by Brooke Hall
On one of the prettiest days of the year, IU Columbus students, faculty and staff gathered on the campus lawn to celebrate the launch of literary magazine Talking Leaves’ latest volume. It was standing room only at noon on Oct. 4 as the issue was revealed, and contributors presented selections from the text.
The 116-page magazine features work from 30 students from IU Columbus and Ivy Tech—the first to feature voices from all of the AirPark campus. In addition, Managing Editor Zoe Lawless with her team of four hard-working student volunteers (Kaleigh Goode, Elizabeth Pike, Amelia Wagers and David Walby) spent hundreds of hours going through submissions, copy editing, designing and managing the literary magazine.
“Every issue has its own voice,” explained Zoe Lawless, editor for 2023 issue of Talking Leaves. “What’s happening on campus and in the world shines through, each issue is like a time capsule. And even though it’s a collection of unique pieces of work, it somehow flows together and becomes cohesive under a unified message.”
Read Talking Leaves online or get a free printed copy in The Landing
(Monday-Thursday,
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
With the completion of the 2023 edition, submissions are now open for the 2024 edition through February (the submission period may be extended, depending on the number of submissions). It’s a blind submission process, so reviewers don’t see the names of submitters. Students on the AirPark campus are encouraged to submit original, unpublished:
- works of fiction or nonfiction prose (up to 3,000 words)
- poetry
- artwork, which may include graphic novel panels or photographs of 3d artwork (sculptures, glass etching, etc.)
Submissions may be previous classwork, as long as they haven’t been published elsewhere or shared online (including social media). Find the complete guidelines and submission forms on the Talking Leaves website. Students interested in being readers, copyeditors or designers for the next issue of Talking Leaves should contact the publication’s advisor Lisa Siefker-Bailey.
Siefker-Bailey encourages students from all majors to consider submitting and/or volunteering, noting that—in addition to being a nice feature on your resume— it’s a great leadership experience to be part of this IU-sanctioned, high-quality literary magazine. She adds that nearly all of the behind-the-scenes work is done remotely, making it accessible for everyone’s schedule.
“Students pour their hearts into Talking Leaves, and it’s been so moving being part of it,” Siefker-Bailey said. “My goal is for the students to make it theirs. Every issue is its own, and it’s such an honor to work with students and better understand what they’re feeling and what they’re going through.”
As a contributor for several years, Lawless noted a sense of accomplishment in having her creative work shared, as well as experiencing people’s reactions to her work and the overwhelming support from the campus community. Lawless is graduating in December, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in literature, with plans to attend seminary in the fall to become a pastor. During her time at IU Columbus, she grew from being a Talking Leaves contributor to volunteering on the design team to editor-in-chief. She hands the reigns of the magazine to Kylie Brooks, next volume’s editor.
In addition to revealing the 2023 issue of Talking Leaves and opening submissions for the 2024 issue, the celebration honored the campus’ Tree Campus status and sustainability efforts.