Meet the Interns: Kim Jakubowski

Advertising Coordinator Kim Jakubowski is an English (Creative Writing) major completing her senior year at ASU. Her short story, “Heartland,” recently won the Randel and Susan McCraw Helms Homecoming Writing Contest, and is being published in an upcoming issue of Marooned. Aside from her internship with Superstition Review, Kim currently works as an ESL tutor. After graduation, she hopes to travel and continue writing, and eventually pursue an MFA or a career in publishing. This is her first semester with Superstition Review.

1. What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

I am working with Superstition Review as an Advertising Coordinator. Some of my responsibilities include writing press releases, updating SR‘s press kit, coordinating advertisements with other literary magazines, and promoting our reading series, submissions period, and issue launch.

2. Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review ?

I read one of my own stories for Superstition Review during my first semester at ASU, and I talked to an intern there who said that working with the magazine was a fantastic experience. I’m interested in gaining some insight into the publishing process, as I am considering a future career in the publishing industry.

3. How do you like to spend your free time?

I spend a good portion of my free time reading and writing. I also love listening to music, playing guitar, and spending time with my friends and family.

4. What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

My passion is for reading and writing fiction, so I would love to try the position of fiction editor.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

My favorites change periodically, but if I had to pick one work to bring to that proverbial deserted island, it would be The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel. This is one work that I never tire of; it’s witty and original, and her use of language is incredibly incisive and beautiful. The binding on my book is already falling apart.

6. What are you currently reading?

I can never seem to read just one book at a time, so at the moment I’m reading a collection of short stories by Alice Monroe, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as the Best American Short Stories 2010.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a couple of short stories, as well as a non-fiction piece.

8. What inspires you?

I’m inspired by people with an enthusiasm for life, as well as people who have the strength and drive to pursue what they love.

9. What are you most proud of?

My writing and academic accomplishments have always been a source of pride for me. I’m proud of my determination to achieve my goals.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would love to be a published writer, or involved in the publishing field as an editor. I also hope to travel extensively, maybe live in a foreign country. My plans are a bit vague at the moment, but I hope that I will be able follow my passions and end up doing something that I enjoy.

Meet the Interns: Tyler Hughes

Advertising Coordinator Tyler Hughes is a senior at Arizona State University. He will be graduating in 2011 with a degree in English Literature. After graduation he would like to be able to apply his skills and experiences learned at ASU and interning for Superstition Review into a career in publishing and editing. He also has a passion for writing fiction and hopes to be able to find a home for his writings. This is his first year working for Superstition Review.

1. What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

My position at Superstition Review is Advertising Coordinator. I am in charge of the Superstition Review Blog. Some of my responsibilities include managing the blog, writing posts, and editing the posts that our editors write for the blog.

2. Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review?

My interests include writing, both creatively and for an audience, and along with that I am interested in pursuing a career in the publishing field. I thought that Superstition Review would provide some great hands-on experience.

3. How do you like to spend your free time?

In my free time I enjoy reading and writing, spending time with my friends and family and hiking with my dog.

4. What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

I would love to try out the position of Fiction Editor. They get to do a lot of fun stuff like review submissions and read pieces from great authors.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

This is a hard question as there are so many great stories out there. One of the stories that I have always loved is Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Ender’s Game is a science fiction story about a boy named Ender who is sent to a military run space station to train in tactical warfare in preparation for an alien encounter. It has some great characters and writing and the premise is pretty unique. It is hard to pick just one but Ender’s Game is definitely in my top five.

6. What are you currently reading?

I am currently re-reading World War Z by Max Brooks. It is an account of the zombie apocalypse through interviews with people from around the world. It is all treated very seriously, but not too seriously, and is a really fun read.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I have been a little bit swamped recently so I haven’t really had time to work on anything. However, I am in the early stages of brainstorming a short story project as well as editing some old stories.

8. What inspires you?

I am inspired by stories about people. People and their experiences are fascinating and I never get tired of hearing people’s stories.

9. What are you most proud of?

Right now, I am very proud of my accomplishments in school and being so close to earning my bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I hope to be working in a job that I enjoy, hopefully something in publishing or editing.

Meet The Interns: Kylie Powell

Kylie Powell is currently a junior at Arizona State University where she is studying Literature, Writing, and Film. She is now part of the Superstition Review team where she is in charge of the advertising. Kylie someday hopes to take her advertising and writing experience and work with companies to advertise their products.

1. What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

My position with Superstition Review is Advertising Coordinator. My responsibilities include seeking out places to advertise SR, and then contacting those places to get the best deal for an ad that we can get. I also try to build partnerships with other literary magazines by also helping them to advertise with us.

2. Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review?

I decided to get involved with Superstition Review because I looked at it as a great opportunity to get experience in the field of both writing and advertising. It is also a helpful way to get more involved and learn the behind the scenes of how a literary magazine is put together.

3. Besides interning for Superstition Review, how do you spend your time?

Most of my time is spent working for the Campus Recreation department at ASU. I work at the gym and also with intramural sports, so between the three things it keeps my life pretty busy, but I love everything that I do.

4. What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

I would like to try out being a fiction editor or maybe even a blogger because it would give me more opportunities to write.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

One of my favorite literary works is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I read it for a film class and was able to compare a movie to a novel and it really showed me how different literary works can be from what someone portrays when making a movie. It was a novel that was impossible to put down and always had something exciting to grab the reader.

6. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading a lot of travel stories. They have really sparked my interest after beginning a travel writing class and it is a whole new kind of reading and learning.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I am currently working on ideas for a fiction book. I have always wanted to write a book not to sell but more so for myself and family.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I see myself doing some kind of writing whether it be in a magazine, newspaper, or even writing a book.

 

Progress Update: Closing In

With just over three weeks left in our submissions period, Superstition Review staff are reaching a critical point in Issue 6. Submissions are pouring in and our section editors are reading and sorting them daily.

Our photoshopper has been busy formatting the head shots of confirmed authors as well as staff. We’re also looking to our Advertising Coordinator to develop new ways to expand our readership. Interview Editors are continuing their research by listening to National Public Radio broadcasts and reading previous interviews from our selected authors. This is allowing them to form more refined interview questions.

Content Coordinator Carrie Grant has confirmed poets James Hoggard and Amanda Auchter for this semester’s issue. Hoggard’s work has been published in Mississippi ReviewHarvard Review and others. His most recent work, out of the 19 books he’s published, is Triangles of Light: The Edward Hopper Poems.

Author of The Glass Crib, Amanda Auchter‘s writing has appeared in numerous reviews and magazines and she has received accolades from Crab Orchard Review and Bellevue Literary Review, among others. We look forward to their work with Superstition Review.

In addition to providing these weekly updates on our progress, I strive to provide information on Superstition Review authors, and upcoming literary events in the community. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for features on Matthew Gavin Frank and Melissa Pritchard.

 

Meet the Interns: Amy Cheung, Advertising Coordinator

Amy Cheung is a Creative Writing junior at ASU.

Superstition Review: What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

Amy Cheung: Advertising Coordinator. I am responsible for creating and sending out email blasts regarding submissions, readings, and notifications about Issue 5 of Superstition Review. I also work to contact other magazines and advertise SR there, as well as other locations so that we can increase awareness of our magazine.

SR: How did you hear about Superstition Review and what made you decide to get involved?

AC: I took a course with Trish last semester about publishing in literary magazines. I received email blasts about Issue 4 and an email blast requesting applications for interning this semester with SR. I thought it would be a great opportunity to contribute!

SR: What are you hoping to take away from your Superstition Review experience?

AC: I hope to learn a lot from this experience of working as a small part of a really big project. I want to learn the process of getting a literary journal out, better appreciate all the hard work that goes into it, and understand the extent to which each role plays an important part. More importantly, I want to have fun this semester working with my peers on this amazing journal.

SR: Describe one of your favorite literary or artistic works.

AC: One of the best books that I’ve ever read is by Australian author Tim Winton called Cloudstreet. It’s an amazing book about real life people and real life situations. The magic realism of the book creates a fascinating world that anyone can be a part of and brings the characters and the house they live in to life. The author’s style is so beautiful and fitting for his characters. It is definitely a must read.

SR: What are you currently reading?

AC: Besides all the textbooks for my other courses at ASU, I’ve just started reading Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

SR: What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

AC: I think I would enjoy trying to do Photoshop and web design work for SR. I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at being a fiction editor, since I love reading other people’s work.

SR: Do you write or create art? What are you currently working on?

AC: I both write and create art. I’ve been revising a lot of my old stories as well as very slowly working on a book that I thought up several years ago. Art wise, although I haven’t painted in three years, I’m trying to paint again. I also like to do digital art, although it tends to be very time consuming.

SR: Besides interning for Superstition Review, how do you spend your time?

AC: Currently, I have three other classes at ASU, and I work part time for my high school in China. I’m finishing up helping coach for the basketball season. I also work as a media designer, creating advertisements, posters, pamphlets and other documents to promote the school.

SR: What is your favorite mode of relaxation?

AC: I love sitting and talking to my friends, since I have so little time to do so. I also like taking time for myself, reading, drawing, and playing video games when I need to do something mind numbing.

SR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

AC: I hope to still be writing in 10 years, and working as a museum administrator. I love art and organizing, so I hope to make a profession of it!

Spotlight on Veronica Martinez, by Elizabeth Anderson

veronicamartinez_0_0Intern Veronica Martinez, Advertising Coordinator here at Superstition Review, is currently based out of ASU’s Tempe campus. At this time, she is of junior status and an English (Creative Writing) Major, also on her way with a Minor in Justice Studies. Upon graduating, she hopes to attempt graduate school and be accepted into the Social Justice and Human Rights Master’s Program at ASU West.

Elizabeth Anderson: What do you like most about being an intern?

Veronica Martinez: What I have enjoyed most is the opportunities that are presented to learn new skills and expand my knowledge of how online art/literary journals and magazines are published.

EA: What do you hope to get out of this experience?

VM: I hope to gain some knowledge of how to market this kind of literary journal, further more to gather skills that will enable me to not only pursue opportunities in the publishing field but also in online media. I think this internship really gives you the ability to see how all components are put together to make the issue happen, so that kind of insight is really helpful in other occupations aside from publishing as well.

EA: What has been the most difficult part of this internship?

VM: For me, it has been time. Initially when I decided to do the internship, I had only planned to take three classes this semester but I had to go with four. On top of a full time job, I also attend classed full time so I am feeling the pinch, so to speak.

EA: What is your role for Superstition Review and what exactly do you do for the magazine?

VM: I am the Advertising Coordinator which incorporates creating/writing the Vertical Response e-newsletter for SR. I also advertise SR‘s reading series by finding local free calendars to list the readings on. I also write up press releases for SR to send to various national and local media outlets for coverage. Basically, I am working and researching how to get SR some local and national media attention.

EA: Any interesting facts that you would like to add? 

VM: I have an eight-year old daughter who makes me breakfast every morning, bagels with peanut butter. Yum!