AB Tech’s Rhapsodist celebrates its fourth year of publication

NEW EDITION: A-B Tech's student literary journal The Rhapsodist is now in its fourth year. “It was a resource for me to recognize that the arts could be valued,” says Grey LaJoie, second from right, one of this year's editors. Photo by Pat Barcas

When Erik Moellering, an instructor in the A-B Tech English department, came on full time in 2009, the school lacked a feature common to four-year colleges and universities: a student-produced literary magazine. “Literary journals at community colleges are few and far between,” he says, and although A-B Tech had produced such journals sporadically — primarily as faculty endeavors — none had been published since the 1990s.

Moellering, however, wanted A-B Tech students to have a vehicle for their writing. So starting a literary magazine became his first priority. In 2011, he recruited two student editors, and The Rhapsodist — which celebrates the release of its fourth issue with a reading at Malaprop’s on Friday, April 24 — was born.

But there’s more to The Rhapsodist than just getting student submissions (and some faculty offerings) into print. Moellering lists the skills that students acquire producing the journal: layout and graphic design, dealing with printers and publicizing the magazine (including producing videos for airing on the A-B Tech student channel), among other things. “It’s practically an internship,” he says.

In addition, the staff has made innovative use of online tools to routinize the submissions process. Shortly after the deadline for submissions, faculty judges receive a single email with a link to a spreadsheet that in turn contains links to each submission — and provides space to record feedback. The editors use this system, too (though they do meet face to face to hash out what to include in the final issue), and in A-B Tech’s fast-changing environment, this administrative template adds stability to an undertaking that might otherwise require each new set of editors to reinvent the wheel.

The devotion of the student staff has also helped the journal survive the constant turnover of a two-year college. Two early editors, Barbie Byrd and Jeff Horner, have moved on to UNC Asheville, but they still serve as mentors for the current staff. The Rhapsodist has drawn boosters from the wider community as well, attracting volunteers from outside the school and from a wide range of A-B Tech faculty.

According to the students, the journal inspires this commitment for two main reasons. “For me, The Rhapsodist was superimportant,” says Grey LaJoie, one of this year’s editors. “It was a resource for me to recognize that the arts could be valued.” Byrd seconds this. Noting a lack of attention to the arts on campus, she says, “The Rhapsodist tries to fill that hole.”

But the journal also serves a larger function. “We say that we’re the literary voice of A-B Tech,” Byrd says, adding that the journal strives to represent the diversity among the school’s students. Oskar Gambony, another of this year’s editors, elaborates. “The Rhapsodist exemplifies something that’s unique about A-B Tech that I picked up on when I started going here — all the different ages and backgrounds of people at a community college.”

As they look to the future, the editors emphasize this potential to build community out of A-B Tech’s diversity. Byrd says, “I think the community that we’ve created is hugely important. Part of the problem that we have is that it’s such a revolving door on campus. So we want to see people know that we’re there and get involved.”

Moellering concurs. “I love teaching here primarily because of the diversity,” he says, and while life at a community college means a lot of students are in transition, he’s seen The Rhapsodist provide an element of permanence. “There’s a kind of hereditary thing with it,” he says, “an inheritance, a tradition. It’s been fascinating to witness that.”

WHAT: Student poetry and short fiction reading, featuring selections from The Rhapsodist
WHERE: Malaprop’s, malaprops.com
WHEN: Friday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m. Free.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Doug Gibson
I live in West Asheville. I do a lot of reading. Follow me on Twitter: @dougibson

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “AB Tech’s Rhapsodist celebrates its fourth year of publication

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.