Our history

The first journal was published in 1997 with 500 copies available. Twenty poems and ten short stories were matched with four carefully selected photos and one sketch. After taking a year off, the second issue was made available in 1999 with a publication-record 31 poems. Visual Arts representation doubled that year as well to ten photographs. Copies were available at the Bookie (WSU Vancouver’s campus bookstore) at a cost of $2 for students, or $5 for non-students. Many copies were also distributed at no charge to generate interest.

The idea of funding the journal through sales was dropped a year or two later. Funding from Student Activity fees continued to increase and included a stipend for workshop presenters and some of the staff.

Poetry remained a staple through 2004 while Visual Arts representation steadily climbed to 30 pieces in 2005. During this same period and through 2008, short stories (Prose) only accounted for less than ten selections per issue.

The 2011 edition saw a steep reduction (20 pieces) in the Visual Arts, followed by only ten in 2012, a ten-year low. In 2014, Visual Arts increased in number of represented pieces and in the next few years became the most diverse form represented in the journal.