Oct. 31, 2011
April Wefler
[email protected]
If the thought of having something of yours published appeals to you, and you don’t want to wait to write the next great American novel, then it’s time for you to submit to river run.
A free publication for art and literature that becomes available each May riverrun, accepts but is not necessarily limited to: visual art, poetry, fiction, short stories, drama, non-fiction, essays, and photographs.
In addition to being comprised of work by the student body, the publication is run by the students, for the students.
It was created in 1971 by Dr. Kenneth C. Pellow and “has long since been an avenue through which artists and writers have been able to express their voices.”
According to Pellow, riverrun was named in honor of the first word of James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.”Argued by some as one of the greatest literary pieces, “Finnegan’s Wake” begins mid-sentence:
“riverrun, past Eve and Adams, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodious vicus…”
There is a specific reason that riverrun was named after the first word in “Finnegan’s Wake”. “The title suggests continuity,” said Pellow. “The very first word in ‘Finnegan’s Wake’ is riverrun. He puts river and run together.”
Since riverrun was named after the first word in “Finnegan’s Wake”, there is a rule about the production. “…the word ‘riverrun’ must never be capitalized, as it is not capitalized in ‘Finnegan’s Wake,” notes the riverrun website.
The students that helped Pellow begin riverrun were taking a seminar on Finnnegan and noticed that Finnegan ends with the phrase, “A good reader will realize that ‘the’ loops back to the beginning: the riverrun.” When riverrun was created, there was more poetry submitted than fiction. “We had a surprising number of good writers for a small campus.”
Now, the submissions are more consistent in all areas. Some past submitters have gone on to excel elsewhere. Yusef Komunyaaka won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Marc Weber is an award-winning poet. Sally Mankus has created photos, sculptures, and mixed-media that are still on display throughout the United States.
riverrun will be accepting submissions through Thursday, Nov. 3. A copy of last year’s riverrun is on display at the checkout desk in the library. You might want to look it over if you’re thinking about submitting anything. If you have any questions or concerns about the submissions, you can email the staff at [email protected].