Ralph Ellison

Meet The Interns: Brandy Winchester

Superstition Review

Brandy Winchester is a senior at Arizona State University. She plans on graduating in May of 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a focus on culture. After her graduation she would like to attend a law school in Arizona. Her long term career goals consist of graduating from law school to then go on to practicing in family law; specializing in divorce cases. This is her second semester interning for Superstition Review.

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

This semester my position is Art Editor which consists of finding and reviewing artists for our upcoming issue 7. After the review process I will be responsible for viewing and rating the art submissions and staying in contact with the artists.

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

I decided to get involved with Superstition Review last semester as a way of exposing myself to the art of publication. After last semester I grew very fond of the program and decided to return for another issue.

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

I enjoy spending my free time outside as much as possible. I like to hike and experience new places. I’m a dreamer and can easily spend an entire “free” day planning new trips and adventures to conquer.

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

If I were to intern with Superstition Review for a third semester I would like to try out the submissions coordinator position because I think it would be a challenge and in the end I would walk away with a lot of good experience.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

My favorite literary work is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This piece is my favorite because it is a touching story that takes the reader through a trip “to the other side.” The issues presented in the book are raw but also life altering. It is a book for every reader.

6. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Mama Might Be Better Off Dead By Laurie Kaye. This novel addresses the health care issues that the United States has by putting it into perspective through an African-American family.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I am currently working on learning how to play the guitar. I had formal guitar lessons as a child but I never followed through with it. A few days ago I went and purchased a cheap guitar with the intent to pick it back up and this time actually follow through with it.

8. What inspires you?

People inspire me. I have always been a people watcher. I enjoy sitting and observing others. This is what inspires me to write because I strive to capture my visions.

9. What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of myself. I shock myself on a regular basis with the new things I try and that I accomplish. I try to never stop dreaming, and with that I plan to never stop doing.

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I see myself with a B.A. in English Literature, a B.A. in Anthropology, and a J.D. in law. I will be practicing family law, specializing in divorce cases. And I hope that I am still living life to the fullest every day!

Meet The Interns: Brandy Winchester

Superstition Review

Brandy Winchester is a senior at Arizona State University. She plans on graduating in May of 2011 with a Bachelor in English Literature, and a minor in Anthropology. After her graduation she would like to attend a law school in Arizona. Her long term career goals consist of graduating from law school to then go onto practicing in family law; specializing in divorce cases. This is her first intern position at Superstition Review and she looks forward to the experience.

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

My current position is Poetry Editor, and my responsibilities consist of composing a list of poets to contact for submission, receiving and reviewing poetry submissions, maintaining contact with the poets, and assisting with the finalizing of the selected poetry for publishing.

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

I have always had a passion for poetry, and I found Superstition Review to be a great way for me to become involved in the publishing of poetry.

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

Being a full-time student I spend most of my time on campus, and when I am not on campus I enjoy spending my time with friends and family, and volunteering on the weekends at local animal shelters.

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

I would be interested in trying the fiction editor position because of my love for creative writing.

5. Describe one of your favorite literary works.

My favorite literary work is Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This piece is my favorite because it is a touching story that takes the reader through a trip “to the other side.” The issues presented in the book are raw but also life altering; a book for every reader.

6. What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.

7. Creatively, what are you currently working on?

I am currently working on my personal statement for my applications to law school.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I see myself with a B.A. in English Literature, and a J.D. in law. I will be practicing family law; specializing in divorce cases. And I hope that I am still living life to the fullest every day!

 

Meet the Interns: Riki Meier, Fiction Editor

Superstition Review

rikimeier_0Fiction Editor, Riki Meier, is a senior majoring in English Literature, part of The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Superstition Review: What do you do for SR?

Riki Meier: I’m a fiction editor, so I get to solicit work from authors I like, read submissions, and help determine which stories will be published in the next issue.

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

RM: I first heard about Superstition Review through WORD: Creative Writers @ ASU, another internship for which I’m serving, filling the role of President. As WORD’s President, I helped advertise the reading series to our members. I later learned through the Honors College listserv that Superstition Review was accepting applications for interns, and the opportunity just seemed too fantastic to pass up!

SR: What is your favorite section of SR?

RM: The Fiction section is my favorite, of course! Fiction is my passion. I love reading fiction (it’s a requirement for Literature majors) and I also write fiction as well.

SR: Who is your dream contributor to the journal?

RM: Oh–I have two dream contributors! There’s no way I could choose between them. I would absolutely love to be able to publish Toni Morrison or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. They are both my literary idols.

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

RM: Honestly, I’m so excited about my work this semester as fiction editor that I find it hard to consider any other positions at the journal!

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

RM: I am most excited about getting to contact my favorite authors and asking them to submit work. I think it’s a chance of a lifetime. When else will I be able to contact Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, etc., and ask them for a story or an interview? Just the thought of being able to interview someone like Marquez or Morrison is absolutely thrilling to me.

SR: What was the first book you remember falling in love with and what made it so special?

RM: Actually, the first thing I remember falling in love with when I was little was Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” That story introduced me to magical realism, which I absolutely adore. It was also the first piece of literature that really got me thinking about larger social issues.

What are you currently reading?

RM: Right now I’m reading a lot of books on feminist theory, postcolonial theory, and cybercultural studies for research projects I’m working on. Other than my work at Superstition Review, I don’t have time to read anything else this semester, unfortunately. However, I have a copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s Welcome to the Monkey House, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and Carlos Fuentes’ The Death of Artemio Cruz piled up on my nightstand just waiting for the day after final exams!

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

RM: That’s easy! It’s an MFA class currently being taught at ASU by Alberto Rios called “Magical Realism.” Not only does the class study great works written in the magical realism tradition, but you get to learn magical realism writing from a great magical realism writer!

SR: What are your feelings on digital medium?

RM: Oh, that’s a loaded question for me as I’m studying an online book discussion group for one of my big research projects. New media allows for a new hybridity of virtual/physical, public/private, sacred/profane, work/play, and even male/female. It is through narrative discourse that discursive and cultural practices are formed and diffused throughout society, and these practices, in turn, work to form the framework within which identities are constructed. As media types and forms of expression evolves and extends to virtual environments, a deeper exploration of cybercultural studies is necessary to deconstruct and understand the new identities being formed.

I believe there is an intrinsic connection between literature studies and rhetoric studies, and that there is an evolution of literature and narrative in progress that is the result of technological advancements. Today, multiple narrative forms—including literature—are evolving and adapting to online and multimodal environments. I maintain we must study communities of practice to understand the impact these virtual environments have on narrative and on the people who produce and consume these narratives.