Natalia Rodriguez
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne’s creative writing program hosted the launch party for the newest issue of Prism Review, ULV’s literary magazine on Tuesday in Abraham Campus Center.
About 30 community members attended the hourlong event emceed by senior creative writing major Cadence Burdwell.
It started with members of the senior student staff for the journal reading an assortment of pieces from the new issue.
While the University’s literary magazine has been around for decades, in 2008, Professor of Creative Writing Sean Bernard took charge of running it and brought in undergraduate creative writing majors and minors to work on the editing and production process.
“It occurred to me that it’s much more beneficial for students to learn how to do those things,” Bernard said. “To really get immersed in the design and the creation and the production of the journal.”
For the students, the process begins in the fall literary magazine staff class, which is open to everyone regardless of major. Throughout the semester, students read through a series of submissions, discuss them and select which pieces should advance to the continuing spring version of the class.
In the spring, students, typically creative writing majors and minors, read more submissions, like short fiction and poetry. Around early to mid-March, they begin the process of putting the physical book together by splitting off into groups and then editing pieces, interviewing writers, writing book reviews and preparing for the launch, among other things.
Ethan Bullock, sophomore creative writing major, said he really enjoyed his time working to create the journal.
“My sister’s very involved in publishing, so I know a little bit about the ins and outs of publishing, but I was never fully involved in it myself,” Bullock said. “So being in this class really helped widen my experiences in stuff like this, and we get to know more about what’s going on in this type of…industry.”
Some of Bullock’s responsibilities included interviewing authors whose works were published in the journal. He conducted a short interview with Zibusiso Mpofu, who wrote “August,” a short fiction piece. He also spoke at length with Sarah Fawn Montgomery, the judge of a national non-fiction contest.
The last person to read was Adonis Borer, a senior psychology major, who won the undergraduate creative writing contest.
He shared his piece “Our Lady Pomona,” a collection of three flash creative nonfiction stories.
Borer, a creative writing minor, said the piece is a part of his larger senior project for the creative writing program. He said he wanted to write about the way he sees the city of Pomona, having lived there his whole life, in contrast to how others may view it.
“It was important for me to write about something I have always had really comforting and good experiences with,” Borer said. “And writing that in juxtaposition with everyone else’s opinions that it’s dangerous… and all these negative things.”
Having submitted work each year for the contest, Borer was happy to have won right before graduating.
“I’m always super excited when I get published, but I think it’s another thing… to be published here at this university because it’s given me so much, and I’ve learned so much,” Borer said. “Even after I’m about to leave, my name is still gonna be here in the program in some capacity.”
To finish off the event, the entire staff went on stage and discussed their time in the class and answered some audience questions.
JJ Wilson, sophomore creative writing major, mentioned being the one who helped work on the cover. The art was created by their older brother, Robyn Wilson.
“He drew it, and I helped give what colors it should be, and what to add, and we bounced ideas off of each other for an hour, and then we designed it,” Wilson said.
Submissions for the May 2027 issue opened in April, with a $2 submission fee. Students and employees currently at ULV are not eligible to submit.
Natalia Rodriguez can be reached at natalia.rodriguez@laverne.edu.
Natalia Rodriguez is a senior creative writing and communications major. She is a member of ULV's The Blank Page Writer's Club and has served as a staff member for the school's literary magazine, Prism Review. She is currently arts editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
