Cal Poly Creative Writers to Read at 25th Anniversary Byzantium Event May 28
Cal Poly’s English Department will hold a reading and celebration for the release of the25th edition of Byzantium, the department’s literary annual, at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at Sally Loo’s Café in San Luis Obispo.
Byzantium, an award-winning publication, is crafted by undergraduate students. Co-editors Monique Nicholas and Adrienne King collaborated with art director Jessica Clogston-Kiner to produce the silver anniversary edition.
Poems and stories are chosen through Cal Poly’s annual Al Landwehr Creative Writing Contest, open to undergraduate and graduate students in all majors. Selected award recipients will read from their pieces at the event.
“Locals hear about Cal Poly students excelling in the sciences, but this is an equivalent celebration of extraordinary student accomplishment in the literary arts,” said English Professor Kevin Clark, Byzantium faculty advisor. “It is a stunning physical representation of student efforts and talent.”
Winners for 2015 include:
Poetry
- Kory Barri (Manufacturing Engineering), first place
- Dominique Pierce (English), second place
- Hannah Wertzberger (English), third place
Fiction
- Rhiannon Kelly (English), first place
- Keith Enterante (English), second place
- Bailey Satterfield (English), third place
Editors’ Choice - Poetry
- Evan Falkenthal (English)
- Connor Edwards (Business)
- Kelsy Koenig (English)
Editors’ Choice - Fiction
- Mackenzie Soldan (English)
The first-, second- and third-place winners in the fiction and poetry categories receive cash prizes, half of which is donated by poet and Cal Poly alumna Jocelyn Knowlton (M.A., English, 2003) and her husband, Bruce, of Knowlton Brothers Fine Furniture in Nipomo, Calif.
“This year we had so many quality pieces to choose from. We believe it is the best edition Cal Poly has seen yet,” said co-editor Nicholas said.
“It was a privilege to work with such an excellent team on this anniversary edition,” added King. “I am proud to have helped put this issue of Byzantium together.”
Free copies of the publication will be available at the event.
Sally Loo’s Cafe is at 1804 Osos St., near the train station. The event is sponsored by Cal Poly’s English Department.