Literary magazine makes campus debut

by Caroline Sterne

Monday November 14, 2005

A new student literary publication has burst onto the Sarah Lawrence College scene. The Little Jackie Paper (or The LJP) was thought up by a group of juniors while they were studying abroad, and they have followed through with it. The aim of the LJP is to “focus on and promote unrestricted dialogue and free public art.”

According to LJP editor, senior Keegan Finberg, “Our aim is to create a forum wherein creative work and critical analysis engage in open dialogue with each other. Literary theory and experimental poetry will be given equal consideration.”

The Little Jackie Paper is asking for poetry, prose, criticism, interviews, letters, dialogues, book reviews, lists, easily reproducible visual art and pretty much anything else. The LJP is accepting such a wide range of visual and textual forms because “it seems like it’s important to read and think critically about writing, maybe just as important as the writing itself,” said LJP editor, Senior Tim Falzone.

The Looking Glass, formerly called the Sarah Lawrence Review, is a long-standing SLC publication.

The LJP emphasizes that it is not trying to rival The Looking Glass.

“We only want to add another voice to the community’s discourse,” said editor Andrea Mudd, a senior. “Creation and criticism can benefit so much from invested and open discussion, and we wanted to open the discussions we’d been having to the rest of the student body.”

Students have responded to the LJP with enthusiasm. “I’m excited about the prospect of the magazine,” said senior Marcus Silverman. The LJP editors say many students have approached them to inquire about submissions or with offers to help out.

“The best way to help is to submit to the paper,” Falzone said.

But students will also be able to help with the book binding, which The LJP plans to do here on campus. The LJP is purposefully planning a small print run. “We want people to read it and pass it around. We want it to be discussed,” said Finberg.

The first issue of The LJP is scheduled to come out in early December. Submissions and inquiries can be addressed to thelittlejackiepaper@gmail.com.

Note: Caroline Sterne is both the writer of this Phoenix article and a member of The Little Jackie Paper staff.