New South brings foreign cultures to Georgia State’s students

 

For many people, opening up a literary magazine is a lot like entering a spoken word coffee shop: there’s a mix of excitement, hesitation, uncertainty and, ultimately, happiness at having done it. Especially in a time when almost anything can be considered “a good book,” a sophisticated, in-depth reading is necessary every once in a while.

Georgia State operates two such literary journals: The Underground, a publication run by undergraduate students, and New South, a biannual publication run by undergraduate and graduate students. What sets New South apart from many other college literary magazines, however, is that it doesn’t accept submissions from Georgia State students. Instead, the international literary community has the privilege of submitting work.

New South broke apart and went its separate way from The Underground after being GSU Review for 35 years. As it coontinues its fifth year of being an individual publication, New South will be seeing some changes.

“We’d like to raise its profile and become more known in the literary community, not just around campus,” said Matt Sailor, the editor-in-chief of New South for the past two years. “I’d like to see it issued in more collections and grow a reputation.”

The voice of the magazine isn’t static; rather, it changes as the editor-in-chief does. The magazine has been more traditional in the past, but under Sailor, he said it has featured more poetry and fiction—his favorite medium—and is becoming edgier as it develops.

“I like to see strong characters with well-defined personalities and conflicts,” Sailor said, “…something unique, not familiar.”

Gregg Murray, assistant professor of English at Georgia Perimeter College and a contributor to multiple literary magazines, was found and recruited to write for New South. Sailor discovered Murray in another literary magazine, Continent. Inspired by the creative essay Murray wrote, Sailor said he recruited him to contribute to New South. Murray wrote a long poem of ‘translations’ titled, “Some Translations for Arturo de Benedicto.”

“These aren’t translations from, say, Spanish to English. They translate other languages, languages of love or sorrow or song or image,” Murray said.

Although Georgia State students cannot submit to the magazine, Sailor said New South reflects the campus culture with its broad range of voices.

“From different religions and races, it shows viewpoints from everywhere,” Sailor said.