Students of all classes and members of the Asbury community crammed into the Wilmore staple, Drinklings, awaiting the official launch party of the 60th edition of the Asbury Review, “Freshly Pressed,” on Thursday, Jan. 12.
The Asbury Review is Asbury University’s biannual art and literary magazine. It is completely student-run and acts as a compilation of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenplays and visual art from Asbury students.
Seniors Hailey Small and Lily Kesten served as editors-in-chief, with junior Alex Nicholson as the fiction editor, and senior Mark Wood and graduate Zeke Stephens as poetry editors.
Kesten opened up about how much the Asbury Review meant to her after she hoped to grow her writing skills five years ago.
“Ever since, the Review staff has been a home for me to express my thoughts and hone my creative writing skills while also working with other people to create art,” Kesten said. “Every publication is a snapshot into Asbury’s creative scene, and I am so glad it exists. It gives people who aren’t really creative writing majors a place to submit their work, knowing it’s a safe place for critique and refinement. I’m really going to miss it.”
Junior Emily Ellis served as the nonfiction editor, senior Gavin Reed was the screenplay editor, and senior Annie Wilder was the publicist. Graduate Rebecca Sams offered her skills as the design and layout editor.
Throughout the fall semester, the staff hosted generative sessions and workshop nights all to inspire students not only to get connected to the Asbury Review but to have opportunities to create and perfect their creative pieces. Everything built up to the launch party at Drinklings.
All students were welcome to drink coffee, chat with fellow lovers of art and writing and hear some of the submissions read aloud. The main readers were sophomore Kaitlyn McCraken, Ethan Johnson, sophomore Klara Kinman and sophomore Tiffany Rutledge. Additional authors featured in the magazine got to read sections of their pieces and discuss them. Senior Madison Anderson read her poem, “Maggie Valley, NC” at the event.
“It is always a surreal experience to read my poetry at Drinklings,” Anderson said. “The crowd is full of artists that are so supportive, and it really makes my heart warm to share a story so intimate to my experiences.”
The event held the opportunity for artists to express themselves and hopefully be a catalyst for new work.
“It was truly a night to celebrate the artistic side of campus and glean inspiration from the stories students shared (inspiration that can maybe even be used to work on pieces to submit to the 61st edition, of course),” said Ellis.
Submissions for the 61st edition of the Asbury Review officially opened on Jan. 13. They close on Feb. 12. For more information on how to submit your work, check out the instagram page @theasburyreview and click the link in their bio.
