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Palouse Review - A Literary Arts Journal

The Palouse Review is the biannual arts and academics journal of the Washington State University Honors College. We accept submissions from current and former honors students from throughout the Western Regional Honors Council. Our editors are looking for carefully crafted, evocative work that demonstrates the literary, artistic, and academic excellence of our broader honors community.


The Palouse Review, December 1st 2020 Edition

Fiction ~ Nonfiction ~ Scholarship ~ Poetry
Photography and Visual Art ~ Music


On behalf of the editorial team – Welcome to the December 1st, 2020 Edition of The Palouse Review!

When you ponder our ability to express ourselves as we channel thoughts and emotions into artistic forms, the old tale about the Taoist monk who was about to give a philosophical address to fellow monks always springs to my mind. He got up on the podium, drew his breath, hand gesture in motion, his lips parted in intonation of his first word when a little bird landed on the windowsill and burst into song. He listened intently and when the song was done, he said “Thank you, I have nothing to add,” and left the room.

As readers nowadays we probably insist on our right to comment and critique because we always have something to add. Whether editorial alterations or our additions ultimately benefit what we come to understand, or the objects themselves, is questionable; other than aligning them with the requirements of some established norm. And established norms tend to have a limiting effect upon the expression of those emotions and thoughts often trying to escape those same norms in the first place.

With those questions in mind I invite you to enjoy the selection for the December 1, 2020 Edition of The Palouse Review. In Dirty Animals (Sinclair Adams) and Not Enough Blood (Katelyn Moorman) the animal world springs to life respectively on the outskirts of humanity and as a brutal, hallucination-inducing encounter on the way to class. In the Non-fiction category Brooklyn Wilde ponders identity and free speech as does Adam Hureau and Erin Sellars but with a focus on place and family.

In the scholarship section Elizabeth Wood investigates “a shift in the cultural perceptions of womanhood and women’s roles” in Three Man-Murdering Women in American Literature. She observes that “Works of literature can prompt great social change because it encourages readers to understand other worldviews.” We couldn’t agree more. Our seven poems explore human and spacial environments in often straightforward language and images. An exception is Alessandra Park’s I smell so nasty in her deliberately disjointed diction.

We round off the Edition with a kaleidoscope of visual impressions to soothe all that language. From Sofia Nguyen’s lonely gull staring into the abyss, to Regina Fatima Rivera’s blue skies above.

Have a great Holiday Season!

Kim Andersen | Managing Editor of The Palouse Review

December 1st, 2020


Fiction

Dirty Animals
by Sinclair Adams  (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Sinclair is a student in the Honors College in the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She is the current president of the Honors College Creative Writing Club. She is studying English and is a nonstop reader and writer. About twice a year, she get a killer migraine that rends her half-blind and sometimes mute. She imagines that the pain in her head comes from story ideas that she hasn’t written yet.

Heather 
by Katelyn Moorman (University of Wyoming)

Katelyn Moorman is a Senior at the University of Wyoming. When she isn’t pretending to read books for her English degree, she’s forcing her friends to watch bad 80s movies. Her work has been published in Asterism, Scribendi, Furrow Magazine, The Rush, and Open Minds Quarterly.

Not Enough Blood 
by Katelyn Moorman (University of Wyoming)

Katelyn Moorman is a Senior at the University of Wyoming. When she isn’t pretending to read books for her English degree, she’s forcing her friends to watch bad 80s movies. Her work has been published in Asterism, Scribendi, Furrow Magazine, The Rush, and Open Minds Quarterly.

Purina Moist Meaty 
by Katelyn Moorman (University of Wyoming)

Katelyn Moorman is a Senior at the University of Wyoming. When she isn’t pretending to read books for her English degree, she’s forcing her friends to watch bad 80s movies. Her work has been published in Asterism, Scribendi, Furrow Magazine, The Rush, and Open Minds Quarterly.

A Major Mal-Miscommunication
by Kristin Nergaard (Metropolitan State University of Denver)

Kristin is studying Aviation and Aerospace at MSU Denver. Other than learning how to fly, exploring writing has been one of her most loved academic adventures.

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Nonfiction

Where the Heart is
by Adam Hureau (Washington State University)

Adam is a fourth-year student at WSU studying Chinese and Spanish. He enjoys playing and listening to music, writing, and learning about other places and cultures.

Chrysallis
by Erin Sellars (Gonzaga University)

Erin Sellers is a theatre artist primarily focused on directing. She develops complex work from a feminine perspective that collides mythological stories and tradition with a modern context. Her favorite works include directing a fully realized production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things at Gonzaga University and assistant costume designing Spokane Civic Theatre’s Cabaret. She is pursuing graduate school following anticipated graduation from Gonzaga University in June, 2021.

Not Quite Part of It
by Brooklyn Wilde (Weber State University)

Brooklyn is a lover of art, history, and cultures. Her free time is spent observing the world and attempting to understand and write about the ways in which people communicate, interact, and think. She is a Professional and Technical Writing major from Northern Utah.

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Scholarship

Encountering Gender: European Perceptions of Indigenous Identities
by Zee Austin (Weber State University)

Zee is a student at Weber State University in Utah, majoring in History. They are also minoring in anthropology and take a strong interest in queer studies. They hope to attend graduate school.

Chinese vs. European American Parenting Style on Students’ Academic Performance
by Yuanling Tang (Mt. San Antonio College)

Yuanling is a psychology student at Mt San Antonio College, and she has a passion for doing research on parenting styles. Her future career goals are to become a professor focus on educational psychology while giving therapy sessions outside of work.

Three Man-Murdering Women in American Literature
by Elizabeth Wood (California State University, Bakersfield)

Elizabeth Wood is an English major and is minoring in Psychology and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at California State University, Bakersfield. She is a Marine Corps veteran who is passionate about social justice and teaching and, as such, aspires to become a lawyer and educator after earning her JD/PhD. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, playing with her dogs, and tending to her plants.

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Poetry

Four Years Old
by Cora Ballek (University of California, Davis)

Cora Ballek is a sophomore at UC Davis, studying Music and Environmental Science. In her spare time, Cora composes, sings, beatboxes, plays piano, writes poetry and fiction, and constructs sculptures using Lego bricks.

Love Was
by Michael Lam (California State University, Long Beach)

Michael Lam is a 4th-year Molecular Cell Biology Major with a Chemistry Minor at California State University, Long Beach. After college, Michael plans to enter into a MD/PhD program with the goal of becoming a physician-scientist and inevitably translating his career in medicine and research into public policy and public health.

The first wasp of March has drowned 
by Gabriel Meek (Whitworth University)

Gabriel Meek is a 2020 graduate of Whitworth University and is now pursuing an MFA at Eastern Washington University. His poetry and nonfiction have appeared in Furrow, Laurel Moon, and Airplane Reading. He loves pink applesauce.

W-A-T-E-R
by Gabriel Meek (Whitworth University)

Gabriel Meek is a 2020 graduate of Whitworth University and is now pursuing an MFA at Eastern Washington University. His poetry and nonfiction have appeared in Furrow, Laurel Moon, and Airplane Reading. He loves pink applesauce.

I smell so nasty
by Alessandra Park (University of California, Riverside)

A. C. Park works as a part time Page/Homework Helper at an LA County library and is a full time undergraduate Honors student in Creative Writing at University of California, Riverside. Learn more about her at alessandracristinapark.com.

Betrayal
by Gabrielle Sequeira (Northern Arizona University)

Gabrielle is a junior Environmental & Sustainability Studies major who loves anything artsy and adventures outdoors! She hopes to work in environmental diplomacy someday, but if that doesn’t work out, her backup plan is to join a jousting troupe and travel with the Renaissance Festival.

“What Kind of Music Do You Listen To?”
by Gabrielle Sequeira (Northern Arizona University)

Gabrielle is a junior Environmental & Sustainability Studies major who loves anything artsy and adventures outdoors! She hopes to work in environmental diplomacy someday, but if that doesn’t work out, her backup plan is to join a jousting troupe and travel with the Renaissance Festival.

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Photography and Visual Art

Ezra Farner (Southern Oregon University)

Ezra Farner is an Honors student attending Southern Oregon University to study graphic design, film, and Shakespeare. In his free time, he enjoys writing, baking, video games, and watching movies.

Molly Gilbert (Saint Mary’s College of California)

Molly Gilbert is a sophomore in the Integral (Great Books) Program at Saint Mary’s College of California. She has an avid interest in a variety of subjects (from marine ecology to Aristotelian ethics), and also cultivates a passion for the theatrical and visual arts. Molly has worked as a freelance fantasy digital illustrator and concept artist for several years, and is looking forward to applying to law school for a graduate degree.

Mikaela Mudge (Metropolitan State University, Denver)

Mikaela Mudge is currently a Senior in a Lifestyle Medicine Undergraduate program at MSU Denver. She plans to continue on into medical school and to one day work implement Lifestyle Medicine techniques in underrepresented communities. When not studying, she is a lover of nature, tea, and good conversation.

Sofia Nguyen (Irvine Valley College)

Sofia is currently enrolled at Irvine Valley College and is majoring in Graphic Design. She enjoys experimenting with new technologies such as AR to make her projects more interactive and immersive.

Regina Fatima Rivera (California State University, Fresno)

Regina Fatima Rivera is a first-year Smittcamp Family Honors College scholar at California State University, Fresno. She is currently pursuing a Pre-Health major and Italian studies minor. While she aspires to become a Nurse Practitioner in the future, she hopes to continue embracing her love of photography. Regina enjoys capturing candid moments through portraits of her friends and family, as well as casual shots from her travels.

Patrick Robichaud (Washington State University)

Patrick is a fifth year undergraduate studying Civil Engineering at Washington State University. He is an avid traveler and outdoors-man where he enjoys photography.

Yuanling Tang (Mt. San Antonio College)

Yuanling is a sophomore student at Mt. San Antonio College, who is majoring in Psychology. She has a passion for taking photographs of the skyscrapers because those are the symbols of her homeland.

Isabelle Tran (University Of California, Riverside)

Isabelle Tran is a second year Chemistry major who has also always had a passion for the “aesthetic”. Subsequently, she enjoys indulging her time cruising through various mediums of art and literature. Through her artworks, she always challenges herself to build up layers of allegory and symbolism in order to express this passion. In the future, she hopes to continue this hobby on top of pursuing her degree in science and medicine.

Chloe Unflat (Western Washington University)

Chloe Unflat is a freshman honors student at Western Washington. As she is pursuing a major in design, she hopes to continue to cultivate her love of drawing and creating art to share, while balancing her schedule as a student-athlete on the soccer team.

Anna Virovka (Irvine Valley College)

Anna is a passionate self-taught artist from Ukraine. She is currently pursuing her biology degree.

Brooklyn Wilde (Weber State University)

Brooklyn is a lover of art, history, and cultures. Her free time is spent observing the world and attempting to understand and write about the ways in which people communicate, interact, and think. She is a Professional and Technical Writing major from northern Utah.

Jaslyn Woolfolk (California State University, Bakersfield)

Jaslyn is currently a fourth grade elementary educator. She has now taken on the task of obtaining her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership while teaching full time. In her spear time she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, but most importantly she enjoys capturing beautiful moments on her cellphone. She is very much an artist at heart and enjoys writing, creating art, listening to music and much more. She prides herself on being open to new opportunities, thus, this platform was a new opportunity to show what she loves. Just like her photos; she is real, she is raw, and she is life.

 

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Music

Wildfire Ashes

by Jonathan Cline (MiraCosta College, California)

View the full score

Jonathan Cline, IEEE, is an early student in music composition, fusing an interest in electric guitar and heavy metal music with classical orchestration. He views a masterpiece in music as a feat of engineering, hence the theme of several of his works, “Architecting Music,” released through his artist page, www.superblonde.org.

Reckoning

by Jonathan Cline (MiraCosta College, California)

View the full score

Jonathan Cline, IEEE, is an early student in music composition, fusing an interest in electric guitar and heavy metal music with classical orchestration. He views a masterpiece in music as a feat of engineering, hence the theme of several of his works, “Architecting Music,” released through his artist page, www.superblonde.org.

Stand Together

by Jessica Reimers (Metropolitan State University, Denver)

 

Jessica Reimers is a freshman at MSU Denver who is a Criminal Justice major. They also love to do any creative activities in their free time but mainly music and acting.

 

 

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Illustration of a stalk of wheat