Meet the Interns: Elizabeth Anderson, Nonfiction Editor

elizabethanderson_0_1Elizabeth Anderson, one of our Nonfiction Editors, is a senior majoring in Creative Writing and working on a minor in Art History.

Superstition Review: What do you do for SR?

Elizabeth Anderson: I find nonfiction literary writers across the country and solicit them for work for SR. I also choose a few nonfiction writers that speak to me and solicit interviews.

SR: How did you hear about or get involved with Superstition Review?

EA: I first got involved with SR after taking a poetry class with Trish. Last year, I was the Solicitations Coordinator, where I kept track of the editor’s e-mails, created spreadsheets, created documents of responses, and added names to the Solicitations List.

SR: What is your favorite section of SR?

EA: My favorite section is the Art section because of Karen Green’s work, which I find not only unique, but also very inspirational.

SR: Who is your dream contributor to the journal?

EA: Currently, my dream contributor would be Mary Cappello (whom I sent a solicitation e-mail out to!), because I absolutely loved the idea behind her narrative, “Awkward: A Detour.” She not only covers touchy familial subjects, but she has a fluid way of talking about normal, everyday life.

SR: What job, other than your own, would you like to try out in the journal?

EA: I would love to be one of the Art Editors because it is so outside of my realm of the written arts. The visual arts can excite so many emotions without saying anything, and I would love to learn how to capture these emotions.

SR: What are you most excited for in the upcoming issue?

EA: I am so excited just to hear back from the nonfiction writers that I solicited. I think that their feedback will be the biggest pay off for all of my hard work thus far.

SR: What are you currently reading?

EA: I am currently reading My Friend Leonard, by James Frey. No matter what the media says about him, Frey will always hold a special place on my bookshelf.

SR: What are some of your favorite websites to waste time on or distract you from homework?

EA: To distract me from homework, I love to read Democratic Underground, The Onion, and of course, playing Waka-Waka on Facebook.

SR: What would be your dream class to take at ASU? What would the title be and what would it cover?

EA: My dream class at ASU would be a poetry class that not only focuses on forms (I am currently in ENG 490 Forms class), but also incorporates actual student readings of the poetry outside of class. The title would be ENG 490.5 “Forms and Presentation.”

SR: What are some of your favorite literary links?

EA: My favorite literary links are poets.org, azpoetry.org, zeroland.

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!

Introducing Elizabeth Anderson, by Veronica Martinez

elizabethanderson_0_1Intern Veronica Martinez interviews Elizabeth Anderson about what her challenges and rewards are as the Solicitation Coordinator for Superstition Review.

Veronica Martinez: What has your intern experience been like so far? 

Elizabeth Anderson: Coming into the internship, I was expecting to do more of the tedious random assignments that no one else wanted to do and be treated like I did nothing for the magazine. There have been many deadlines and a lot of very stressful projects, but I have realized that I have been given a string of support that I can reach at any given moment. My favorite part has been the reading last week at ASU East because it was rewarding to see that the writers we contact do actually respond and are willing to give back to the community.

VM: Can you give us a short description of what your internship duties are?

EA: I am currently the Solicitations Coordinator. I searched for fiction, nonfiction, art, and poetry writers to add to our current Solicitations list. I contacted bookstores, Undergrad and Grad programs, libraries and more to send out the fliers to ask for submissions for issue 3. I am in charge of reminded the genre editors of their deadlines. I am currently working on adding names to our distributions list from people who attended the AWP conference.

VM: What are your hopes for the future, in regards to what you are learning through this internship experience? 

EA: In regards to this internship, I am learning the basic skills of discipline and deadlines. I will be able to apply these skills to my dream of becoming a writer or an editor for a well-known magazine like Time or Life. I am learning how to be a committed intern, and have realized that there is a climb to get to the top. I hope that this internship will help me pursue my dreams and work hard for what I want. I hope to apply my new-found knowledge of the contemporary writers and the varieties of writing styles to my future work. Overall, this internship has been very inspiring.

VM: What’s one fun thing you can tell us about yourself? 

EA: I am absolutely obsessed with the Twilight series. I am one of nine children. I plan to move to Seattle when finished with school. I am an Art History minor.