My Writing Year: The end of the beginning (my writing business)
Friday evening, just before sunset, I stood in the ditch along our country road. I was live streaming the Rosh Hashanah service, a necessary adaptation to my observance of the ritual because of the ten-month-old puppy tugging us through the grass. I did my best to process and understand the Hebrew prayers and songs as they flowed past, captivated more by the music spreading into the multicolored horizon. I smiled, inviting in a moment when I embodied the music and the mindset
Beloit College Magazine: Summer 2026
The newest issue of the Beloit College Magazine is live and in mailboxes! For this issue I unearthed a campus treasure, learned all about salmon fishing in Alaska, and had the opportunity to polish alumni voices before they were heard for the last time. Lateral Lines Luke Schwantes ’99 has always gravitated toward water. After graduating, he planned on commercial fishing in Alaska as a way to pay off his student loans and fund traveling the world. His uncles and brother had a
My Writing Year: Place Your Bets
I’m counting. I am six months into 2026 and over halfway through My Writing Year. “It’s a numbers game,” my brother once said. About what? I can’t remember, but I’ve always used the phrase to describe publishing. We all know the game. Or at least, I’m fairly familiar with how to play in the literary magazine world. I scroll through the calls for submissions, choose my prompt, tweak the closest piece I have, and hit send. The poem I write on a napkin is picked up quickly. The
