Polaris is an undergraduate journal of arts and literature of the Northern Ohio University published annually. I chose volume 65 because it was the most highly recommended and praised magazine that they had available, and it only cost $5, half the price of their most recent publication volume 66.
Honestly, I only had pros for this magazine. They've been publishing for so long that I get the impression they have a pretty clear idea of what they're audience is looking for. I will discuss the magazine in order from how a reader would judge it. To begin with, the size is interesting for a magazine, and it makes the final product much thicker than it probably would have originally been. I think the size would intrigue people to examining further. The cover features one of the selected artworks with the magazine logo in the lower right corner. There is an included letter from the head editor which I found charming, and then there is the list of editors. The table of contents are divided by genre, but the works are divided and spread out. I couldn't determine the order than they were trying to follow when putting together the works. I actually had to go through all the works to find the winners of their competition. I do, however, love how they have the featured photos and artwork on black paper as opposed to white, like with all the written works. The artworks also have an explanation from the artist out to the side explaining significance, inspiration, etc. for that work. The magazine ends with "Contributor's Notes" which are the artists' bios, all very short, and the contributors vary in location. Any undergraduate can submit previously unpublished work. The magazine's last pages contain the submission guidelines, including info about the competition. Each genre awards $100 tor first place and $50 to second place, but they publish more than just the first and second places. From the budget that this magazine seems to have, I gather that they experience quite a lot of success. The back cover is blank.
As far as the work goes, it was all of superb quality with no overlying theme present. The content was all very broad yet very enjoyable, touching a variety of experiences and ideas. However, it did all seem to have a very "literary" taste because the stories were stranger and more thought provoking than simply "slice of life" pieces. There was more poetry than any other genre.
One of my favorite pieces is Kaylen Sanders's "Curb Appeal," a creative nonfiction piece. It won 1st place in its genre category. The hints of racism are at first very subtle, but the microaggression soon becomes evident. I love the ambiguity of the narrator. The reader has no idea that she is African American until the very end when a smiling boy tells her that she's "really beautiful for an African American girl." The shock that comes from this statement along with all the other hints throughout the story finally come to a head. It really points out the tiny things that are so evident to other races that go unnoticed by the dominant race, and the narrator does a good job showing how these people just gloss over the little comments, the unspoken words, and the reactions of others. It was not only an enjoyable read but also a very eye-opening piece.
Another of my favorites to read is Laura Kostad's poem, "In Effect, a Line," also the 1st place winner in its category. This poem intrigued me because of its award, especially since I thought there were so many other poems that seemed to connect on a deeper level. However, the effects of this poem are subtle, and it took several careful reads to truly appreciate it, because it creates a story in not only what is said, but also what is not said. The title is significant, and the imagery and setting also applies to the theme that we are going for in our magazine. The imagery and language are an artwork themselves, capturing something archaic but still clinging to life.
Each of the pieces in the magazine are unique, usually displaying a different message, and I honestly enjoyed a lot of them. The magazine in itself is a very unique work.
-Christian Sexton, editor