BY SARAH BRICAULT

In print | November 8, 2007

Eli Epstein-Deutsch ‘10 decided to start his own magazine when he realized that "there wasn’t a space for me to write in the Phoenix." He was interested in writing longer pieces, specifically about Philadelphia and students’ encounters with the world outside of Swarthmore.

From this initial inspiration, the magazine “burgeoned into a bigger thing,” Epstein-Deutsch said. It is now intended for articles about “culture and the arts not on campus” in a style similar to Harpers, yet it will also include articles in which students “express scientific ideas” similar to pieces found in Scientific American. This publication will differ from existing magazines and newspapers on campus because it will consist of mostly longer articles and essays and will include pieces in which students express their ideas.

According to Epstein-Deutsch, the magazine is currently in its startup phase and is thus “very open to new ideas.” The magazine is meant to “appeal to new voices,” to meet the needs of writers who feel that they do not fit within the constraints of existing publications on campus. Chief editor Marina Tempelsman ’10 said that “interest set the tone” for the current form of the magazine. Both Epstein-Deutsch and Tempelsman strongly encourage anyone who is interested to contact them. They welcome anyone with a specific area of interest for an article or photography or illustrations to submit. Specifically, they are looking for more editors and are taking submissions for cover art.

The current deadline for articles for the first issue is Nov. 16, with the first issue to be released in early December. This first issue will be about 24 pages long. In coming months, Epstein-Deutsch hopes to fall into a regular pattern, most likely printing two or three issues per semester, but currently the two are trying to determine the level of interest and the best form for their as of yet untitled magazine. However, the magazine is definitely coming out and any problems they encounter “will be logistical.”

This publication is meant to appeal to a broad range of readers and writers. The first issue, for example, will include articles on diverse topics. One student is writing an essay comparing the structure of a specific video game to the structure of language. Another describes her summer research on solar magnetism. This issue will also include a memoir and an article about playwright Michael Hollinger.

Although Epstein-Deutsch and Tempelsman do not object to having perhaps one work of fiction in each issue, they emphasized that the magazines was not just another literary magazine. With its longer articles and essays based on students’ ideas, their magazine is also distinct from the Living and Arts section of the Phoenix.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a part of this publication should contact Eli Epstein-Deutsch or Marina Tempelsman.

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