“We feel that this school absolutely needs a literary and arts magazine,” says junior Samantha Wong. After two long years of hibernation, Jabberwocky, Aragon’s literary magazine, has woken up from its slumber.
Wong and junior Tammy Ng are the editors of the magazine. They emphasize how the literary magazine brings forth creativity. “Aside from formal writing in English class or newspaper, or art assignments in photography or art class, this magazine gives students the chance to freely express whatever they want,” says Wong.
Jabberwocky was nonexistent for two years due to the low student interest.
Editors Wong and Ng took it upon themselves to revive Jabberwocky. Wong says, “I remember hearing about Jabberwocky freshman year and was disappointed that they didn’t really get it going. I think I would have joined if I heard more about Jabberwocky. Tammy and I actually came up with the idea late last year because we wanted to get more involved with school activities and because we both love the arts. We both love to write and draw and our love of this seemed to spark our interest in restarting a literary magazine for Aragon.”
Expanding on that concept of passion for writing and drawing, Wong says, “I’m inspired to write mostly because I can write whatever I want to. Even though I love English class, it’s definitely not the same as writing an essay. Writing poetry and stories can be about something as random as toothpaste.”
In its history, the magazine has undergone several changes to adapt to its transforming audience. English teacher Vince Bravo says, “The magazine was originally mainly literary arts. However, because of the widespread interest in visual arts on campus, we expanded it to include a wider diversity of the arts. It is important to validate the artistic abilities of all students.”
Arriving to this stage of publication was not as easy as it may seem. The editing and organizing process for this edition of the magazine faced immense challenges when trying to gather the most fundamental element of the magazine.
“The most difficult part is getting submissions,” Wong comments, “we try to encourage all students to share their work with the school. It’s a great opportunity.” Bravo also adds, “There is always a challenge of getting a wide variety of submissions: content and grade levels.”
Just about anyone can submit their work for the magazine. Ng says, “The only time we would reject a piece is if it’s inappropriate, not taken seriously, or derogatory in any way.”
Once the number of entries has been fulfilled, the editors and the members of Jabberwocky put hours of effort into making sure the final product is outstanding. Bravo says, “There is not a class for production of Jabberwocky. Therefore, there are limitations to what can be done. The product is made at lunch, after school and on students’ own time.”
Jabberwocky is expected to publish only one edition this year due to its circumstances which include a shortage of submissions. For its aspirations and vision for the future, Wong says, “We’d like to publish it more often if more people submitted. Since it’s relatively new, or hasn’t published for two years, not many students know about it yet.” Bravo includes, “Only time will tell.”
Jabberwocky publishes early next semester. All members of the magazine look forward to its appearance as they have dedicated hours of work into this literary arts masterpiece.
Bravo says, “As always, the magazine is student- created, and full of student content. The final product will be a representation of what Aragon students are capable of creating and I am confident that it will be outstanding.”
