Literary and Visual Arts Find a Home in Shale

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 3, 2014) — Entries must be submitted today for an opportunity to be published in the 2014-15 edition of Shale, the University of Kentucky’s undergraduate arts journal.

With support from the UK College of Arts and Sciences, the journal is created and produced by students who want to publish the work of talented UK students each semester. Interested students can communicate with Shale via shaleuk@gmail.com . Those with poetry, short stories of other literary work for publication may submit their work at http://www.shalejournal.org/submit.html

“We believe that garnering support for the arts, whether literary or visual, is an important job, which is why we publish the work of talented UK students each semester,” said the 2014-15 editor in chief Katie Cross. “We also aim to empower and to build a community for creative individuals on campus.” A native of Science Hill, Kentucky, Cross is a senior English major minoring in psychology.

Many may recognize Jack, the publication’s mascot, who has accompanied staff members to events all over campus. In Fall 2012, the art manager at the time, Marshall Blevins, was preparing covers for the journal and created one with an elephant and one with a jackrabbit. The editor-in-chief at the time, Sarah Hayden, liked the rabbit cover more, and he's just stuck with Shale ever since, Cross said. So now their posters, logo, and sometimes journal covers incorporate the rabbit. If you see an ad on campus that has a rabbit on it, it's more than likely to be ours, said Cross, “which is interesting, because I believe U of L's literary journal is called The White Rabbit.

“This spring, I (only half-seriously) suggested to the editorial board that we should get a stuffed (as in plush) jackrabbit and bring him to our receptions and open mics and take photos of him at various campus landmarks for social media purposes,” Cross said. “It was a silly and quirky idea, but everyone seemed to love it, and Jack has now been to a game at the women's NCAA tournament and to Florida, among other places.”

“As this is my last year, I look back on all that we have accomplished and the memories that have been made, the legacy that has been left to me and the legacy I hope to leave, and know that I am quite a lucky writer and editor.

“I have learned so much,” said Cross, “about the craft of writing and about critiquing work from the hands-on experience Shale provides, not to mention from being around the many talented writers and artists on staff. It has been a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but the reward — being able to hold a freshly printed edition and seeing others' faces light up when they see their work on the page — is more than worth it.”

Kelsie Potter, assistant editor-in-chief, a junior English and integrated strategic communications double major from Worthington, Kentucky, said “Even before I came to UK, I knew that I wanted to be involved in a literary journal on campus. I was fortunate enough to be hired as a prose editor my first semester, and I have been with Shale ever since. It has been a wonderful opportunity to work with a group of talented students, to help others improve their work, and to develop my own skills as an editor.”

“I was first published in Shale my first semester at UK, and the next semester the editorial staff reached out to those who had previously been published for a chance to become a staff editor," said Jon Fish, managing editor of prose and a sophomore political science major with a minor in history, from Louisville, Kentucky. "I had been so impressed by the professionalism of the journal from my short time as a contributor that the opportunity to work on staff came as an intriguing possibility. The fact that a political science major like myself can secure a spot on our literary journal’s staff proves Shale’s commitment to reaching out to the entire UK campus.”

Shannon Newberry is managing editor of art for Shale. “After reading through the Fall 2013 Shale issue, I knew I wanted to be a part of the journal," the junior architecture major from Paducah, Kentucky, said. "I joined the staff as an art editor the following semester. Not only have I met wonderful people involved with the journal, but I have been privileged enough to discover the talented artists present here at UK.”

Mary Kate Elliott, managing editor of poetry and a senior English major from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, said working for Shale has been one of the most rewarding collegiate experiences she has ever had. "The journal staff, although divided into separate groups, really functions as a team to produce a polished, professional publication; the journal gets better every year, and it's 100 percent due to staff effort. Our wonderful editors, Katie Cross and Kelsie Potter, form the backbone of the group, doing behind the scenes work like filing incoming material, scheduling staff meetings, handling student inquiries, and promoting Shale through listservs. After working for the journal for two years, I feel confident in my teamwork skills and editorial work — this is definitely a stepping stone for me in both my academic and professional careers.”