Literary magazine encourages creative writing

Amaranth, Lehigh’s literary magazine, is a student-run creative writing publication that comes out twice a year. Each edition is planned throughout the semester, and students from all disciplines can submit pieces on a rolling basis until Nov. 8. 

Students who participate in the magazine’s production must enroll in a credited course. This semester, the course is led by PhD student Lauren Gilmore. 

Gilmore said she encourages students to express themselves creatively through writing and photography.

“Amaranth is a place for students to publish their writing or art, often for the first time,” Gilmore said. “It’s about giving students an audience and a voice.” 

The magazine accepts submissions ranging from short stories and poetry to photography and visual art. 

Those who submitted their work before the deadline have a chance to win prize money and get their work published in the fall 2024 edition.

Abby Trainor, ‘25, has worked on the magazine for several years and is currently on the publicity team.  

Trainor is a double major in English and marketing and said her background in these disciplines has helped her write and advertise for the magazine.

Part of these advertising efforts include tabling events to generate awareness and encourage submissions.  

“A lot of people don’t know Amaranth even exists, so we’re finding ways to connect with more people,” Trainor said.

She said the publication welcomes submissions from all students — not just those who study humanities. She said there are several engineering and business students who have been published. 

Trainor said she’s always excited to see her writing in print, and she thinks being a published author is one of the most rewarding parts of creating art.

“There’s something really cool about having this idea and then you write it down, and then you get to physically see it and hold your piece of art in your hands,” Trainor said. 

Adrianna Wagner, ’27, also helps publicize the magazine through its Instagram account, where she posts reminders for upcoming submission deadlines and engages with the campus community.

“We’re actively posting book recommendations and interactive polls to foster engagement,” Wagner said. “We want the community to know what Amaranth is all about.”​

She said the team is passionate about the magazine and works together to make it successful. 

With submissions now closed, the team is choosing what will go in the upcoming edition. To do so, Wagner said the editorial team reads each submission and discusses which pieces to include in the publication.

Wagner said the team’s goal is to include more creative expressions from students in this edition. 

“Amaranth allows us to amplify student voices in ways that aren’t often available on campus,” Wagner said​.

Copies of Amaranth can be found in Drown Hall and online.