Eureka Literary Magazine (ELM) is transitioning to a fully digital format. The website is currently in its early developmental stages. Throughout the digital transition many discussions have come up regarding name changes, content changes, and much more.
ELM was originally created in 1992 and founded by Dr. Loren Logsdon. Ezekial Jarvis is currently in charge of the magazine and has overseen it since 2008. He holds the title Editor-in-Chief of ELM. Jarvis is well versed in the field of literary magazines, as he used to work for Cream City Review, Milwaukee’s leading literary journal. Jarvis also currently teaches a Publishing class, ENG 395W, that teams up with ELM and looks at several other literary journals.
Moving forward, Jarvis plans to combine the current ELM website with the print magazine into one comprehensive website. He also plans for the website to have a larger focus on flash fiction and to less of a focus on longer fiction pieces. Jarvis is also considering including a place on the website to house Eureka College student’s pieces.
Jen Rockey, Eureka’s technical service coordinator, is currently working on archiving all the old ELM issues. These will be made available through the library databases, but not on ELM’s website due to copyright issues. However, the archives from Jarvis’s time on ELM will be archived and put on the website.
The largest obstacle that all literary magazines face is finding an identity.
“There’s a lot of stuff in the literary world, and relatively few readers. For magazines to persist and thrive they need to get creative,” Jarvis said.
Moving forward, Jarvis wants ELM’s identity to be focused on how ELM can do good in the world. For the past five years now, ELM has been part of outreach projects for the community. During Covid there was a Facebook livestream reading for the Midwest Food Bank. Before that, ELM teamed up with coral concert to livestream a canned food drive and monetary donations.
“I hope this vision of ELM helps us reflect on our place in the community and to give us a sense of purpose for what we are and what we do,” Jarvis said.
Most recently ELM has teamed up with the art department to create short story coloring books. The coloring books will be handed out with backpacks at the Midwest Food Bank. This semester ELM is working with Fondulac District Library to host three writing workshops for the community.
Jarvis hopes to use these outreach projects as to connect and contribute to the community, but also as a tool. There is potential to reach an entirely new audience through these projects. Through the online transition ELM will continue to keep its strain of humor throughout, as well as a sense of fun and playfulness.
“I don’t want it to be too high-minded, I want it to be accessible,” Jarvis said.
Recently there has been a huge surge in both the development and transition of Eureka Colleges campus media. The Pegasus made their transition to a digital format one year ago. Like the Pegasus, ELM goes through the company SNO to publish the site. SNO is a popular housing for student media programs across the world.
Phil Duncan oversees the Pegasus, and John Malone oversees the TV and Radio program. Both programs are advised by professors, but they are heavily led and influenced by the students participating in them.
There has already been a lot of discussion between the different campus media outlets and how they could come together. Once all media is more developed and settled into their own sites they may be housed under one umbrella container site. The Pegasus has also already made plans to team up with the TV and Radio program and will be implementing it next year. Jarvis has already considered the possibilities of having contributors of ELM have their work read on the radio.
While there is still yet to be an official release date for ELM’s website, Jarvis promises it will be soon.
