CSULB students revive literary journal, get a taste of digital publishing

Students reviving Genre, the campus' literary journal, are ushering a piece of Cal State Long Beach's intellectual history into the era of digital publishing, learning the technical and soft skills required to collect and share ideas with people who do their reading by the light of glowing pixels.

Genre Editorial Collective students are also trying to uplift creativity throughout The Beach while modernizing the almost 60-year-old journal.

"We want to platform pieces that make us inspired, that we think are really cool," fourth-year creative writing student Aiden Jackson said.

Collective members sent appeals near and far for compelling submissions, balancing Genre's identity as a scholarly outlet for international writers while establishing connections with on-campus writers and artists who want to be included in this year's edition.

The 10-student team is on track to publish Genre's 41st volume in early December. Their work requires students to exercise editorial judgment and interpersonal skills while evolving Genre from its print origins into a journal that can be delivered to online readers.

"We went online for the first time last year," assistant professor of comparative literature Viola Lasmana said. "That is part of our desire, to have an online presence and to activate a form of digital scholarship for students."

Genre's inaugural 1967 issue collected criticism, dramatic writing, poetry and short stories. Contributions came from every continent save Australia and Antarctica. Prior to its revival, Genre was on hiatus between its 2020 volume, "Borders, Place and Translation," and 2024's "Resistance and Resilience."

CSULB reestablished Genre to foster learning in digital humanities. Several members of its editorial team are enrolled in a comparative world literature class focused on producing the journal. Genre challenges students to take on tasks that editors and publishers have accomplished for generations, such as finding compelling submissions and delivering clean copy to readers.

"I certainly see myself working in a creative industry post-grad; whether that's publishing books or doing marketing for films," fourth-year comparative world literature and sociology student Alyssa Agudelo said. "The experience I've had as senior editor for Genre has equipped me with valuable and transferable skills. After the past two years, I'll know that I'll be leaving CSULB with the capacity to lead and collaborate, produce content on a schedule, and tailor said content to a specific creative direction."

Meanwhile, the graphic design aspect is decidedly contemporary, and students get practical experience with Adobe Photoshop and InDesign while working on the journal.

The 2024 volume is archived online on ScholarWorks, the California State University's online platform, and Lasmana said plans include a dedicated website enabling Genre to showcase multimedia works.

Students conducting marketing and outreach work try to connect with prospective contributors and readers via screens, using social media to promote Genre, and also by making time for face-to-face meetings.

"I think managing Genre's Instagram has truly been an eye-opening experience," fourth-year journalism student Emily Trejo Lopez said. "I've learned that I really enjoy social media marketing and content creation-it helped me clarify my goals and realize this was something I want to pursue post-grad."

At tabling events, including Week of Welcome, collective members invited students to write messages or draw pictures on cards that could be added to this year's volume, conveying different understandings of what care means.

The editorial team collected submissions through mid-October, opening conversations on which ones will end up in this year's volume.

"I've been reading my whole life, so I've got an eye for what works and what doesn't," Agudelo said.

Even so, Agudelo acknowledged feeling a delicate sense of authority when it comes to deciding the fate of another person's work.

Students handling editorial duties are also charged with interacting with contributors, which includes sending acceptance and rejection letters. The team also plans to publish a few hardcopy editions, so that means students handle orders with the campus print shop.

"The very act of publishing a journal, that's huge," Lasmana said. "To be able to leave a mark on the legacy of Genre, of CSULB."