Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

Inside This Issue

By Clara Jeske A Pushcart Prize for a poem. The joy of publishing new writers. The pride in claiming nearly two decades of continuous publication. These arereasons that PRWR alumni who’vefounded and edit literary journals

Alumni editors muse about their lit magscontinue to champion literary art. We asked the editors of Five on theFifth, Ligeia, and jmww about whatthey’ve learned and how they’vesucceeded on their journeys fromPRWR to publishing. To read theiranswers, continue to page 3.

Welcome back, CollinsKristina Collins, 2009, returns this Fall to teach exposition course

By Clara Jeske Kristina Collins was raised by hergrandparents, both of whom wereunable to finish high school as theyworked and cared for their families.Consequently, they struggled to read. Watching her grandfather then learnto read as an older man instilled inCollins a lifelong passion for literacyand the written word. “Literacy has

PRWR alumpublishes BetterBoys, Better Menp. 6

How a gradstudent createdThe IllustratedPRWR p. 7

Portolano to retirefrom teaching;will pursue writing career p.8

always been in my heart,” she says.“It’s very empowering when you canread and write.” Collins, a 2009 PRWR graduate, willreturn this coming Fall as an adjunctinstructor to teach PRWR 613, Theoryof Exposition. She also works as theLiteracy Division Director of LoyolaUniversity’s Clinical Center. The literacyclinic serves children from kindergarten

approach,” she says ofPRWR 613. Exposition, shesays, is the art ofexplanation. In her class,she wants students toexamine how writers explaintheir experiences of theworld and to examinewriting through differentcritical lenses. The “theory”part of the course, she says,will focus on specifictechniques authors use toexplain themselves. Prior to teachingelementary and middleschool, Collins worked withadults who were earningtheir high school diplomas.

Collins (cont.)through eighth grade, matchingthem with students in Loyola’sreading specialist master’sprogram who offer tutoring andworkshops in vocabulary, phonics,reading comprehension, and more.

It's very empowering

when you can read and write.

PRWR 613 will be a hybridcourse, part online and part in-person. Collins plans to teachcontemporary writing by authorssuch as Ta-Nehisi Coates, bellhooks, and D. Watkins, and relatethe writing to principles containedin classical rhetoric. These literarywriters build on rhetoricaltechniques that date back as faras Aristotle, and Collins hopestheir writing will help students findnew, accessible ways to study age-old concepts. “I hope to bring a pragmatic

EditorMichael Downs, PRWR director

WritersClara Jeske, Briana Richert,PRWR graduate assistants

Design and LayoutClara Jeske, Briana Richert Masthead logoBrianna R. Rostkowski,PRWR alum (2018)

WORD! is the newsletterof Towson University'sProfessional Writing graduate program.

For additional informationabout the program, writeto prwr@towson.eduor contact Michael Downs,program director,at mdowns@towson.edu

Kristina Collins (photo courtesy of Loyola University)

Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

critically about the roles identitiesplay in literature. “I love teaching, I love writing,”Collins says. “The power of thewritten word is incredible.” Theaspects of that power she mostwants to explore with students?“How do we create language andwriting,” she says, “and how do weinteract with them?”

When she began teaching children, she says, “that passion bloomed.”She takes pride in empoweringyouth through reading and writing. “LGBT voices, female voices–Iwant people to see thatintersection point,” Collins says.Writing does not exist in isolationbut is intertwined with an author’ssense of self, she says, and she willencourage her students to think

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How did your time in PRWR helpyou get a start in publishing?NELLIGAN: As writers ourselves, we really came to understand andexperience the challenges of gettingpublished. The PRWR program notonly prepared us for that but alsooffered resources and guidance tohelp us. Additionally, the PRWR program–especially the workshop classes–helped shape us into better, moreexperienced writers and editors.Ultimately, we wanted to create a

Who has that time? We also try to be as welcomingand encouraging as possible to newwriters. Some lit mags can beintimidating to submit to, especiallyfor a new writer who’s never beenpublished before or hasn’t beenpublished often. We’ve published anumber of pieces by reallyoutstanding new writers who’ve toldus FOTF is the first place thatpublished them, and there’s nobetter feeling or accomplishmentthan that.

What advice do you have for PRWRstudents about the publishingworld? NELLIGAN: We suggest that allPRWR students who are interestedin being published join a writersgroup that meets and workshopsregularly. It’s so important to bearound individuals who supportyour work and actually help to makeit better. We’d also suggest that younot get discouraged after receivingrejections and to not take itpersonally! Also, before submitting to amagazine, briefly take the time tobecome familiar with the type ofwork that specific magazinepublishes in order to see if yourwork fits with their vision. This way,you can keep a running list of go-tomagazines you can submit to everytime you have a piece ready to goout into the world.

Five on the FifthMahdis Marzooghian: editor-in-chief, class of 2015Mary-Anne Nelligan: co-editor in chief, class of 2014

Founding year? 2015

Give us three words to describeyour magazine’s aesthetic. NELLIGAN: Simple, clean, andrefined.

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Alumni editors muse about their lit mags

Left: Mahdis Marzooghian; Right: Mary-Anne Nelligan

space and acommunity whereother new writerscould get their workpublished and feelwelcome. It wasfrustrating as a newwriter to deal with thesubmitting andpublication process,and it was reallydifficult to find aspace that made usfeel welcome as newwriters. Gettingrejected is hardenough. So then wethought, “Why notcreate that spaceourselves?”

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What types of work and genres doyou publish? MARZOOGHIAN: We publish 5pieces in the following genres:general fiction, flash fiction,science fiction/fantasy, horror, andnonfiction on the fifth of everymonth. Hence our name.

What about Five on the Fifth makesyou most proud? MARZOOGHIAN: Our responsetime. We try to send outacceptance and rejection emails towriters pretty quickly and don’tmake them wait for months to hearif their work’s been published.

"Why not create thatspace ourselves?"

LigeiaMatt Lee: fiction/nonfiction, class of 2020Sean Sam: fiction/nonfiction,class of 2019Ashley Wagner: poetry, class of 2020

Founding year? 2019

Give us three words to describeyour magazine’s aesthetic. WAGNER: Eccentric, gritty, gothic.

What types of work and genres doyou publish? LEE: We publish poetry, fiction,creative nonfiction, interviews,reviews, and artwork. We gravitatetowards genre-bending work,literary slipstream, magical realism,experimental lit, etc.

How did your time in PRWR helpyou get a start in publishing? LEE: Ligeia wouldn’t exist withoutPRWR. The three of us met duringour time in the program. Betweenfaculty, students, and alumni,there’s a huge network of writerswe were able to connect with.Professor Vanasco gave us loadsof invaluable guidance as well. Shehelped us flesh out a lot of ourideas when we were firstconceptualizing the project.

SAM: Jeannie Vanasco has beenour spiritual advisor. Probably, themost important part is the otherstudents. Get to know them, andyou can do great things together.

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What about Ligeia makes you mostproud? LEE: Besides getting to publishsome of the best writers in thegame, I think one of our proudestachievements has been seeingLigeia contributor Esther Rafeatured in the Pushcart Prize XLVBest of the Small Presses anthology.Seeing our name next to The ParisReview was a trip.

WAGNER: I’m just proud that peoplereally seem to like it. We wereinitially concerned that themagazine wouldn’t make it, wouldfizzle out within the year, but ourworries were proven groundless in afierce way. Submissions haveskyrocketed from our second issueto now. You can see that just in thesheer number of pieces wecrammed into Issue 6. We have amassed quite a numberof fans and repeat submitters...Weare part of a tight community of

small literary magazines thatpromote each other and uplift theirwriters’ successes. Readers reallydo seem to enjoy the content weare creating and hosting. It’sincredible! What advice do you have for PRWRstudents about the publishingworld? SAM: The important people in thepublishing world are not smarter ormore capable than you. Themajority of great writers will neverbe recognized on the street.Publishing is about connecting withpeople who have secret egos butalso nervous conditions and pitifulupper body strength. Don’t beafraid to reach out to them. WAGNER: Connect with people!Writers and publishers really aren’tas elusive as they may seem. Mosteveryone’s on Twitter. Say hello!

Left to right: Ashley Wagner, Matt Lee, Sean Sam

Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

jmwwJen Michalski, founding editor,class of 1996 Founding year? 2004 Give us three words to describeyour magazine’s aesthetic. Weird, introspective, accessible.

What types of work and genres doyou publish? Flash fiction (< 1500 words), fiction(< 3000 words), poetry, creativenonfiction (< 3000 words),interviews

What did you take from your timein PRWR that still pertains to yourwork in literary publishing? I really enjoyed the workshopelement of the program. Part ofstarting jmww after I graduatedwas as a result of missing theweekly camaraderie, talking abouteach other’s writing, andexchanging opportunities. I alsoliked that my professors weredown-to-earth and were generouswith their advice and time.

What about jmww makes you most proud? I’m proud of a lot of things! Ourlongevity, our outreach tostudents…the awards that writerswe’ve published have received forthat work, our place in thepublishing community. Mostly,though, I’m proud that I could do it. As a writer, I tend to be introverted,and the thought that I created thisjournal out of nothing, really

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(back in the day, very basic HTMLand an Excel spreadsheet forsubmissions), and that we’vepublished so many stories, in printand online formats, attended somany conferences...and beeninstrumental in other writer’s lives–itstill feels very surreal to me. Thelesson of course, being–if I can doit, then anybody can.

What advice do you have for PRWRstudents about the publishingworld? Don’t be afraid to ask for advice—the worst someone can say is no,and if you ask from a place ofsincerity and humility, most peoplewill be more than happy to help.Also, rejection is very real, and it’llnever stop, regardless of what levelyou’re at in your career (unlessyou’re Stephen King, maybe). It’simportant to have not only a thickskin but also a good support

favor—most writers can see thatperson a mile away and adjustaccordingly.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice—the worst someone

can say is no.

Your participation in thecommunity should be a joy andselfless, not transactional. We arereal people, and we’re reading anddiscussing your stories, andalthough we can’t respondpersonally to every submission, wedo try to include a bit of feedbackwhen we reject a piece. But knowthat every story is read anddiscussed by at least two editors, often more. We’d love tosee your work!

Jen Michalski

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system, whether it’s aspouse or a familymember or writinggroup. I’ve gottenrejections that tookdays to shake thesting off, and it’sgood to know thatsomeone out thereknows how that feels. Finally, be generouswith your time in thecommunity. Theperson who onlywants advice, whoonly wants their workread and published,who only connectswith other writerswhen they need a

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by Briana Richert As Andrew Reiner read A RiverRuns Through It on a crowdedairplane, his fellow passengersstared uncomfortably when hebegan sobbing at an emotionalscene. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to wipemy tears away,’” says Reiner, whowas in his twenties then. “‘I don'tthink I should be embarrassed bythis.’” Reiner, who graduated from

including groups of boys and men indifferent stages on their path towardhealthy manhood. But Reiner saysthe real magic was in the writing. “Although researching is great,”says Reiner, “it's when you do thewriting that suddenly all these thingsare percolating up, all these insightsand all these observations that youdidn't necessarily know were downinside of you.” As a Towson University professor,

Reiner's new book challenges traditional models of masculinity doors are going to start openingfor you,” says Reiner. “And that waswhat happened.” Journalistsstarted contacting him for quotesabout masculinity. Literary agentsreached out about pursuing thetopic as a book. To formulate ideas and build hisexpertise on the subject, Reinerspent six months researchingsimilar work and interviewingexperts on masculinity. Heinterviewed nearly 200 people,

Reiner says, he used classwork asa way to build a foundation for thebook. In the Honors Collegeseminar he created, “The ChangingFace of Masculinity,” Reiner holdsan open dialogue with his students.He says that listening to studentperspectives helps him understandperceptions of masculinity and howthey might progress. While he was a PRWR student,Reiner says, he tried to absorbeverything his professors had to

Reiner and his then-infant son, Macallah

Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

PRWR in 1992 and is now a TUprofessor, says this momentmade him realize his “personalcrusade” to challenge thesocial stigma against menexpressing their emotions.Later, he says, this crusadegathered momentum with thebirth of his son, Macallah.Reiner says he considered howhe might raise an emotionallystable young boy. He pushedhimself to look deeper into hisperception of masculinity. All this led to Reiner’s firstbook, Better Boys, Better Men,published by HarperOne inDecember 2020. The bookconfronts the emotionalrepression of boys and men andpromotes a healthier model of masculinity and emotionalresilience. Reiner published his first articleon healthy masculinity in the NewYork Times in 2016, five yearsafter Macallah’s birth. “You alwaysdream that you're going to havethis piece published, it’s going togo viral, and suddenly all these

offer. “That for me wasinvaluable in terms of learninghow to really develop thetechnical chops, the nuts andbolts as a writer and editor,”says Reiner. “Had I not gonethrough that program, it wouldhave taken me much longer toget to the point where I wasafter only two years in thePRWR program.” After two and a half years ofwriting, the COVID-19pandemic made publishing thebook bittersweet. Reiner sayshe was disappointed that hecouldn’t experience an in-person celebration or book

tour. “But on the flip side of that,”he says, “it's really helping mebecome a lot more resilient as awriter. Because one of the thingsI'm learning, by the seat of mypants, is that there's always goingto be something to throw a curvejust when you think you’re whereyou need to be.” Since the book’s release, Reinerhas published five more articles onhealthy masculinity. He also starred

An artist's reflectionsThe trials and joys of animating The Illustrated PRWR

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healthy masculinity. What Reiner takes away fromthis experience into his futureprojects, he says, is hope andoptimism. “It’s okay to have reallyparalyzing doubt," he says. "Theimportant thing is that you get upthe next day and let those doubtsgo…I'm going to go back to itagain. I'm going to give myselfpermission. I'm going to givemyself a chance.”

Reiner (cont.)in a PBS NewsHour segmentcalled “Brief But Spectacular.”Reiner says he is currentlytalking with his agent aboutmore book ideas. One is asequel to a chapter in BetterBoys, Better Men that wouldfocus on emotional resiliencefor all gender identities. Hesays he also wants to writechildren’s literature about

Reiner and his son, Macallah

By Briana Richert It’s Fall 2020, and I’m in the firstmeeting of my graduateassistantship. From theconfinement of my four-sidedZoom square, I offer to create ananimated video interview series forPRWR. It’ll be fun, I think. It’s a way totranscend the limitations of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Cartoonsdon’t need to wear masks or staytrapped in restrictive, poorly-litZoom boxes. This would alsomerge my film background withPRWR. It would provide a happyreturn to video-making after thedepressing final semester ofundergrad–my canceled seniorfilm, my diploma in the mail. Butmy only attempt at digitalanimation ran a mere one minuteand 16 seconds. Could I jump fromthat to a whole animation series? The project receives the greenlight, and I give it a shot.

I find a picture of the firstinterviewee. The picture becomesa reference to guide me increating the perfect design for theproject. With the drawing app onmy iPad, I test many ideas, fromrealism to Picasso-like cubism.The final design looks messy,almost childish. I paint it withgouache and watercolor brushesand outline it in pencil. “I like thatone," says my sister, whopossesses a stronger artistic eyethan I do. “It looks like a bookillustration.” And so, The Illustrated PRWRbegins its slow creep intoexistence. The audio file from the interviewruns 50 minutes. I have to cut itdown to less than 10. Taking adeep breath, I press play for thefirst time, then I listen to theconversation multiple times. Iscan for phrases or words thatmight translate into visuals. The

Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

interviewee says, “redesigning thesetechnologies,” and my brainconcocts an image of an iPhonereimagined as Leonardo da Vinci’sVitruvian Man–da Vinci’s idealdesign of the male body. It alldepends on where the words takemy imagination. I assemble a coherent story fromthe audio, patching questions andanswers together like a puzzlewithout a guiding image. Then, Imake a rough visual storyboard.After that, I animate. I add color tothe drawings, then create duplicateillustrated frames, adjusting themthem slightly to simulate motion.

The Illustrated PRWR logo

that would probably make thissituation less complex andannoying. Instead, to add the layer, Iuse my simple drawing app with ananimation assist feature. But I haveto go back and color each frame–about 60 of them–with thedistinguishing layer. With the animation done, I startediting. I hope the visuals fit wellwith the audio and internally crywhen they don’t match the pacing. Imimic the audio as I go alongbecause I remember it word for

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Dr. Portolano retires after 18 years of teaching at Towson, embraces writing career

By Briana Richert Throughout her Towson Universitycareer, Dr. Marlana Portolano taughtany undergraduate course she feltqualified to teach and nearly everycore PRWR course. “I loved tailoring what I knew andwhat I could offer to what the variedstudent body and PRWR needed,”says Portolano. “We have creativewriters, we have business writersand medical writers, and people who

are trying to figure out what's outthere. I felt that I really knew mystudent body.” Portolano is retiring after theSpring 2021 semester. During the18 years that she taught atTowson, Portolano made manycontributions to the College ofLiberal Arts. She served asPRWR’s interim director from2006-2007, and she also directedthe Humanities Master’s

Towson University Professional Writing Newsletter Volume 27 Issue 1

Illustrated PRWR (cont.) It’s tedious but somehowtranquil, like an adult coloringbook with added responsibility. Istare at the finished stills and playthrough the seconds-longanimations. Even though I don’tthink of myself as much of anartist, they make me feel like one. My eyes are bloodshot fromhours of screen time. Aftercompleting an animationsequence, I realize I forgot to adda layer that distinguishes the

word by now. My edits play to therhythm of the words and the musicI add in at the end. After manytiresome cuts and maneuvering ofscenes, the video is complete. Butthen I realize that I forgot to draw amouth on the animated characterin one sequence. I debate whetheranyone will notice, then eventuallypush myself to add the detail. I watch the entirety of what I’vecreated, the elements of theprocess all combined. Seeing theinanimate images I brought to life

program–now the GlobalHumanities program–from 2010-2016. She established theAccelerated Bachelor’s in Englishand Master’s in ProfessionalWriting program and worked as anadvisor to the students involved.Portolano also created a student-run publishing house calledPatapsco Valley Press as part ofher PRWR 617 Editing class. “Dr. Portolano's editing class

To watch Dr. Halycon Lawrence battle Alexa'slistening bias in The Illustrated PRWR, click here.

animation from itsbackground. I curse thenames of Walt Disney andSteve Jobs, titans ofanimation and animationtechnology. Mytechnology is juvenilecompared to theirs. I’m aself-taught animator withnear-zero knowledge ofthe complicated software

feels amazing. Sharing theinspiring stories of PRWRfeels even better. Despitethe miserable parts, I wantto make another videoimmediately. The process isfrustrating and meticulousbut also creative and fun.And, to a degree, I nowappreciate the limitationsthat made this possible.

looks forward to teaching as anoutdoor educator in a masternaturalist program with theUniversity of Maryland’s agriculturalextension. She says she hopes tocombine writing with her hobby asa naturalist to teach a naturewriting program. She also wants toset up a writing retreat for Towsongraduate students and alumni atStill Point Mountain Retreat, her co-owned cabin near Harper's Ferry. “Being able to teach gradstudents, both in the ProfessionalWriting Program and in theHumanities program, made themost of what I had to offer in mybackground,” says Portolano. “Itenabled me to grow and to make itapplicable to those students. I feltlike I had found my passion spot atTowson University."

Quincy Adams in the Service ofScience, explores classicalrhetoric in 19th-century scienceand American government. Portolano’s second book, BeOpened!: The Catholic Churchand Deaf Culture, moves awayfrom her background inclassical rhetoric and into thehistory of Deaf Catholic cultureand the rhetoric of signlanguage. She says this book isthe highlight of her career. Itconnects to her Catholic faithand her immersion into Deafculture and sign languagefollowing her adoption of herDeaf daughter, Lena.

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Portolano in 2003, her first year teaching at Towson

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Portolano (cont.)expanded my framework forthinking as an editor," says PRWRalum Tyler New. He was in theclass in 2015 when PatapscoValley Press put together Amid theRoar, an anthology of creativewriting by TU alumni authors. “I’mhappy I was able to take classeswith her while she was teaching.We’re Facebook friends, so I lookforward to seeing her enjoy herpermanent sabbatical." While her editing class was a fun,interactive experience, Portolanosays her favorite course to teachwas PRWR 611, Rhetoric: thePursuit of Eloquence, which fit herspecialization in the history andtheory of rhetoric. She earned herPh.D. in rhetoric from The CatholicUniversity of America in 1997 andhas published many journalarticles on classical rhetoric. Herfirst book, The PassionateEmpiricist: The Eloquence of John

"That was kind of a turn inmy career that I didn'tanticipate,” says Portolano. “Isuppose many academicsthink that they're going tocontinue publishing in theirarea of specialization for therest of their lives. Butsomething else came along,and it linked with my homelife, my personal life, andother vocations that I hadoutside of my university life.” In retirement, Portolanohopes to write more on herinterest in disabilities, culture,and religion. Her next project,she says, examines PopeFrancis’ writings ondisabilities. She says she isalso working on amemoir/religious reflectionon her experience withadoption and “the feminineface of God.” Additionally, Portolano Amid the Roar, Patapsco Valley Press, 2015.