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At this time of year, when the end of the spring semester appears on the horizon, we start looking back as well as looking forward. Our Annual Awards Banquet each May offers one of those moments when we celebrate past accomplishments and share the excitement of those students who are graduating to the next step … Continue reading Endings and Beginnings
As a creative writer at K-State, I was often caught between two worlds. Whenever I read a book, watched a movie, or even heard a bad joke, I asked one of two questions: Can I write a paper about this? or Can I write a story about this? So when Dr. Anne Longmuir had us read … Continue reading Tale as Old as Time
Office Space is a recurring feature that gives us an inside look into faculty workspaces. Professor Michele Janette is up this week. 1. About a decade ago, I went to the Cornell School for Theory, which Greg Eiselein dubbed “theory camp.” When I told my then-advisee (and now alumna and dear friend) Mickayla Fink … Continue reading Office Space: Michele Janette
Touchstone enjoyed a rebirth this year. Almost a year ago, I decided that I’d put my extra semester of graduate school to use and thrust the magazine into the lit-mag world with new gusto. In the ever-digitizing world of literature, our first two goals were to establish an online presence at touchstonekstate.org and to archive digital … Continue reading Touchstone Literary Magazine Offers New Issue, Digital Archives
Before coming to grad school, I had actually only written one poem, and I had no real intentions of getting deeper into poetry – but when I got an email at the start of my first enrollment saying, “Hey, do you want to be in my class?” I was so excited to be included in … Continue reading Grad Student Spotlight: Maia Carlson
National Poetry Month began in 1996 through the Academy of American Poets. In their own words, “it has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture.” Here are 30 ways you can celebrate National Poetry Month here in Manhattan, KS, starting … Continue reading How to Celebrate National Poetry Month
On Wednesday, March 14, more than 50 people gathered in Union 227 to share perspectives on recent news stories concerning the author Sherman Alexie, such as the one published with NPR on social media, such as the one by Deborah Miranda. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students from across Kansas State University, as well as local … Continue reading Complicated Conversations
Growing up, the only constant in my life was school. As an introverted impoverished kid, I was definitely easy to overlook. However, time and time again, teachers would turn towards me and offer a kind word, a gesture of compassion, or opportunities for hope. From elementary school and through my undergraduate studies, phenomenal educators … Continue reading Grad Student Spotlight: Cat Williams
“They call it broken language but we say broken to who? — Dye Scott-Rhodan One Sunday after church, my Aunt Peach was wearing a new dress and my mama said, “Peach! Girl, that dress is bad!” My eyes widened as I squeezed her hand and said, “Mama!” I was about six years old and quickly … Continue reading Unlearning Linguistic Trauma: Identifying Broken Perceptions in the Composition Classroom
Thousands of creative writers descended on Tampa this week for the annual AWP Conference. We asked three Kansas State graduate students to weigh in on their conference highlights -- so far anyway. The Fifth Annual Rock and Roll Reading took place in Ybor City — a pocket of Tampa where stray roosters strut past strip … Continue reading Dispatches from #AWP18
