The Marquis: Now Accepting Submissions

The Marquis is Lafayette’s yearly literary magazine that publishes student’s creative works, including fiction, poems and photography. The deadline to submit work for consideration is Friday, March 1, and co-editors-in-chief Patricia Riordan ‘14 and Ashley Hosbach ‘15 encourage all students to send in their submissions. The editors answered a few questions about the magazine, what they do as a club and their favorite submissions.

 Lily Yengle: What are your primary responsibilities as co-Editors-in-Chief? 

Patricia Riordan: The big concern has always been to manage an efficient staff and collect pieces that we are over the moon about – but that is only half of the position. Working with the publisher and compiling the magazine together pose plenty of challenges and late nights.   

Ashley Hosbach: I feel that as editors for the Marquis, our responsibility isn’t limited to simply producing an amazing magazine. We guide our staff into becoming better writers, judges of pieces and successful contributors to group discussions.

LY: Do you have a favorite submission that you’ve seen during your time at the Marquis? What was it and why? 

PR: I am pretty sure we all have our favorites.  I have quite a few favorite poems (in particular, poems written by Ross Moretti ‘12, Michele Tallarita ‘12, and Courtney Feairheller ‘12 who have all since graduated).  But the submission that sticks out in my mind the most is a photograph taken by Jack Fedak ‘13.  It was a photo of two giant swans on a lake - really simple, really amazing.  I had it on my laptop desktop for months and it was a running joke amongst the staff last year.  I promise I’m not obsessed Jack, but your pictures are amazing!  Submit again! 

AH: The best submissions I’ve seen so far have to be any of the poems submitted by Ross Moretti. The man has a talented, lyrical voice that captivates you and stands out from the others. 

LY: Describe a typical Marquis meeting.

PR: A typical Marquis meeting is from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursdays in Pardee 113.  We read each submission without knowing who submitted the piece and then take a vote on whether the piece should be published in the issue.  Meetings are generally filled with hilarious commentary and passionate debates amongst the staff.   

AH: Our meetings typically revolve around the staff debating the submissions we receive. Going over submissions is always an incredibly fun experience because of the debating process. A single person can sometimes change the outcome of a vote if they present an engaging argument that persuades the other members to change their opinions. On nights we are not preoccupied with submissions we work on writing prompts and/or critiquing each other’s pieces when members want input on their own writing endeavors. We always welcome new staff members so if you are interested in joining just show up for a meeting! 

LY: What are your favorite books? 

PR: Ah, this question gets me every time.  It is the number one question to ask an English major! I don›t really have favorites. I usually blandly answer this question with Pride & Prejudice because it is a well-known classic and I really love Elizabeth Bennett. Although Mr. Darcy is a bit cold. I know everyone wants a Mr. Darcy, but I will have to pass.  

AH: Oh, that is tough! I tend to devour everything that I read! Hmm I’d have to say that Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber is one of my current favorites. And I’m a huge fan of E.E. Cummings’ poetry! 

LY: Do your career aspirations relate to your work at the Marquis? 

PR: Oh yes!  I would love to write and edit for the rest of my life!  Ideally, I want to be a novelist.  But I am exploring my options and looking into publishing houses, journalism and corporations that need writers.  It is all a work-in-progress; wish me luck!  

AH: Yes! I’d love to work as an editor in the future too and become or discover the next J.K. Rowling in the process. 

LY: The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 1. Tell us a little about what you’re hoping to get, and what you look for in submissions. 

PR: We might be extending the deadline a little bit, but just in case we don’t, make sure you submit on time!  It all depends on the number of submissions we get.  We look for poetry, fiction, non-fiction, photography, and art.  We don’t look for anything specific content wise.  So all is fair game!