What, exactly, is the heat and noise of being? Elon University students explored such an incredibly weighty subject through Issue 63 of “Colonnades,” Elon’s art and literary journal.
With more than 40 different pieces of work, the journal holds the best student writing and artwork found at Elon. All of the pieces explore the meaning of “being” and what it actually means to have the heat and noise of life.
While fiction can be challenging because the writer must create characters and events, the five pieces in “Colonnades” reflect a deep understanding of both parts. From a curious man who feeds a river with rabbits to the mummification of a hamster named Delicious, these stories contain some strange and wonderful characters.
Nonfiction centers around presentation and organization, since the characters and action are real. Senior Victoria Doose’s “Hambun Nihonjin/Half-Japanese” was awarded the best nonfiction by author Robin Romm. Romm is a noted author whose work has appeared in “The New York Times” as well as many other newspapers. The other three nonfiction stories — “Roses,” “There Comes the Bride” and “On Vulnerability” — display incredible attention to detail, style and sensitivity.
Poetry, the last literary section, has the most entries. The subjects vary from Newton’s sex life to the Alamance County Fair. With poetry, there is more freedom in structure and line spacing, and the writers use this to their full advantage.
The journal also includes 2D and 3D artwork. Mark Iwinski, a nationally known artist, judged the pieces. He awarded senior Ned Dibner, sophomore Brittany Graham and senior Meighan Cassin with first, second and third place, respectively. Their works, among others featured in the journal, visually demonstrate what it means to be a “being.” Each piece has a life and story that it exposes through several mediums of art, such as stoneware, digital art, watercolor and more.
“Colonnades” is available all over campus and is the perfect read for a relaxing afternoon.