The staff of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s online literary journal Upcountryare seeking submissions for their upcoming issue. Editors hope to include a bountiful selection of written and visual works from both campus and community members.
Dedicated to showcasing poems, short stories, personal essays and visual art from the campus community, Upcountry is a publication of the University’s English Program. Presented both in print and as an interactive, online format, the literary journal is published twice yearly.
The journal’s advisor, Dr. Melissa Crowe, said that, in this issue, she and student editors Jessica Edney and Kayla Ames are hoping to include more fine work from some returning contributors, as well as original pieces by writers new to the journal’s pages.
“We were so happy with the first ‘Town & Gown’ issue that we decided to try and keep up that momentum by continuing to accept work from the larger UMPI and Presque Isle community; we feel this can only result in issues that showcase all the talent—and the variety of voices—here in the County,” Crowe said.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Nov. 15. Submissions should be emailed to the editors at upcountry@maine.edu. For other specific submission instructions, please visit the journal on the web at www.upcountryjournal.wordpress.com.
The issue to be published will mark the fifth time that the online journal is being made available in its interactive format. In 2011, the staff made the leap to a more interactive format to give viewers a more hands-on reading experience. The journal now appears in a browsable magazine format through a digital publishing platform called Issuu. The platform allows pages of uploaded print material to be viewed much like a traditional printed publication, with animated, flipping pages and left-to-right page viewing.
“The combination of a print version and an online version of the magazine allows us to share each issue with the widest possible audience,” Crowe said. “The talented writers and artists we showcase in the magazine deserve that audience, and we couldn’t be more pleased to deliver their work to the world.”
To view the latest issue of Upcountry in its interactive format, visit http://upcountryjournal.wordpress.com/ and click on the “Expand” button. For more information about Upcountry, please contact Dr. Crowe and her staff at upcountry@maine.edu.