For Portland State students Laura Pieroni and Madeline Enos, co-editors of newly created Pathos Literary Magazine, their journal began with a conversation about literary publication restrictions.
Pieroni said they felt limited by restrictions on academic content and subject matter in most magazines.
“There are no bad words,” she said.
The two decided to launch their own literary magazine with the intention of providing students with an outlet to write without fear of censorship.
The “Pathos” kick-off party will occur Friday at an open mike reading and fundraiser at the Food for Thought cafe from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. They also plan to hand out Pathos buttons and women’s underwear at the event.
The magazine is open to submissions from all students and all types of creative writing, as well as black and white photos, drawings and comics.
The duo, who met when Pieroni first asked Enos where she could find a Rite-Aid, found students to contribute to the magazine by holding large general interest meetings when it was still in the early stages of development.
“There are not many literary publications out,” Pieroni said. Though she appreciates the Portland Review, she said, “We wanted to have an alternative.”
With 13 writers contributing to the magazine’s first issue, Pieroni easily filled space, but did have to include one of her own poems and some photography by Enos. Pieroni remains excited and hopeful about getting more submissions.
“With the first issue, we were trying to see how things work,” she said. “We learned a lot and we’ll grow with each issue.”
A sophomore English major from the Bay-area, Pieroni’s involvement in projects like this stems back into high school, when she worked for the school newspaper. She came to Portland State right after high school because she wanted to get out of California and liked Portland as a city.
Enos, a Community Development major and newly elected Student Fee Committee chair, always held creative writing as a passion and is excited about this “edgy” publication. After studying in Rome for a year, Enos came to PSU with a “renewed enthusiasm for academia” and has been getting involved since.
Student fees fund Pathos through the Student Organization Council, which Pieroni currently coordinates and Enos coordinated previously. Pieroni started the magazine before she became involved with the SOC.
The magazine received a $400 fund for this year, and all of it went to the current issue. Pieroni and Enos plan hope to fund the next issue by selling the current “Pathos” at $2 a piece, fundraising events such as poetry readings and other donations.
Pieroni said they will apply for funding by student fees for the summer as well as for the fall, when they hope to reach a higher level of funding. Enos and Pieroni have used some of their own money to make the magazine happen.
“It’s something important to me,” Pieroni said. “It’s worth spending the money.”
Enos and Pieroni hope readings like this Friday’s will bring more readership and more writers.
“It (Pathos) is a forum for PSU students to get published,” Enos said.
Students can e-mail questions about submissions to pathosatpsu@hotmail.com and can submit works to pathossubmissions@hotmail.com.