Spilled Ink, the new student literary and art magazine at Jackson State, is now in print

Jackson State's Creative Writing Club has created and issued the first print edition of Spilled Ink, the college's new student literary journal.

An online version of the journal has been maintained by the club since its inception in Spring 2016, but it was felt that an annual print edition would be an important addition to campus culture.

"All Jackson State faculty, staff, and students are eligible to submit poems and stories to the journal," said Dr. Ryan Guth, assistant professor of English and one of the club's co-sponsors. "You don't have to be a member of the club to get your work in print."

Members of the Creative Writing Club serve as editors for the journal, selecting submissions, working with authors on revisions and determining the sequence and layout of pages.

Volume 1, Issue 1, contains art by JSCC art students, who assisted in judging a contest for the image on the journal's cover. The cover art is "Hugs," a word portrait by sophomore art major Olivia Hall. "It is a picture of my sister and I when I got back to the U.S. after studying abroad in Italy," she said. "This piece is made completely out of words that describe my relationship with my sister."

The inaugural print edition of Spilled Ink is 44 pages and features several poems and short stories by students. In all, nearly 50 creative works of about 30 students are featured.

"The Creative Writing Club is a place where anyone who enjoys a good story or poem can gather to learn more about this art form. Whether you're new to writing or have been doing it for several years, this club welcomes everyone with open arms," the club's note to students inside the first edition says.

"Our goal for the future is to work with other Fine Arts clubs (Art, Photography, Drama) and expand the kinds of material presented in the annual print volume," Dr. Guth said. "We want everyone to know that the Humanities are alive and well and supported at Jackson State."