KLIO Penn State’s Creative Arts Journal Volume 3, 2018 OUR MISSION Klio is the Muse of history and poetry, called upon by early Greek writers and artists for inspiration and creative guidance. The Greek verb kleô, meaning to celebrate, comes from her name. Here at Klio, we celebrate both written and visual expressions of creativity. Klio is the online sister to Penn State’s creative arts journal, Kalliope. Klio seeks to showcase the work of students and keep a community record of creative arts from all PSU campuses. We strive to provide an inclusive community to celebrate the creative and linguistic talents of emerging Penn State artists and writers. Any and all forms are encouraged, as we pride ourselves on being a multimedia publication that represents diversity in art, perspective, and culture. Klio is a platform for all Penn State students. We are Penn State. We are Klio. Cover art: “See Me” by Joy Blazofsky Klio Logo by Sarah Nields KLIO 2018| klio.psu.edu 1 KLIO 2018 STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Tiffany Fu Managing Editor: Christy McDermott Fiction Editor: Nathan Ousey Poetry Editor: Sumner C. Drain V Non-Fiction Editor: Erin Campbell Art and Multimedia Director: Sean Bradley Music Editor: Maddy Bacon Curatorial Editor: Grace Eppinger Blog Editors: Grace Eppinger | Christy McDermott Promotion/Marketing: Adam Traina Social Media Coordinators: Sam Cavanagh | Erin Campbell Social Events Coordinator/University Park Outreach: Kayla White Commonwealth Campus Coordinator/International Student Outreach: Jinny Kim Web Developers: Katherine Reese | Taylor Hayes Archive Manager: Taylor Hayes Faculty Advisor: Alison Jaenicke KLIO 2018| klio.psu.edu 2 Dear Klio Readers, As we near the end of the fall semester, our Klio staff would like to thank our contributors and readers, and bid farewell to the publication we’ve been busy building over the past few months. This semester, we refined Klio’s mission statement and redesigned the website to better honor our mission of celebrating the variety of arts produced by Penn State students. We strived to elaborate on the creative platform that past Klio staffers built by introducing a musical outlet through SoundCloud. “Klio Music” serves to spotlight talented student musicians, who simultaneously pursue their college degree and their passion for music. Our selections this year range from R&B to alternative rock; we hope you’ll listen along to our “Music We Love” playlist as you head into exams and the semester break. Klio’s 2018 selection of poetry offers a diverse collection of Penn State voices. From raw emotions captured during a trying time, to awe-inspiring depictions of nature and the beauty of love, our 2018 collection of poems showcases Penn State students’ ability to funnel a plethora of feelings and sensations into words that speak to all of us. This year’s fiction selections encapsulate the creativity of Penn State students. Several of the stories combine themes of writing and other art forms, a perfect combination for Penn State’s Creative Arts Journal. “Writing Under Deadline” emphasizes the tension involved in the process of writing for entertainment, while “Silicon Soul” offers an underlying thread of piano music. Narratives like “Silicon Soul” and “Writing Under Deadline” showcase aspects of science fiction and fantasy that enrich their stories. “Until Death Do Us Part” gives us comedy and great representation from a member of Phroth, Penn State’s humor publication. Finally, contributor Kacie Lee brings an abstract lyric essay with “Ambivalence of Light,” as well as a great example of flash fiction through “Sallow.” Klio’s 2018 nonfiction collection consists of genuine and intriguing stories in which Penn State students share and process their memories through powerful elements of storytelling. Some pieces are emotional, some are light, but all tell a true story that affected the writer. The chosen pieces offer diverse content that a multitude of readers can relate to. Three featured artists contributed their works, ranging from graphic design to sculpture. Joy Blazofsky offers abstract self portraits, each representing the unique ways in which she envisions herself in her art. Hannah Foster takes everyday materials to create sculptures as a way of putting her thoughts into physical form. Dan Kozar uses graphic design to portray experiences from his own life, but with a whimsical touch. KLIO 2018| klio.psu.edu 3 Throughout the fall semester, our staff published blog posts that featured everything from dance to art to music. We also tapped into our roots by taking a look into the work of past Kalliope contributors. We believe that Klio goes beyond the website and celebrates a community of writers and artists at Penn State, something that our blog spotlights have really tried to capture. As editor-in-chief, I am pleased to have worked alongside a cooperative team with a great work- ethic. We came together as strangers in the beginning of the semester with very few expectations of how Klio 2018 would turn out. Fortunately, we found synergy within our circle and focused on our mission to bring our readers quality samples of creativity from the Penn State community. Thanks for reading! Tiffany Fu Editor-in-Chief Klio 2018 KLIO 2018| klio.psu.edu 4 Table of Contents FICTION ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Ambivalence of Light, by Kacie Lee ........................................................................................................... 7 Sallow, by Kacie Lee .................................................................................................................................. 9 Silicon Soul, by Sean Semanko ................................................................................................................ 10 Until Death Do Us Part, by Alise Deveney ............................................................................................... 18 Writing Under Deadline, by Ellis Stump .................................................................................................. 21 CREATIVE NON-FICTION ................................................................................................................ 27 Como Foi Teu Dia Na Escola? by Ines Martinez ...................................................................................... 27 Home from 195 Countries, by Isabela Carlos Alberto ............................................................................ 29 Listening to Myself, by Veronica Garis ................................................................................................... 34 My Irrational Fear, by Meghan Beakley ................................................................................................. 40 Navigation, by Kacie Lee ......................................................................................................................... 42 Our Haven, by Kacie Lee ......................................................................................................................... 43 Settling, by Dean Hanson ........................................................................................................................ 44 The Light Enters Through the Cracks, by Sami Scherrer ......................................................................... 45 POETRY .......................................................................................................................................... 51 1,3-Dichloropropene, by Nicholas Everett Chasler ................................................................................. 51 Air, by Jacob Lazarow ............................................................................................................................. 52 All I Desire Surrenders, by Annie Murphy ............................................................................................... 53 Fragile, by Annie Murphy ........................................................................................................................ 53 You, In November, by Annie Murphy ............................................................................................. 54 Demise of Giants, by Sumner Drain ........................................................................................................ 55 Dyscalculia, by Nicholas Everett Chasler ................................................................................................. 56 Light Therapy, by Nicholas Everett Chasler ............................................................................................ 56 Nefariously Me, by Nicholas Everett Chasler .......................................................................................... 57 On the Wall, by Nick Miller ..................................................................................................................... 58 Pennants, by Patrick McGovern.............................................................................................................. 59 Picture Day, by Talia Potochny ............................................................................................................... 60 Love, Art, And… by Jared Mcanany ....................................................................................................... 61 Memories, by Kylie Wright ..................................................................................................................... 62 Nature Undone, by