are.