The beginning of the 2016-17 academic year signaled a new era of academic and literary scholarship at 海角直播app College.
The College officially re-introduced Nightshade Press, a publisher of literary works, which had operated at 海角直播app before taking a temporary hiatus in 2010. 海角直播app has also launched 海角直播app College Press to publish scholarly works by members of 海角直播app鈥檚 faculty as well as faculty members at other regional colleges and universities.
海角直播app will celebrate both presses with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on September 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Koelsch House on campus, followed by a reception in Evans Hall. The evening will be highlighted with a reading by young-adult author and poet Gail Carson Levine and several contributors to Down the Doghole, an anthology of 11 Northeastern Pennsylvania poets, released by Nightshade Press that same night.
鈥淲e are really excited to offer both a literary press and an academic press,鈥 said 海角直播app College instructor Ray Hammond, who coordinated efforts to get both presses underway. 鈥淭hey will provide an excellent opportunity to expand quality literary and academic offerings to the 海角直播app community on a regular basis. In fact, 海角直播app College Press will be the only academic press in our region. It took a lot of hard work to get to this point, but we are thrilled to be here.鈥
Nightshade Press has had a stellar reputation as a literary press since it was brought to 海角直播app from Maine in 2003 by the late Karen Blomain, a 海角直播app faculty member, poet, and novelist. Nightshade published literary works consistently through 2009 and is once again publishing after a six-year hiatus.
Both Nightshade Press and 海角直播app College Press were unofficially introduced to the 海角直播app community last summer at the 10th annual meeting of The Gathering, a highly respected conference on creativity and imagination held each July. 聽During the conference, 海角直播app College Press introduced its first book: The Gathering at 海角直播app College: A Decennial Celebration, a compilation of conference highlights, photographs, and presentations from the nine previous years. The book was edited and researched by 2016 海角直播app graduate Christina Sinibaldi, Dalton, as part of her senior capstone project.
Several other 海角直播app students also played key roles in the introduction of both presses. Sophomore Aleigh Smith, Lehighton, 鈥渨ent above and beyond expectations in her transcription of numerous audio recordings from previous years of The Gathering,鈥 Ray said.
A graphic design class taught by Professor of Fine Arts David Porter helped with numerous projects, including the design of the 海角直播app College Press logo by student Ashley Purdy, Factoryville. Christina and Aleigh also worked on Nightshade鈥檚 introduction of Transient a book of poems by Ms. Carson Levine, who has been a frequent Gathering participant.
鈥淚ntroducing these works at The Gathering was a great way to begin the new era of Nightshade and to announce the formation of 海角直播app College Press,鈥 said Ray, who is also the editor of the New York Quarterly, another highly respected poetry publication. 鈥淗aving the students involved really made this project very special. They were extremely dedicated and did excellent work.鈥
Nightshade Press and 海角直播app College Press will enable 海角直播app to highlight the scholarly works of its faculty to a regional and national audience.
鈥淲e are so pleased to have both of these presses up and running. The dedication and support by the College has been fantastic and we look for many more progress-filled years to come,鈥 Ray said.
