The making of a 'Chimera'

Months of intensive preparation came to a crescendo when "Chimera 6" was finally released to the public the evening of March 30 in the basement of Reeder Lecture Hall. The room was packed to the walls, full of contributors and editors, faculty members and friends and simply intrigued members of the community, eager to behold the end result.

The excitement was thick and blanketed the celebratory atmosphere, for this "testament to the kind of work capable being produced (at Edinboro University)."

Nancy Nahra, a juror for the literature section, spoke and read poems from her collections at the event. Nahra is a faculty member at Champlain College, a prestigious school in Vermont.

Nahra, holding degrees from both Stanford and Princeton Universities in classics and romance language literature (which showed)? has a number of poetry collections out. They were on sale at the show, as well.

Robert Hass, one of the faculty advisers present, gave the opening remarks to the festivities. Hass is a respected and published poet himself.

"This is a labor of love," he said of the journal. "I hate to call this book a product because it's so wonderful." Hass praised the "creative ingenuity" of the students behind "Chimera."

"It never ceases to amaze me how innovative our students are,"?Hass said.

Many, many people were thanked that night. Provost Pearl Bartlett, who was seated in the audience, has long been a "patron of the arts here on campus." Also thanked were Dean of the School of Liberal Arts Terry Smith and co-advisors to Hass, Shelle Barron, Dietrich Wegner and Bridgette Marshala.

Jenny Butterfield was the managing editor and gave the next speech. She is a student adept at both art and literature, making her a perfect fit for the job.

The recipients of the coveted awards given each year were also announced. Those recipients were, for the John Vanco (art juror) awards, Alison Stiney for Best 2D (her piece "Tasty Treat") and Whitney Wright for Best 3D (her piece "Filigree Hairpiece #1").

On the literature side of the fence, the Samuel Hazo awards went to Timothy Austin Trimmer in poetry ("Ode to a Man Who Built a Home") and Rebekah Aluise in prose ("On Packed Lunches").

Trimmer and Aluise read their winning works to the audience, giving stirring renditions and showing why theirs were selected. The crowd listened and burst into applause after each came to an end.

Nahra then spoke. She was impressed with the level of the skill of "Chimera's" writers.

"So much was so good!" she said. She went on, saying she felt like she knew the writers from judging their work.

"When you write, you really put yourselves in it,"?Nahra said, a fact she knows well firsthand.

Her poetry, read at the reception, included "To An Aging Satyr" and the "metapoem"?"Video Games."

"You're all still around!" she joked upon finishing.

The journal, always commended for its innovative design, utilized a slip cover this year for the first time. Each section ("poetry," "prose," etc.) was divided into a separate book.

In a press release issued by the university, it was relayed that "Chimera's" edition design from 2008 has been selected as the winner of the Advertising Federation of Northwest Pennsylvania's Addy Award. That will be on April 17 at the Erie Bel-Aire Hotel and Conference Center.

The 2008 edition was also seen in "CONTEXT: AIGA Pittsburgh's Annual Design Awards Show," which opened on March 26.

After the readings, a reception was held, coupled with a lively performance by the Edinbro University Jazz Quartet, and refreshments were served. Copies of "Chimera" (which are free, a bargain considering the exquisiteness of the copies) were given away, as well as the $10 T-shirts.

As said throughout this entire article, a mind-blowing amount of work made "Chimera 6" spring to life. This was due to a crew of dedicated students, led by Butterfield. The senior art director was Justin Guerino while the junior was Toni Malena.

Treasurer and jury/events coordinator both were done by Wren Dugan.

The literature editors were Erling Oster and Stacey Turner and the promotions team manager was Scott Moore.

The literature team consisted of Kelly Bergeron and Nicky Bronson. The promotions team was Jenna Blimber, Shannon McCarthy and Natalie O'Patchen.

The general staff was both Laura Jackson and Laura Zamora. The photographers were Jesse Anderson, Charlie Edwards, Heather McFadden, Jesse Stormer and Tyler Webb.

Without the amazing contributions of these people, "Chimera 6" would not have happened. "The cat's pajamas!" as Butterfield noted.

"Chimera" is the lovechild of Edinboro's art and English departments. It has won 17 international and national awards, altogether.

Remember, it is never too early to think about submissions for next year's issue. Be on the lookout, come this fall, for more details.

APRIL 6, 2009