NSU’s literary and art journal, Digressions, is now accepting student pieces to feature in their upcoming nineteenth volume. The editorial team is seeking original works of poetry, creative essay, dramatic scenes, art, short stories and photography.
The journal promotes creativity and open expression in a university setting so that students can move away from the rigidity of an academic setting. There is no set theme for the publication, rather an open call for submissions. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to submit their work regardless of their concentrations and backgrounds.
“We pride ourselves as being a creative outlet at NSU on a campus that tends to be dominated by the hard sciences,” said Assistant Professor Mario D’Agostino, the journal’s faculty advisor.
“We’re a very open, receptive, collegiate journal, and no one should feel deterred from submitting – we have such a burgeoning cultural community in South Florida, hence here at NSU as well so, it would be a shame if these brand of artistry were not tapped into and celebrated,” said D’Agostino
In addition to the student-run aspect of the journal, it is “overall a collaborative effort across the university,” said composition, rhetoric, and digital media masters student, Athena Edwards, the director of the journal.
Along with student submissions and reviewers on the editorial team, two classes are involved in the creation of the final product. The Graphic Design II class, taught by Assistant Professor Miriam Ahmed, designs mock-covers for the journal, where one piece is chosen as the final design at the end of every fall semester. Then, the edit, layout and design graduate class, taught by Associate Professor Eric Mason, designs the layout of the journal.
The submission window is open to students every year from the beginning of the fall semester until the first week in December. They are then put through a series of revisions before the final publication is released in April.
“As a blind peer-reviewed journal, each piece is handed over to three anonymous student reviewers who look it over, provide comments and give it a rating number based on how well it fits the journal,” said Edwards. “Essentially, the reviewing isn’t based on the quality of the piece but rather if it is suitable for this type of journal – it is a meeting of mind in an academic setting so, although there aren’t any strict themes, it must be relatively appropriate in that sense.”
There are a few upcoming deadlines to be aware of. The VIP deadline is the last day of November, the final deadline in the first week of December, and the deadline for early submissions is to be announced on their social media platforms this week..
Notably, if students submit their work prior to the early submission or VIP deadlines, they will be awarded with “publication perks,” including font selection, a revise and re-submit option, an early premier on their social media platforms.
Students can submit their work at https://nsuworks.nova.edu/digressions/ and stay updated with Digressions via their social media platforms @nsudigressions on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
The Digressions journal is also always open to new reviewers to join their editorial team. If you are interested in volunteering, contact either Athena Edwards (ae665@mynsu.nova.edu) or Mario D’Agostino (mdagost0@nova.edu).
