Getting
published is the goal of most aspiring writers. However, it can be daunting. Daunting,
but worth it – exposing your creative side to the world at-large can be, and
usually is, a very rewarding experience for many writers. The problem lies in
finding someone willing to publish you when you have little or no experience in
the field.
Fortunately
for writers at Capilano University, there is The Liar. The Liar is a student-run literary
magazine at Capilano that operates on democratic principles with elected
editors, submissions, and staff and with a new Editor-in-Chief selected every
year. The Liar publishes
bi-annually, with a call for submissions open twice a year: once in the fall
semester and once in the spring.
The
Liar takes
submissions from anyone willing to have their work read by the collective. Although
many magazines will take submissions from freelance contributors, the
likelihood of your work being selected relies heavily upon the size and
reputation of the magazine or book.
Since
the spring of 1987, The Liar has continued to publish student submitted work
with only a few gaps in production between then and now. Students are
encouraged to submit all works they feel are worthy of publishing in any form: “The
Liar works
as a collective and we vote on everything democratically,” says editor Allie
Quelch.
This
includes which pieces are selected to go in the magazine. “We used to publish
mostly micro fiction and short poetry, but now we’re moving towards longer
pieces. The spring issue is our largest one yet, at about 130 pages.”
Although
The Liar has,
in the past, published mostly the work of Capilano students, they are looking
to expand to students anywhere in Canada. The form of The Liar itself has also changed: “We’ve
gone from a stapled zine in the last few years to a perfectly bound book, so
that’s really exciting,” says Quelch.
The
process of voting to select which writing goes in The Liar is done collectively by all
the editors and contributors. The submitted works are circulated amongst
writers and editors and voted on; the ones that receive the most votes are published
in that semester’s magazine.
After
all the works have been selected and edited, the magazine goes into production,
which includes layout and graphic design, an aspect of publishing geared more
towards art students. “We could really use some graphic design students right
now,” says Quelch. “We usually have a meeting at the beginning of each
semester, but with no time to poster or promote ourselves, we usually just end
up talking to creative writing classes and doing the design ourselves.”
Poem
from the upcoming issue
of
The Liar:
CHICKEN
BITCH
By
Allie Quelch
chicken
scratch
records
of
chick fights
etched
into
fingernails embellished
with
“Pink Before You Leap”
polish(ed)
her
off with a bitch slap
and
a cheap shot
cat
swipe
at
an ill-conceived facial
adjustment
Time
to repent
repaint
nails
If
you’re interested in reading this current issue of The Liar, it comes out on
Apr. 12. There will be a release party on that day at the Railway Club from 6-8pm
which will include free copies of The Liar as well as readings. Copies will also
be available in the CSU and the Library after the release.
//Colin Spensley, columns editor
//Graphics by Katie So
//Colin Spensley, columns editor
//Graphics by Katie So
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