Photo By: Ben Sheffler
By: Rebecca Juntunen
It’s been said that you should never judge a book by its cover. Well, except if it’s the newest edition of “the Hurricane Review” literary magazine, whose intriguing cover is a hazy snapshot of an elderly, overall-clad man, sitting beside his wife and holding a cigarette. This photo captures the essence of the submissions inside—the theme of the blue collar worker.
On the evening of Friday, February 7th, a group gathered at The Open Book, a nonprofit bookstore in downtown Pensacola, for the unveiling of the two PSC literary Reviews: The Hurricane, and the Kilgore.
Holly MacNaughton, the editor in chief of both Reviews, commenced the evening by describing her role in crafting the Hurricane.
“I started it at the same time as the Kilgore,” She explained, displaying the magazine for the audience. “I was still learning, but I had learned more tricks and trades from the Kilgore.”
The Hurricane Review, begun in 1986 by former English Professor Walter Sparra, contains a fusion of poetry and prose. Unlike the Kilgore Review, it contains no art, and publishes submissions from non-student writers.
MacNaughton said her favorite part of the job was “reading all the submissions. It was interesting to see all the variation of styles and submissions.”
Also acknowledged for their work on the Hurricane were graphic designer, Gabrielle Arduini, and editorial assistants, Ben Sheffler and PSC English Professor Todd Neuman.
MacNaughton then related the story behind the theme and intriguing cover photo.
“I grew up in a blue collar home,” She began. She described her dad, one such worker, who, after returning from a long day of work, “would wash his hands, but they would never really come clean.”
Her grandfather, Charlie, was a WW2 veteran and a worker cut from the same material. When searching for the perfect cover for the Hurricane, MacNaughton stumbled upon a simple picture of him sitting outdoors, in his worn grey overalls; it was the perfect fit for the magazine.
MacNaughton read aloud her own submission to the magazine—a stirring poem called “Hands”, which describes the weathered hands of workers like her grandfather. It visibly tied together the theme interwoven throughout the magazine’s 51 poems and 4 works of prose.
“I wanted to make {the magazine} flow. The first poem is called “Create”, and the last is called “Farwell”, both by the same author. All of the process in the middle is what we go through.” She explained.
After copies of both the Hurricane and the Kilgore were distributed to event attendees, the floor was opened up for poetry readings. A couple members of the Literary Roundtable— the group that crafts PSC’s Kilgore Review— stood and read their poetic works to the audience.
For more information about the Hurricane Review, or to submit written work to it, email Todd Neuman at tneuman@pensacolastate.edu.