WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — On Monday, April 27th , Dr. Scott Hanna presented the fifth annual volume of “Threshold,” a journal made of a wide selection of visual and written art pieces created by WLU’s undergraduates. The event took place in the Elbin Library.
Formerly known as “Ampersand,” “Threshold” garnered a total of 75 submissions this year, breaking their record from last year’s total.
Hanna, the director of Threshold, explained his passion for art during his presentation, calling it “a labor of love.” He also spoke highly of the art piece on the cover, “The Long Inhale,” by Nikki Levine. He explained, “Looking at it… it communicates the feeling of going on a journey.”
He went on to thank all the contributors and editors of the journal, including Daisy Deaton, the Editor-in-Chief. She will be graduating from WLU this May.
Deaton gave her farewells to the journal, saying “I’m very, very glad that this is my final contribution to Threshold.”
After Dr. Hanna spoke, three student contributors to the journal came to the podium to speak about their submissions. Zion Kern went first, reading “Not My Blood,” a dramatic poem about imposter syndrome and the self-doubt that often comes with an artist’s natural talent.
Kendra Clark followed with her powerful poem “Shebeast,” which is about womanhood, daughterhood, and trying to put your mind at ease.
Finally, Tiffany Sites concluded with a poem not from the journal, but an excerpt called “Crying on the Bench Outside on the
Quad,” which was from a song she’s written. It’s a succinct, deceptively comedic poem about saying goodbye and how quickly people can leave your life.
Following these readings, Dr. Hanna shared two poems he found as complimenting the medium of poetry. First, he read “A Love Letter to Taco Bell,” by Rebecca Bornstein, a comedic, but genuine piece that contrasted the next reading, “O me! O Life!” by Walt Whitman. The latter was a critical poem about the value of living despite the futility of life.
This marked the ending to the presentation. Guests were invited by Dr. Hanna to take home a copy of the journal and take from the food table on their way out.
Afterward, I spoke with Kendra Clark about her piece, “Shebeast.” I asked about what makes poetry so important to her, and she explained how much expression there is to be found within poetry. She said that a book requires a narrative, where poetry can be nothing more than a small, bite-sized work that can explain a complex emotion without a necessity for something more.
For more information on Threshold, you can visit their Instagram page or email them at [email protected].
