Baily's Beads to unveil comic-book themed issue

The staff of Pitt-Bradford’s literary magazine Baily’s Beads will unveil its comic-book themed 2014 issue at the Annual Literary Magazine Celebration Wednesday. 

The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. There will be refreshments, as well as an open mic for those who wish to share poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction or other original work.

The 2014 magazine features Baily’s Beads’ first graphic novel-style piece of short fiction by Nyssa Brumagin, a 2013 graduate, and a comic-book style cover and design by Shauna Kelsey, a writing major from Bradford. Kelsey’s cover shows a superhero, Baily, flying over the city of Bradford.

“I wanted our hero to be the sort of smart, powerful and fully-dressed female that almost never has a starring role in commercial publications,” Kelsey wrote in the magazine. I wanted her to be brave and honorable, but also have to have bad habits (procrastination!) and poor eyesight. I wanted anyone who learned about Baily to find some sense of themselves in her whether it was in her looks, her personality or even her ‘nerdy’ glasses.”

Another feature is the inclusion of contest finalists who wrote poetry or prose using the words “broken mask,” “violin,” “neon lights,” “ashes,” “metallic,” “rustle.”

Kelsey served as co-editor with Courtney Gorrell, a writing major from Gifford. Dr. Nancy McCabe, associate professor of writing and director of the writing program, is the advisor.

Also during the celebration, Dr. Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs, will present honors awarded to the 2013 issue: first place with special merit from American Scholastic Press Association and a Gold Medalist award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Editor for the 2013 issue was Seth Cheatle, a 2013 graduate.

For those unable to make the unveiling of the 2014 issue, copies will be available throughout campus or by contacting McCabe at (814) 362-0785 or ngm4@pitt.edu.

Submissions are now being accepted. For more information, contact bailys@pitt.edu.

For disability-related needs, contact the Office of Disabilities Resources and Service at (814) 362-7609 or clh71@pitt.edu.

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