“Lightning Key Review has been in the ‘dream stage’ for three or four years,” said Dr. Kurt Wilt, Department Chair of English, Fine Arts, and Humanities. Wilt was the first to introduce the official launch of the titular literary magazine. “Now it’s become a reality with the help of Jeff Karon who designed the website.”
The website, accessible since the launch event, aims to provide a community-like setting through which writers will be able to share, analyze, and gain inspiration from one another’s works. It hopes to achieve what Saint Leo University’s home literary magazine—the Sandhill Review—cannot: give writers from all over the world a chance to express their works to one another. The magazine will be available to people other than the University’s students, staff, or alumni. The site also aims to gain partnerships with other literary magazines across the world; currently, they have four.
To illustrate this idea of breaking free from limitations, Dr. Jeff Karon, an accomplished Visiting Instructor at the University of South Florida, designed the website with a theme of unity in mind. For example, the name “Lightning Key” refers not only to the literary aspects of the magazine, but also to the idea of uniting various islands of writers together—just like the Florida Keys.
“Kurt Wilt and Patrick Crerand asked me to design not just a website, but something different—something that would allow us to create a new kind of literary magazine,” said Karon.
At the event, Dr. Patrick Crerand, Assistant Professor of English, introduced the four guest writers who came to the launch to show their support for the site. Each guest participated in a reading of about two or three of their works, including those which were published on the website.
The four guests who attended were not the first to have to their work published on the site; that honor was given to Joseph Millar, who once hosted a poetry reading of his own at the University earlier this semester.
The attendees who represented “Lightning Key Review” through their works were Silvia Curbelo, John Henry Fleming, Peter Meinke, and Ira Sukrungruang. These writers are highly respected and expressed their joy in being in TECO Hall for the launch.
Peter Meinke, who is the poet laureate of Saint Petersburg, Fl, said that it was “an honor to represent and be a part of Lightning Key Review.”
On the “Lightning Key Review” site, visitors will be able to view the profiles and collections of writers who have their work published there. Also, listed on the site are various quotes, which serve to inspire topics for curious writers.
“I’m totally excited for the Lightning Key Review site. It gives writers a great chance to share their talents and expose themselves to other writers and types of writing. I used to think that Twitter was the only way I could share my writing, but with this site, I see there will be a greater chance for more writers to get inspiration and create a mood for their writing,” said Sophomore Marcos Pacheco.
