Hello! The 2023 staff welcomes you to the seventh publication season of Penn State’s online creative arts journal in which we hope to showcase the diverse and unique works of creatives of all mediums and backgrounds.
Following last year’s issue of KLIO in which the staff chose to highlight the popular genres of science-fiction and fantasy, this year’s staff of 15 people considered what we wanted to place emphasis on and came up with two ideas: ekphrasis and translation.
EKPHRASIS INITIATIVE
Ekphrasis is the practice of writing in conversation with art. For our initiative, we’ve made it so that prospective submissions have several options or prompts:
- Send us two linked, related submissions: one piece of artwork and one poem.
- Collaborate with another artist or writer to create a piece that interacts with your own and submit both of them.
- Write a poem in response to chosen artwork (Jovian by Julius McBride) that has already been published on KLIO.
Jovian by Julius McBride published in KLIO 2021.
If you are at all confused about what the practice of ekphrasis is, online literary spaces that focus specifically on publishing ekphrastic pieces such as The Ekphrastic Review, or Broadsided Press can serve as good resources to familiarize yourself with the concept.
The submission form and guidelines for the ekphrasis initiative can be found in the submission pages of both Art and Poetry.
TRANSLATION INITIATIVE
With Penn State being such a large school, we also wanted to ensure that students and creatives of all backgrounds are being represented and spotlighted. This was our rationale for deciding to also focus our energies on a translation initiative.
The translation initiative calls for non-English micro-submissions of all kinds (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc.) with a maximum word count of 300, submitted along with a translation of the work. The author can translate the work themselves or can have the help of others. Translation is a creative process often overlooked by many, and this year’s KLIO staff wanted to highlight the power of works in other languages, as well as the ways in which languages can impact the meanings and subtle nuances of texts.
We suggest looking back at Maggie Dressler’s 2021 poem “An Invitation for Belonging,” published on KLIO for reference to anyone interested in submitting a translated piece.
If you’re interested in submitting a translated piece, submissions can be made in the submission forms designated to the genre to which your piece belongs.
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A large part of being a member of and running an online creative arts journal like KLIO is fostering a community of inventive and unique artists in of all forms or mediums. These initiatives were a way we believed art, as well as the artists and cultures behind the art, could interact and create in a symbiotic experience that enhances works for the audience.
As the 2023 KLIO staff settles into our roles and the semester progresses, we will be rolling out more blog posts about events on campus, the creative arts community here at State College, Staff Picks, our initiatives, and more.
We are also currently making changes to the KLIO website; we are working to update and improve the general look, feel, and accessibility of the website and make it more easily navigable by all.
There’s a lot to be excited about. Submissions for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, film, music, and the two initiatives are officially open and will be until April 2, 2023. The staff is honored and thrilled to get to see and read all of your submissions and curate the seventh issue of KLIO. Stay tuned for everything to come, and we hope to see you very soon!
– Annika Shastry, Editor-in-Chief