Middlesex Community College: MCC's Literary Magazine Gives Students Real-World Experience

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

7/15/2021

Middlesex Community College strives to provide students with hands-on experiences. For students studying creative writing, this includes a capstone class focused on publishing an issue of the Dead River Review (DRR), MCC’s online literary magazine. Working on the magazine helps students edit creative work – including poetry, short stories and photography – giving them an inside look at a possible career for their major.

Katie Durant, MCC English and Creative Writing Instructor and alumna, shows students how the publishing world works by exposing them to different career opportunities. During the class, she also brings in special guests, including published authors, editors and podcast producers.

“It is important to offer students the opportunity to get involved in DRR because it is real and palpable,” Durant said. “The work the students do is not theoretical or busy work. Here the students are editors. Their work has a goal that carries meaning and will be seen by people uninvolved with the class or in creation of the magazine.”

Working on DRR provides students with relevant and valuable skills that will appeal to possible employers and potential publishers, according to Durant. They can put their time working on the magazine on a resume, a writer’s bio or writer’s website.

With dreams of becoming an editor, recent 2021 graduate Carolyn Reistad calls working on the magazine one of her favorite parts about her time at Middlesex. From North Billerica, the English major with a Creative Writing Concentration believes having experiences such as this one has helped prepare her for her future career.

“I know I can actually make a career using my reading, writing and editing skills,” she said. “In a world that is increasingly competitive for people with liberal arts degrees, the practical skills obtained by working on something like the DRR become even more important in helping us stand out among the crowd.”

From Dracut, Raymond Anganes also appreciates the hands-on experience MCC provides students. A Chemistry and Creative Writing major with plans to graduate in Spring 2022, he enjoyed learning more about publishing and working on the magazine. Having his work published also helped him grow confidence in his writing.

“The DRR is a taste of the editing, curating and publishing world, and I've learned an incredible amount over the semester that I spent on its board of editors,” he said. “I had opportunities to get feedback on my work, opportunities to read in front of other authors and readers, and ultimately, I had a short story published. Without the DRR, I would still be intimidated by the idea of submitting work to literary magazines.”

The DRR team saw many submissions from students and faculty across the college. Students working on publishing the magazine review submissions, edit the collection and publish the issue on the internet for all to enjoy.

From Acton, English Creative Writing major Aamer Farttoosi – who hopes to graduate in 2022 –– came to understand that the field is a mixture of individual and group work. Calling writing a “commitment,” he appreciated receiving feedback and suggestions for new ideas to improve his work, including understanding which direction to take his story and how to reword his writing.

“When I revise and get feedback, I try to think about what just doesn't fit or feel right to me, as well as if it's relevant and fits the assignment,” he said. “During the workshops, I wrote pieces and then shared it – with the professor and classmates – and got feedback on it. Luckily, the feedback was positive and useful. I felt comfortable – this really helped me realize how important positive feedback is to me and probably is to all other writers.”

Students worked on the latest issue of the magazine throughout the pandemic. This included participating in breakout rooms on Zoom and editing on Google Docs together. After the new issue was published online, the team hosted a virtual party for readers and presenters to showcase their work.

Working on the DRR during the pandemic gave English Literature major Deklan O’Connor – who expects to graduate in 2023 and pursue a degree in Animal Behavior – something in which to look forward. By participating in a project, he had the opportunity to interact and collaborate with his classmates during an otherwise lonely time. The magazine also helped him learn how to best work on a team.

“Working directly with other styles has likely helped me to develop my own even further,” he said. “But the best part was once we got submissions, Professor Durant would divide us into teams to discuss the works in breakout groups. This class was a beacon online.”

Visit http://deadriverreview.com to read the current and previous issues of MCC’s DRR.

Part of the Arts and Humanities pathway, the Creative Writing program at MCC helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. For more information, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/and discover your path to a career in Creative Writing at Middlesex.

Featuring flexible course formats and a variety of student support services and resources, MCC is registering now for the Fall 2021 semester. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu or call 1-800-818-3434 to register for classes.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.