We chose Moose in Traffic because it is broad enough for interpretation. This piece is unique and tells a story. We also thought that the color schemes, distinctive lighting, and shadow-play was interesting, and allowed the message to pop from the flat surface. Also, the piece displays a balance of abstract and realistic concepts which we felt made it extremely unique. We chose the art for our Winter 2013 Edition and it will be available to you online November 15, so save the date! –Sarah Buckman, Junior Art Editor

http://kandkadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Eiffel-Tower-Paris-France.jpg I’m drawn to a certain style of writing that only specific genres can bring. Of course I love to curl up next to a fire scented candle in the winter and read a good fiction story. But fiction doesn’t have the honesty that I strive for when I read poetry. And Poetry, loaded with ambiguous language, can send my mind into another galaxy. So I look for one of my favorite genres, creative nonfiction. It is probably one of the most over looked and underrepresented genres in writing but it is a mix of truth, honest, imagery, and figurative language that connects like no other genre. People neglect that Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is actually a creative nonfiction story. Under the lingering coarse details of a family murdered in Kansas, there is a pile of truth that no other fiction story or poem could reach, though creative nonfiction doesn’t have to be that dark. David Sedaris has written many essays and even published a book titled Me Talk Pretty One Day exploring his move from New York to Paris with a satirical witty approach. These writers both take either their own or other’s trials and tribulations in life load it with thought provoking and striking scenes before feeding it to readers. -Chrissy Thelemann, Submissions Editor

National Poetry Month is quickly drawing to a close, so as a bittersweet farewell we asked the Élan staff for their favorite lines of poetry. “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea” –e.e. cummings. “maggie and milly and molly and may”. (Emily Cramer. Editor-in-Chief.) “Well what’s in the piñata they asked. I told them God was and they ran into the desert, barefoot.” –Natalie Diaz. “No More Cake Here”. (Sarah Buckman. Editor-in-Chief.) “You have my permission not to love me; I am a cathedral of deadbolts and I’d rather burn myself down than change the locks.” –Rachel McKibbens. “Letter from My Brain to My Heart”. (Emily Leitch. Layout Editor.) “Suddenly I realize that if I step out of my body I would break into blossom.” –James Wright. “A Blessing”. (Taylor Austell. Layout Editor.) “Now you say this is home so go ahead, worship the mountains as they dissolve in dust, wait on the wind, catch a scent of salt, call it our life.” –Philip Levine. “Our Valley”. (Raegen Carpenter. Poetry Editor.) “then I awoke and dug that if I dreamed natural dreams of being a natural woman doing what a woman does when she’s natural I would have a revolution.” –Nikki Giovanni. “Revolutionary Dreams”. (Brittanie Demps. Poetry Editor.) “we are for each: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesis” –e.e. cummings. “since feeling is first” (Mariah Abshire. Poetry Editor.) “I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.” –Maya Angelou. “Still I Rise”. (Kiera Nelson. Fiction Editor.) “I had the new books—words, numbers and operations with numbers I did not comprehend—and crayons, unspoiled by use, in a blue canvas satchel with red leather straps. Spruce, inadequate, and alien I stood at the side of the road. It was the only life I had.” –Jane Kenyon. “Three Songs at the End of Summer”. (Emily Jackson. Non-Fiction Editor.) “I’m carrying my box of faces. If I want to change faces, I will.” –Naomi Shihab Nye. “One Boy Told Me”. (Shamiya Anderson. Non-Fiction Editor.) “The names of women melt in their mouths like hot mints.” –Yusef Komunyakaa. “Moonshine”. (Haley Hitzing. Social Media Editor.) “And I’d like to be a bad woman, too, and wear the brave stockings of night-black lace and strut down the streets with paint on my face. –Gwendolyn Brooks. “a song in the front year.” (Madison George. Social Media Editor.) “So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.” –Charles Baudelaire. “Be Drunk.” (Makenzie Fields. Submissions Editor.) “God comes to your window all bright and black wings, and you’re just too tired to open it.” –Dorianne Laux. “Dust”. (Stephanie Thompson. P.R. & Marketing Editor.) “come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed.” –Lucille Clifton. “Eve Thinking”. (Mrs. Melanson. Teacher Sponsor.)

Relationships aren't really something that I'm good at. I've never been the type of person that has had an easy time with making connections, whether they are romantic or platonic. I know the main reason behind this is me trying my best to protect myself from disappointment and heart-break, but I also have started to realize that walking this earth alone isn't the correct way to live. In the beginning of August, I decided that I would try something new, so I decided to make a connection with someone I knew I cared about and had the potential to love. it was a decision that terrified me but I had promised myself that I would try to change and put myself in uncomfortable situations. It turned out to be amazing, while it lasted. I knew going into something like this that it would eventually end because everything does end, but somehow I made peace with that and continued to fall for him. It all ended less than a month ago. I originally thought this would completely wreck me and close me out to the world again but the loss ended up doing the opposite. At first it hurt to know that I wasn't enough for someone who I believed was everything but the entire situation taught me that it's okay to feel things, to let people in. I was now more open than ever. I wouldn't cower away from  another opportunity to love someone again. Now that Valentine's Day is starting to make an appearance, I don't feel like I'm going to miss out because I'm no longer in a relationship with him (platonic or romantic). I've made peace with the idea that I'm better off alone and I'm content that way. I've learned that happiness is found within me and not within someone else. -Anna Dominguez, Junior Poetry Editor

As writers, we can use our journey of growing older in unique ways. On the days we are feeling three years old, we can write stories about being on a playground, kicking our feet out from swings and sliding against sand. On the days we are feeling seventeen, we can write poems about preparing to leave our families, going to college, starting lives on our own. Whenever I feel like I am in a writing rut, I always try to trace my memories back as far as I can and write from the perspective of who I was. Trying this can help you vary the kinds of voices you use in your work, and also help broaden the topics you write about. If you need a little extra push, here are some poems about childhood/ adolescence that stand out to me: Flashcards by Rita Dove - http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2007/08/27 Three Songs at the End of Summer by Jane Kenyon - http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/26442 Believing in Iron by Yusef Komunyakaa - http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16182 Enjoy your journey! I hope you have as much fun as I did. –Raegen Carpenter, Poetry Editor

“…and I was born, and raised, right here” were the last words spoken by Patricia Smith. The entire NJPAC theatre went silent. Breaths of the audience members were taken away for a good five seconds before an eruption of applause filled every corner of the auditorium. It was Saturday night of the Dodge Poetry Festival 2012, and Smith’s poem, Skinhead, was the most passionate reading I (and I think I speak for my fellow classmates on the trip as well) had experienced yet. Her immaculate use of pronunciation and articulation of each word captivated everyone within hearing distance, causing them to be on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the finishing lines of Smith’s ever-so-famous poem. This was the first time I ever experienced this poem in person; YouTube videos will never do it justice, and after that night I became an even bigger fan of Smith. With National Poetry Month in sight, that night at the NJPAC rings in my ears. I wondered what Smith has been up too since the Festival, last October. I emailed her to voice these questions, not expecting a reply, and was delighted when the “1” icon appeared over the mail app on my computer, signifying a response. Here’s what she said. 1)      Have you been featured in any other festivals since the Dodge Poetry Festival in 2012? “I haven’t been involved in any festivals as large as Dodge, but I travel constantly. For instance, I’ve been featured in smaller festivals in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Seattle, Washington; Vancouver BC and Boston. A good deal of my time was taken up at a writing residency in upstate New York. I was given space, time and solitude in order to work on my writing. The experience was nourishing, and invaluable.” 2)      Are you working on any new poetry books? If so, when can we look forward to it coming out? “I’m almost finished with my next book, although it may be some time before it comes out. I just had a book released last spring, and my publisher believes that if they come out close to one another, they’ll compete instead of complement. I edited an anthology of crime fiction stories that came out in November, and won an award for the story I contributed—so right now I’m dabbling with a book of my own short stories.” 3)      When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? “I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eight years old. My father, who was part of the Great Migration of blacks from the south in the 50’s, was a born storyteller. From him, I learned to think of the world in terms of the stories it could tell. And I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have discovered that exciting way to live my life.” Being a writer sure is an exciting life, and I can’t until the next time Smith’s path crosses mine, to pour even more inspiration through her words into me. --Makenzie Fields

In the beginning was the word. And that word was very heavy, full of life and anguish. The word was existence but also the end of being. The word carried nations and dropped kings with the same move. The word embodied imagination, making us gods over the realms that we produce. So, in the beginning of my creating process, of becoming the god to a world that may exist solely by my observation, I listen to music. It starts from a random rhythm. Either it pumps my pulse up, to meet its tempo, or it drags my heart beat down, to drown me in what it wants to convey. Either way, I go to music before placing finger to keyboard (because there’s no pen to paper nowadays). I really can’t get into my writing without this overlaying, outside shroud that the harmonies become. I find the right song or playlist that carries the emotion that I need for the piece- whether it’s a raging rock album or soft, liquid dubstep mix. Then I follow the strongest feeling back to its home inside of me (usually in the gut area) and try to pull it out onto the page. I imagine the scenario and everything that is happening in order to mold the experience for everyone to feel. Either that or I know what emotional experience I want to convey already and I use the music as an enhancer to help myself become caught up in that emotion enough to find some kind of words to describe it. I never go in anticipating a masterpiece or a message to the world. I just go in wanting to say what I’m thinking or feeling. This allows me, for the most part, to get out whatever it is. After that, well that’s not the beginning. That’s the rising action and it varies by how I feel. For the most part though, I’m satisfied with myself for bringing this thing into existence. -Rey Mullennix, Fiction Editor

It is literally my last day in Élan. I won’t enter this room again as Editor, next time I come back I will be a reader. I can submit for as long as I am 18, and I can’t wait to see when the next edition becomes available online. I won’t know exactly how the pieces will be read, and I won’t be standing there arguing over a cover or a page layout. All I have to do is continue to support the magazine. I couldn’t have lead this magazine without the support of the staff. They were so committed, and all work that you submitted this year was in the best hands. They care about this department and publication so much, even when we would slam our heads on the key board and scream about how done we all were- we weren’t really done. All of the staff parties and book launches and we still would never be done, because writers never really finish a piece, and this magazine lives on, so we as long as we have readers and a committed staff Élan will thrive. So thank you for writing, thank your for reading, and above all thank you for believing in us. –Jenn Carter, Editor in Chief

Next year I put my feet in Emily Leitch’s shoes. I’m afraid her shoes may be a few sizes too big to fit my size fives. I’ve tried them on a few times, walked around in them a little bit, but my heel might just slip out of the back. I’ve learned a lot about the tedious process of layout from my own experience with InDesign, but I wouldn’t have learned some of the most important things about placement and design without the help of my senior editor. We had to figure it out together, test the water a little bit, since we were both new to the process. Through this, my eye for what Élan is has effloresced into something intimate because now it means so much to me. The hardest part of this year was definitely starting from scratch and maintaining the continuity and the branding of the book. Once we established our image and tweaked the templates we had a really good idea of what we were going for. I am so proud to be a part of this delicate process because the caliber of our book’s art and writing deserves every bit of dedication and reverence from the staff. I led the design of our spring edition and really got the chance to get my hands dirty in the printer ink and keyboard dust. Designing the book takes a team and without my team of editors there is no way the book could have achieved the greatness it did. I could not be more proud of our print edition. The greatest prize was to see our work evolve into something tangible and professional. I know it will leave a big legacy for Emily Leitch as she departs for college; she deserves every bit of it. I hope that I can stand up to the high standards she’s placed so that next year’s editions can be just as meaningful to the legacy of our book. It’s time to start walking in her shoes. -- Taylor Austell, Layout and Website Editor

Going into this year I was extremely excited to get back into the swing of things. At the end of last year the staff had a really good routine of updating the blog, laying out the book and creating a brand for ourselves and was on the road to launch the new and improved Élan! I have to say that this year has been nothing but good. We have made goals for ourselves and now we are well on our way to accomplishing them. As a senior, I feel like that leaving the staff at the end of the year will be bittersweet. Of course it will sad to leave but I will feel very proud of what I am leaving behind. Taking a lead in both Homecoming and Marketing this year has really inspired me to look into careers like Marketing and Public Relations as well as Event Planning. Mrs. Melanson always says that being on the Élan Staff is like having a job without getting a paycheck. But, being so heavily involved in the planning of Homecoming and really jumping into the Marketing process has made me reconsider my possible career choice. Having marketing meetings, planning and executing our ideas is something that I look forward to and receive extreme satisfaction from. I get a little adrenaline rush when I get to sit down at a table with my agenda flipped to the notes section, my pen in hand.  I think that being on the staff has inspired me to do what I love and what makes me happy. I love the global idea of branding, planning, and being able to work in a team. I look forward to going to Élan and to pick up right where we left off the previous day. I feel that I accomplish a lot personally as well as working with the rest of the staff as a whole.  There is always a sense of true appreciation after leaving second period every day and it’s something that I am going to miss next year. -Madison George, Social Media Editor

I have a thing for rule breakers. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye basically gives the middle finger to background introductions. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road completely ignores the existence of quotation marks. William Faulkner’s The Sound and The Fury jumps from perspective to perspective of a dysfunctional family. In a way, the writers that break the rules become the “Gods” of fiction. Their brave and daring choices burn a mark in eternity. Personally as an artist, I try to foil and warp the rules of writing as much as I can. I picture all these rules in a little cardboard box: use punctuation. Use correct grammar. Use one point of view. Have a “proper” beginning, middle, and end. The most ridiculous rule I’ve heard is that writers shouldn’t use alliteration in fiction. The reason for this is that “The story matters first. Don’t try to make the language all frilly. Focus on the plot and characters, etc.” However, I find exquisite worth in a complete story that involves sound devices. I write to make art, not color in a checkbox of “correct tenants of fiction.” Sound devices in general provide so much interest. It is more than okay to be poetic in a fiction paragraph. In fact, it is beautiful. A textured paragraph is like a jalapeño chip. It’s seasoned and spicy and hot. It’s jumping with flavor. As a reader, it makes me want more.  As a writer, it makes me want to create more. Now, I can’t say all this without some disclosure. I’ve trained at art school for writing. I wouldn’t be able to understand the worth and purpose of breaking outside the box if I didn’t place myself in water to swim the basics. Overall, writing comes down to two main things for me: passion and intent. Passion creates life in a piece. I spark on a thing I care about and from there I flavor it with seasonings, such as personification, sound devices, symbolism, etc. Intent comes from deep, spiritual realization. A discovery at the end of a reading journey really wraps the bow on a whole story. It’s the perfect touch. It’s the purpose for reading. It’s the purpose for creation. At the end of the day, I find a purpose within my existence to be an artist. I don’t care about “what’s right” and “what’s wrong.” Stories belong to something that’s larger than society’s box of rules. Traveling the road of “safe fiction” in the land of writing is alright but I’m done being a tourist. If stories are islands, my goal is to climb to the top of a volcano, and splash in the hissing lava. I want to make the words on the page flicker, and I want to make them burn. -Kat Roland, Art Editor

I have never been the type of girl that liked flowers. To me they were always over used and underappreciated. I didn’t have a need for them. But last year my grandmother took me down to black creek and listened to the water flow by and I saw a pink Lotus. It was the first flower that I had ever seen that made me feel something. I felt at peace. Before we left I plucked it from the water and took it home with me. I let it dry out and kept it in a jar on my dresser. After awhile of waking up to it every morning I started to become curious of its meaning. I learned that the lotus represented being at peace in muddy waters. Those few words sparked something in me. I had always been the most negative, cynical person in the room, never giving anything a chance to work out. I was tired of feeling that way but I didn’t know how to separate myself from that familiar, warm lifestyle but that flower and its secret meaning showed me that there could be beauty in the murky as long as you could be at ease with your surroundings. I began to carry that meaning around with me everywhere I went. I let that entire philosophy tangle its way into my life because I had nothing left to lose if it didn’t work out. That was the best decision I ever made. Ever since then I’ve taught myself to breathe before stressing, listen before speaking. I’ve taught myself to accept things as they come and look at things in the brightest light possible. I’ve changed so much in the best year and all my changes have been for the better all because of one simple dried up flower. -Anna Dominguez, Junior Poetry Editor