Capstone—Celebrating Creative Purdue University Global Alter Egos
Barbara c.g. Green, MA & MS, Purdue University Global Assistant Chair of Composition
For most academics, writing usually focuses on grading papers and working to get academically published. Clearly, tasks that are both noble and key towards excelling professionally, but sometimes academic folks long to step out of the routine and assume an exciting creative alter ego as writer, poet, or photographer to blow off some steam or infuse the day-to-day with a little pizzazz. For Purdue University Global (Purdue Global) faculty and staff, one such opportunity to wax creative lies just a few clicks of the mouse and keyboard away with Capstone, Purdue Global ’s literary journal.
The Origin Story
No, no one was bitten by a radioactive spider, nor is there a tale of woe involving an avenging billionaire who lost his parents as a child. Instead, Capstone came to fruition after a few members from the Composition Department sat around chatting casually with a former dean between meetings and workshops back in late 2010. From there, interest grew in creating a journal, folks started wanting to get involved, and the idea grew like a creative symbiote that took on a life of its own. Soon, a naming contest yielded the moniker “Capstone.” Not long after, the Capstone insignia was designed, and the first call for submissions followed.
In the fall of 2012, the first e-dition of Capstone made its debut to a small but exceedingly excited group of Purdue Global eyes. As Capstone gained contributors and confidence, it gained more momentum and followers.
Capstone Now
Having just wrapped its eighth call for submissions, Capstone’s 2016 Summer Issue will be out at the beginning of August. Capstone has grown from its humble beginnings and now accepts fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and photography. It also boasts a creative league of academics from various departments in the School of Gen Ed who work tirelessly as a well-oiled machine to manage submissions from Purdue Global departments and areas far and wide in order to put each issue together. Its 2016 Winter Issue, a poetry and photography special issue, received many adoring fans for its interactive viewing gallery (which should be downloaded for optimal viewing).
A Creative Alliance
And, getting published in Capstone isn’t the end for KU creatives. This year marks the fifth year of the Virtual Literary Festival (August 23-24) in which the super spotlight is placed on those published in 2016’s winter and summer issues via readings and discussions of their fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and photography chosen to grace the pages of the Capstone. In addition to featuring Capstone talent, the Festival will also offer mini workshops on various topics as well as mini literature-themed presentations on the topic of “monsters and madmen” from literature.
For more information on Capstone or the Literary Festival, please email Barbara Green (bgreen@kaplan.edu) for Capstone and Barbara Green or David Healey (dhealey@kaplan.edu) for the 2016 Virtual Literary Festival.