By Adriana Rodriguez, Contributing Writer
It’s hard being a seasoned author, but it’s even harder to be an aspiring one.
Publishers want experienced authors, and authors want publishers that help them gain experience: it’s a never-ending cycle. Fortunately, Saint Leo University has a solution to this problem, and it’s the Sandhill Review.
“Sandhill Review is the literary magazine of Saint Leo University. It showcases [the]work of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and participants of the Sandhill Writers Retreat,” explained Dr. Gianna Russo, assistant professor of English and creative writing, and current editor-in-chief of the Sandhill Review magazine.
The magazine was founded by Dr. Kurt Van Wilt, a previous professor at Saint Leo, who Russo described as, “a poet, and a writer, and a huge supporter of student writers and of the literary community.” Russo continued, “I’m sure that he founded it to showcase that work and to offer an outlet to the community. That’s my educated guess.”
Wilt’s goal for the Sandhill Review seems to have been met as more members of the Saint Leo community submit their work. The magazine is currently in its 22nd volume and has recently been made universally available with an online version from the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This transition to digital publishing has increased the sense of community that the magazine provides to all of its readers since it has made it possible to distribute the magazine to the Saint Leo centers all across the country. This wasn’t possible until the magazine took on a digital form. Instead of only its main campus being able to read the edition, all of the Saint Leo community can partake in the published works of its members. With this in mind, Russo assured that Sandhill Review will continue to keep an online version of its upcoming volumes.
It’s not just writers who are invited to contribute to the magazine. Photographers, poets, and all sorts of artists are also welcome to submit their work for publishing.
“The only thing we really don’t publish […] is an academic-style essay,” Russo said. “We’re more interested in creative work.”
For this year’s volume, participants need to become extra creative since the theme, “The World Around Us,” forces them to see the world from a new perspective. This is thanks to the new limits as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Partly because we have been so restricted and we’ve been a little bit hemmed in, it sort of focuses you on looking at things more microscopically,” said Russo. “I found myself focusing on the outdoors much more than ever.”
When picking a theme for the Sandhill Review, Russo explained that she first turned to her interns for suggestions. This year’s theme was actually suggested by one of her interns, Alicia Shook, a current junior of Saint Leo with a double major in history and English: literary and cultural studies.
The theme was then, as Russo explained it, discussed with creative writing professors, Dr. Anne Barngrover and Dr. Patrick Crerand, who, as current staff members of the magazine, loved the new theme.
Once participants have submitted their works to the review, all submissions are then assessed and picked for publishing depending on how they meet the criteria posted on the guideline rules.
“The standards are [excellence]in terms of craftsmanship and technique, and then how are you addressing the theme […] I think, intuitively, we have a sense of ‘this is working, or this isn’t,’ and it usually has to do with the feeling that’s going on with the passion and, but also the craftsmanship. It’s not like we have a rubric,” stated Russo.
Of course, participants are also required to follow basic rules such as proper grammar, required word count, and authentic/ comprehensive images and drawings when submitting their works to the review. They must turn in their own work and not that of others, and failure to do so would result in instant disqualification.
When notifying a participant of rejection, the Sandhill Review staff shows adherence to the core values of Saint Leo by staying mindful and respectful towards the person. By maintaining the civility showcased by the magazine, the participant will then be able to further develop his/ her work ethic and demonstrate professionalism for future submissions and other related attempts.
Although the Sandhill Review has proven to be successful in its publishing and inclusiveness, it still faces obstacles.
“I guess, in a small way, making sure that everyone knows that it’s here and it’s available for people to submit to,” Russo said.
Sandhill Review is attempting to solve this issue by increasing its accessibility and promoting the literary magazine via universal online websites such as Facebook and Google.
The Saint Leo magazine can be found on Facebook under the name “Sandhill Review and Writers Retreat.” Students interested in submitting to the Sandhill Review can visit www.lightningkeyreview.submittable.com/submit for more information.
