Submissions open for 52nd annual edition of “Satori”

Gabriel Hathaway, Editor-In-Chief
February 2, 2022

Submissions for the 52nd annual edition of “Satori”, Winona State University’s literary magazine, are currently open until Feb. 16.

This year English professor Jim Armstrong is succeeding the “Satori” advisor role from Delta Eddy following her retirement last year. Armstrong commented that Eddy should get a lot of the credit for making “Satori” what it is today.

Eddy was the “Satori” advisor for 20 years and helped make the magazine more student focused by creating a course for it: English 324: Projects in Writing and Language, offered every spring semester. Students in this class gain experience in editing, designing, publishing and more. Students also get to decide what submissions are accepted.

The “Satori” advisor provides structure, but all of the actual work on the magazine is done by students in the class. Armstrong noted that the students in English 324 this semester are already improving “Satori”. Some of the things they have been working on include creating a website and social media accounts for “Satori”, allowing different types of artwork beyond photography and opening submissions for the magazine to Winona-area high school students as well.

“It’s important because it is a student-funded magazine, so students should feel it’s very representative of a wide variety of student work,” Armstrong said.

“Satori” continues to accept submissions from all Winona State students regardless of major or grade level. There are specific requirements depending on which genre a submission falls under: art, prose or poetry. For artwork, up to five images or works of art may be submitted; up to 15 pages of fiction or nonfiction prose; and up to five poems. More details on submission requirements may be found on the “Satori” website, https://www.winona.edu/english/satori.asp.

Armstrong said that “Satori” was started in 1970, at a time when it was important to know that “everyone could write.” Today, “Satori” continues to promote art and literature on campus by showcasing students’ works. Armstrong also mentioned the benefits of submitting to “Satori”.

“Most people first get published in small literary magazines…my first publication was in the literary magazine at Western Michigan University where I got my MFA,” Armstrong said.

Other ways submitting to “Satori” can be beneficial is that it showcases a student’s work, is a good resumé booster and the excitement of being published, Armstrong said.

There are also further benefits from taking English 324: Projects in Writing and Language and working on “Satori”. Emily Venné is a third year student majoring in literature and language: writing option and said she has benefited “Satori”. Venné was published in “Satori” last school year and decided to take English 324 to work on it this year.

Venné is one of the four students that make up the small-but-eager, tight-knit team working on “Satori” this semester. Each student handles a certain section of the magazine, Venné working on the poetry section.

The length of “Satori” varies each year depending on the number of submissions received.

In the future, Venné hopes to work in publishing and editing, so she finds working on “Satori” is a great low-stress way to get experience in that field.

“[English 324] is very informal… I don’t feel like if I don’t know what I’m doing that I’ll be judged for it,” Venné said.

Venné also encourages anyone who is thinking about submitting something to “Satori” to just do it, and if they like the magazine, to also join the class and the editing team next spring.

“[Being published in “Satori”] is cool exposure. I think it’s cool to open a book and see you have something in there,” Venné said.

Physical copies of “Satori” can be found in the Darrell W. Krueger Library in April and online versions may also be found on the “Satori” website. Submissions for “Satori” may be sent to SatoriEditors@ winona.edu.