Welcome to Issue 1 of The Wellspring Literary Journal!
by Niala Myrick and Sarah Powers
As first-time interns, we're at a pivotal point, exploring opportunities that shape our future. This issue's theme is The Source. A source is a beginning, a point of origin, and that represents this journal–the start of multiple volumes filled with artistic expression, an origin of ever-growing creativity. We’ve enjoyed learning what source means to our writers.
The journal’s founder, Dr. Cunningham, has a long history with the students at Appomattox Regional Governor's School. After 20 years of chairing the Literary Arts Department, then retiring, she provided students with an opportunity to get exposure to the world of literature outside of our school’s walls. When applying to intern at Wellspring, we wrote a short essay about our experience, our interests in writing, along with why we wanted to be a part of Dr. Cunningham’s team. When asked about any special skills we had, or if we had experience with the software used for Wellspring, thanks to the graphic design classes offered at A.R.G.S, we were more than qualified to assist.
In our Print and Online Publications course, we compile and evaluate writing and artwork from our peers. Learning to turn those skills to a different sort of publication takes practice and guidance. The students and staff work diligently to make ASGARD a well-respected literary magazine. At our annual Writer’s Festival, the visiting authors always praise our professionalism. The quality of our work has proved why Wellspring chose to offer us an internship.
Being an Intern encouraged us to lean into genres that we might normally avoid. Wellspring opened my eyes to the world of creative nonfiction. I used to dodge it as much as my teachers would let me, but seeing how comfortable these authors have been in sharing their true, unfiltered stories, and coming to terms with their experiences, has become a big inspiration. I plan to pursue nonfiction as one of my elective classes next year.
Everyone in Wellspring’s team of interns has been integral in shaping the journal in Dr. Cunningham’s vision. The composition of teams worked well and we appreciated being given options on what part of Wellspring we wanted to work on. The teams included organization and layout, acceptances, line editing, and artwork.
Dr. Cunningham made sure to be there for every step of the process. None of this would have come together without time, effort, and collaboration.
The Wellspring Journal selected visual artists who interpreted the theme of The Source. We enjoyed the rich and meaningful pieces of writing, as well as the beautiful art pieces paired with them. Every artist in the Wellspring Journal takes you through a story. Though the team chose art pieces with specific works in mind, they all have their own merit. Did the artist use the techniques correctly? Does the art make me want to think deeper? This and more was put into account.
The artwork team paired the art and writing by finding a connection between themes. For some it was easier. But for others, they definitely had to look into the abstract. For example, imagine a piece about childhood. If there was no artwork with a direct connection, the team would look for art that could possibly symbolize innocence, like a field of flowers, or even baby ducklings with their mother. We aimed to leave a lasting effect on the readers.
It’s almost time for us to close out this letter and unveil all of our team's hard work, but first we have some exciting news to share: a print version will appear in April! The book will be a tangible form of the anthology that not only allows you to disconnect from the Internet and live in the moment, but also take a deep dive into the meanings behind the works included. You can underline your favorite phrases, gift it to others, or watch it sit pretty on your bookshelf. We made a physical copy available so you can enjoy the Wellspring Literary Journal in a way that works best for you. The visual art pairings will not be included in the print version (due to cost of printing).
Wellspring made its call to “Explore the themes of beginnings, origins, and sources; whether it's your heart-breaking, hilarious, exotic, or quotidian story, we want to hear it.” This beautifully sums up the diversity of Wellspring’s submissions. One of our interns, William Gribbin, has a piece in Wellspring titled Farm Animal Thoughts. William is a junior literary arts student, and has also been awarded the Scholastic Gold Key Award for Writing. Here’s a section from Farm Animal Thoughts that we thought truly embodies Source:
“I’m far
from the true
edge, the edge of
darkness, of the
cosmos and the
Big Bang and
all.”
We hope you enjoyed this peek into our internship, and we trust you will find delight in the rest of the journal.
–Signing off,
Niala Myrick and Sarah Powers