Point us in a new direction

Lorrie Reyes / Roundup

All artists strive to find a place where they can express themselves. Pierce College students have been able to find that place for the past 50 years in English 32 which produces the college’s literary magazine, Direction.

Direction is a collection of poems, short stories and other various forms of writing. The book also includes artwork, photos and new to this year’s magazine, a DVD. What makes this publication different than a typical collection is that it is filled with only student work.

The 125-page publication is separated into five sections pertaining to different parts of the body and nervous system. The magazine begins with works pertaining to the heart, and takes a journey throughout the body, hitting pieces of our skeletons, eyes, ribs and nervous system.

The 50th anniversary of Direction brings new innovative ideas and takes the magazine to where the world is heading: technology.

As we continue to move into a technological driven society art is not limited to the paper and canvases.

This year the Direction class has included a DVD with the annual publication. It contains 10 different tracks with an assortment of works that include short films, an open- mic night, two musical tracks and more.

Visual artists include Joshua Kadish, who directed “Crime of Cowards” and Rasika Ruwanpathirana, who wrote, directed and edited “Lesbian Story,” show promising talent and passion.

Although technology has found a new home in Direction, the magazine is still mainly composed of written work. The decision to divide the magazine into different body parts based on the similar subjects submitted was an original take on the publication.

Within each section of the body many pieces and art that stood out.

In Section II: Anatomy of Angst alone, “The Bargain” by Marianne Menter and “Red, White, and Blue” by Dori Samadzai stood among the most memorable.

Los Angeles seemed to be the inspiration in numerous submissions. The untitled photo by Jorge Alvarado and the piece named “Los Angeles” by Julie Payne obviously gain their inspiration from the city we dwell in, whether it be in a positive or negative view points.

The Editor’s Choice awards went to Nick Granger for his poetry and Robert Lee for his artwork. Granger wrote three pieces for Direction that include “Crouching at the Door,” “Reckless Conjuration,” and “Projection.”

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