'Journey:' Exploring five decades of Southeast's student-run literacy magazine

Since 1966 Southeast has published a student-run literary magazine that provides publishing, community building, and character building opportunities to young writers.

The newest edition of “Journey” was published over the summer, with 105 pages and over 20 student writers. Copies are available to be picked up at the Student Involvement Fair, or in the Grauel building.

The current President of the small club that produces “Journey,” Liam Ohlendorf plans to walk around campus handing out copies as well because he believes they represent a valuable opportunity, and a confidence boost for young writers.

“A lot of [students] don’t think their work is good enough to be published, but a lot of the time they have something there, some talent that they should show other people,” Ohlendorf said.

This magazine began in 1965 under the title, “The Potboiler.” This publication ran for four years said Susan Swartwout, the oldest-living former faculty advisor to the publication.

“The Potboiler” eventually collapsed, and gave way to the publication that we know as “Journey” in 1971. During the 1970s there was a very high emphasis on artwork to accompany student literature. For a few years the publication was even printed in an eight-by-ten inch version to show off the artwork even more.

From the time the publication first arose as “The Potboiler” until the 1997 edition of “Journey” Daniel Straubel was the advisor to the publication. Unfortunately, Straubel has since passed, therefore much of the oral history of the publication is lost.

Certain facts can be drawn from looking through old copies of the student literary magazine. For instance, the publication price was a dollar or less during the 1970s and 1980s. Within some copies were letters from Straubel addressing his colleagues, and urging them to tell their students to come buy the publication for one dollar some years, and 50 cents on other years.

Many of the 1970s era “Journey” issues have solid colored covers, often featuring student drawn artwork or photography on both the front and back. In the 1980s to early 1990s they follow a consistent trend of being black and white covers, and mostly featuring a bordered photograph on the front cover.

“Journey” has undergone many changes throughout the years. One major change was a switch to covers with printed spines in 1988, an update that is still used to this day.

The Straubel era of “Journey” lasted from 1965 to 1997. This period is marked by magazines full of artwork, short stories, poems and photographs, and for a time, even featured caricature drawings of the entire “Journey” staff on the back cover.

In 1998 Swartwout took over as advisor for “Journey.” According to Swartwout the first year was nearly a disaster for “Journey” as the printing bill for the 1997 issue somehow had not been paid off. This oversight resulted in her having to pay for two issues to be printed in 1998.

Swartwout also began an on-campus student reading series in 1998 as a way to grow the writing community, as well as provide public presentation experience to her writers. This series still continues today. The venue was previously Cup’n’Cork, but Ohlendorf said new location of the readings has not yet been announced.

During Swartwout’s era as advisor, which lasted from 1998 to 2012, a marked decline can be seen in the amount of art published in “Journey” but an increase in the number of pages per issue.

Swartwout said she would aim for anywhere between 125 to 160 pages for her issues of “Journey,” whereas some issues from the 1970s only had 50 pages.

Swartwout referred to the publication fondly as a sort of “yearbook for writing.”

“Every issue I go through is like seeing old friends,” she said.

Daniel Crocker took over “Journey” as advisor in 2013, and currently still helms as advisor.

“Journey” under Crocker seems to carry on Swartwout’s style for the most part besides the fact that he shoots for 120 pages per issue. All copies of “Journey” are free, and often used as recruitment tools for attracting young writers to Southeast.

Throughout the long history of “Journey” much has changed, but its importance in the life of student writers has remained the same.

“”Journey” is a very important publication because your student published magazine is often your first place to publish,” Swartwout said. “”Journey” is community. It’s publishing. It’s learning how to be a speaker and writer in a community.”