Anna Ford, Assistant Culture Editor
• April 26, 2023
Founded in 1971, Atlantis: A Creative Magazine is UNCW’s premier undergraduate literary magazine. Focused on celebrating undergraduate writers from public or private community colleges and four-year universities in North Carolina, Atlantis is run by dedicated students and sponsored by UNCW’s Student Media Board. As sophomore Nitya Budamagunta takes the reins as Editor-in-Chief for the 2023-2024 school year, many exciting possibilities lie ahead for the innovative literary magazine.
Universities all throughout the US offer a literary magazine to exclusively their student body as an opportunity for students to get their work published. Up until now, UNCW was not one of those universities. Second Story Journal is a UNCW literary magazine created, operated by and originally, exclusively open to Honors students. Current Editor-in-Chief Abigail Celoria and other staff have worked to change that and have opened the magazine to include all undergraduate student submissions.
The Seahawk book club is spending December break in contemplation with a pick fresh off the press. This month’s selection is “Bigger Than Bravery: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic,” edited by Valerie Boyd.
Imagine spending a fun-filled weekend with your celebrity crush. That is exactly what happens to the witty protagonist in The Seahawk’s November book club pick, “Funny You Should Ask.” If you are a fan of BookTok rom-com novels, “Funny You Should Ask” is for you. While falling into the traditional rom-com pitfalls, there is still Hollywood-esque entertainment to be found throughout.
Nov. 7, 2022 kicks off the first day of UNCW’s 2022 Writers’ Week. This weeklong event is hosted annually by the Department of Creative Writing and is open to all students, staff and the general public.
Seabreeze: A Literary Diaspora celebrated the release of its second issue on Feb. 23, with its first issue published the previous year. With two issues and a full staff, Seabreeze joins the ranks of UNCW’s creative magazines. The publication was founded in 2019 by graduating student Lauran Jones. A literary arts enthusiast who was looking to increase diversity in the arts on campus, Jones leaves a legacy in Seabreeze.
The Cameron Art Museum is home to many beautiful exhibits and interactive events all year round. This weekend, they will be a host to not only new visual artists, but poets as well. On April 1, a handful of UNCW creative writing students, both in the BFA and MFA programs, will be a part of a live exhibit, showcasing their talents in poetry and paying homage to the theme “State of the Art.”
Less than three weeks after the novel’s publication, “The Christie Affair” claimed the number five spot on the New York Times’ best seller list of hardcover fiction. Reese’s Book Club selected it as their pick for February, which, along with an effective marketing campaign, elevated the book’s buzz upon release. The Seahawk selected it for our February pick as well, not only for its incredible mystery, but the author behind it. A professor with UNCW’s own creative writing department, Nina de Gramont’s latest book became an overnight success. This is made sweeter by her dedication to the novel throughout its lengthy writing process.
“Euphoria” returns with a premiere that doubles as a character study and the prelude to chaos for the main characters. The series continues to be a visual delight and a devastating portrayal of how substance abuse, flawed upbringing and addiction plague the youth. After a tense character-centric premiere, we can only guess what the season has in store for us in the weeks ahead.
Holly’s Typewriter Poetry extends beyond its small business label. The foundation of art is an exchange of ideas and emotions between its creator and the spectators. In Walker’s business model, though, the spectators are welcomed into the creation. Her poetry is something she shares with her customers, gifting them an expression of their own emotions, experiences, or simple fantasies. It is one of the most refreshing ways of doing business in a culture often more focused on consumerism than connection.
Caroline Straubel, Culture Editor
• November 1, 2021
The UNCW Department of Creative Writing is hosting the annual Writers’ Week on Monday, Nov. 1 through Friday, Nov. 5. Students interested in learning about different aspects of the writing community, ranging from an interview with a literary management agent, to learning about printing and participating in a discussion with well-known authors are encouraged to join in the week’s events.
Grace Hall, Contributing Writer
• September 14, 2021
The most impressive portion of this movie was the writing: the movie unravels itself completely, then twists itself back up into a knot—it all comes full circle. It questions modern reality, and what’s real. What are the costs of seeing into others’ lives? Are we truly okay with others watching us? How far will we really go to watch—and do we even want to see?
