Posted by Merrin Sardi, Fiction Reader for issue 6.1
We are already half way through the semester but it’s never too late to meet the new section heads! Below, each editor explains what prompted them to sign on as a section head this semester, and tells us what they are hoping to encounter in our submission pile. Perhaps their views will inspire you to submit a piece or two to the literary magazine. Our deadline has been extended until 10/22. Continue reading
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Posted by Jeanna Foti, GD Fiction Reader for 5.2
With a new semester, comes a brand new issue of Gandy Dancer! As the submission deadline approaches, this semester’s new group of editors is eager to dive in and get started on issue 5.2. In the meantime, I’ve asked the new section heads a couple of questions in order to properly introduce them to our readers. This semester, we have two creative non-fiction co-editors, Josh DeJoy and Meghan Fellows. We have Jackie Shost as our fiction editor, Kallie Swyer as our poetry editor, and Noah Mazer as our art editor. Continue reading
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Posted by Marley DeRosia, GD Fiction Reader for 5.1
It’s that time of the year! The new Gandy Dancer staff is starting to pick up speed as our submission deadline draws to a close, along with the dying rays of summer heat (thank goodness!) As we all settle in with our warm mugs of coffee or cider, we’ll begin reading and assessing the quality and craft of the pieces submitted. For those of you considering submitting, we’ve extended our deadline to October 8th! To get us ready to read, I asked the section heads some hard-hitting questions. This year’s fiction editor is Sarah Steil, the poetry head is Robbie Held, and the creative nonfiction editor Alexis Sammler. Here’s what these clever individuals had to say about their goals for Gandy Dancer and their reading interests:
Marley DeRosia: Sarah, what do you hope to accomplish as the Fiction Section head for this edition’s issue?
Sarah Steil: I hope to feature different voices/writers that offer stories so powerful I need to go take a walk after reading them. There are always some poems/stories that move me so greatly that I think how did they do that?, and then, how can I do that, too? I want every fiction story featured in Gandy Dancer to, metaphorically, punch the reader in the face.
MD: What made you want to be the fiction editor this semester? Have you had experience writing or publishing fiction in the past? Continue reading
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Posted by Kate Collis, Creative Nonfiction Reader for Issue 4.2
It’s that time again—the cut-off date for submissions to Gandy Dancer for 4.2 has come and gone and we’re happily reading away. As always, a new semester means a new set of editors who have fresh outlooks. In light of this, I’ve spoken to all four section heads to give readers a chance to get to know them and their ideas about their genre.
Shayna Nenni, Fiction Editor
Kate Collis: What constitutes a good short story?
Shayna Nenni: A good story will be grounded in a particular place, a place that readers can connect to. Along with that, well-developed characters and compelling situations that illustrate their relationships to each other, to their past, and themselves. I think it’s important to understand where our main character and secondary characters stand with themselves.
KC: What would set a story apart from the rest and make it publishable to you?
SN: I love a good plot. As simple as that sounds, there is nothing more thrilling to me than reading a good piece, skimming ahead because I’m so excited to see what comes next that I literally can’t wait to get to the next line. That, or really connecting with a character. Not necessarily the main character, but any character. To physically feel a connection from reading a piece, that is what sets one apart.
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Gandy Dancer’s newest readers and editors are here and ready to do some reading! We’re all so excited to see everyone’s submissions and can’t wait for work to get started. (Psst: Need a refresher on our submission guidelines? Click here to find out more!)
Check out our new masthead to get to know everyone individually. Here’s to a great new issue!
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Posted by Jenna Colozza, Media Specialist and Fiction Reader for Issue 4.1
Today marks one week until Gandy Dancer’s Fall submission deadline on October 1. One of the unique qualities of Gandy Dancer is its ever-changing staff—each issue has a whole new crew of readers and editors, all with different perspectives on the literature and art they love. I spoke with Issue 4.1’s genre editors to find out what they look for in a piece of writing. Read on for an inside perspective on what the Gandy editors hope to read and publish this season:
Sarah Hopkins, Fiction Editor, hopes for stories with sharp focus. She says, “For fiction, we are looking for pieces that are engaging, immersive, and character driven. We like to read pieces that have a sense of time and place, pieces that try something new and succeed. A short fiction submission should have an organic voice and precise language. Make us laugh, make us cry, but most importantly, make us interested.”
From our Poetry Editor, Evan Goldstein: “As for poetry, we would like to feature original, finished poetry, detailed in its nature and broad in its reach, with vivid imagery, and themes based in the particular and personal experience, but expanding beyond as well. We’re looking for poetry that is unafraid, searching, evocative or narrative—poetry that speaks loudly or whispers, speaks clearly or in many voices, and does all with sincerity. We encourage you to send us experimental, non-traditional poetry, to push the limits of the form or break it up completely, but we could never turn down a good villanelle or pantoum—as long as form is not more than an extension of content.”
4.1’s Creative Nonfiction Editor, Erin Duffy, says, “What I look for in a CNF essay is honesty, personality, and above all, freshness. A truly successful CNF piece takes the everyday and infuses it with evocative language and originality. We look for writing that is able to transcend the page and leave a lasting impact on the reader’s heart or mind. As the saying goes, life is stranger than fiction.”
Our Art Editor, Alex Herman, says, “We’re looking for art that’s not only original and pleasing to the eyes, but also evokes a deeper thinking from the reader. Photography is, of course, always popular, but we also love (pictures of) other art media like paintings, sketches, and sculptures. SUNY’s artistic talent is limitless, and we try to reflect as much in Gandy Dancer.”
There you have it—an inside look on the minds of our editors. We’ll be awaiting your submissions!
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