Creative Writing is Alive and Well at Catonsville | The Comet

By: Emma Dawson

Something that not many people know is that Catonsville High School does, in fact, have a literary magazine called the Ellipsis. It has been published for over 30 years by the English department.

?The Ellipsis is the school?s literary magazine which is a combination of students? written work and artwork,? said senior Maura Carney, editor-in-chief of the Ellipsis this year.

Many students of the Creative Writing classes, both Intro and Advanced (mostly Advanced), submit their own work for evaluation and the possibility to appear in the book.

However, you don?t need to be a student of these classes to submit.

And according to Carney, many have already submitted their work. In addition to a few students from the first semester Intro to Creative Writing class, ?most of the people that took any advanced Creative Writing class have submitted as well as people that aren?t even in the classes? so a lot [have submitted].?

If you?re interested in submitting your own work, go to Room 336 where there is an orange and yellow box and drop it off there by Friday, February 17, the cut-off date. It will be considered for possible publication by various editors, including Carney, of the Ellipsis and the book should be going to press by late March or early April.

Don?t think this magazine is without prestige or history, either, because in addition to being in publication for over 30 years, it has won several awards.

Our school?s Ellipsis has won at least one silver award from Maryland-District of Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the past three years. Two years ago, it won two silver awards from both Maryland-District of Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Last year, it won a silver and a bronze award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Maryland-District of Columbia Scholastic Press Association respectively.

And fun fact, English 12 teacher Judy Carter was on the staff of the magazine some time ago when it was still called the Gargoyle.

Speaking of staff, regarding the people who are allowed to work on the magazine, Marie Thrailkill, the faculty advisor of the Ellipsis and the Creative Writing teacher, had this to say.

?Not just anyone can be on the staff,? she detailed. ?it?s specifically a privilege for the Advanced Creative Writing students.?

So it is not a club, and for those wanting to be a part of the process, you?ll have to take Intro to Creative Writing first to be able to edit for it.

Ms. Thrailkill also wishes to remind students that, although there?s no limit to what you can submit, ?we have a limit on what we can publish. If it doesn?t fit, even if it?s good, it can get excluded.?

?We encourage anyone to submit,? she goes on to say, so don?t be afraid of rejection and throw your poetry out there!

Carney adds, ?you never know if it?ll get in or not. It could be the most amazing poem in the world and you might not even know it.? She also said, ?we?re not sure what it?s going to look like yet but it?s definitely going to be worth it, because a lot of people that you know will be in it.?

So support the literary magazine and buy a copy when they go on sale, it will definitely be worth it.

?I don?t think the Ellipsis gets enough credit for how great a magazine it is,? Carney sighs.

Source: http://www.chscomet.org/2012/02/09/creative-writing-is-alive-and-well-at-catonsville/

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