Penumbra, the California State University, Stanislaus art and literary magazine, promises a classy night of literature, art and refreshments on Friday.
The annual reading of poems and short stories selected for Penumbra will be hosted in Main Dining on the college campus, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Penumbra journal is produced by students who enroll in a CSU Stanislaus class, English 4019.
“Teaching 4019 is very rewarding because it's different from any other classroom experience I've had at Stanislaus,” said Dr. Jesse Wolfe, the faculty advisor for Penumbra. “Students make all the decisions about which pieces get accepted and how to format the issue.”
Wolfe went on to elaborate that the publication is almost exclusively worked on by the students.
“I cast, at most, a tie-breaking vote in these decisions,” explained Wolfe. “So I get to be present while students run the show, and I get to see democracy in action. 4019 attracts students for various reasons; some students plan to seek careers in publishing, and it's great for me to see them gain hands-on experience.”
Regardless of the fact that students are almost exclusively responsible for the publication, he did mention that the faculty advisor had a fair amount of work, as well.
“Some of [the work] involves long-term planning for Penumbra,” said Wolfe. “Who will be next year's incoming staff? How shall we manage the transition from snail-mail to online submissions? With whom else might we form partnerships, either on campus or off campus?”
In talking about the faculty advisor’s job, he mentioned that Penumbra will – for the first time – have artwork from the magazine’s 2014 issue displayed at the Turlock City Hall Gallery, 156 S. Broadway.
The showing will start during a council meeting at 5:30 p.m May 13. A guest writer from Penumbra will begin the session with a short reading. The pieces will be hung the night before, and guests are invited to come and see the artwork, and speak with the artists. Artwork will remain hanging for several months.
Both events are free. The 2014 edition of Penumbra will be available for purchase at $10. Books will also be on sale at both the City Hall event and the reading.
