On Friday, October 28, Houghton College’s poetry and prose periodical, The Lanthorn, put out its first issue of the academic year. Edited by Carina Martin ‘18 and illustrated by Natalia Sytch ‘18, the subject of this first edition was “On Bodies.” Martin asked writers to describe, deconstruct, and transform the human perception of bodies, writing in the preface to the issue: “A body is a difficult thing to be.” The editor’s note concluded with the statement, “The silent threshold awaits. The place just past it coaxes us to jump–or tiptoe quietly–or leap with our breath tight inside our chests. Let’s meet there.”
According to Martin, “The Lanthorn has been a Houghton literary tradition for decades. We have issues dating back as far as the early 1930s.” She added, “[The magazine] is about students who love words coming together to encourage each other creatively and ponder each other’s perspectives.” It is a collaborative form of expression that “exists so that we can all come together in fellowship around the written word. In a world of constant division, the goal of The Lanthorn is to unite and inform us rather than divide us.”
While Martin is the editor of the publication, The Lanthorn is a collaborative effort of many students on Houghton’s campus. All students are invited to submit their work via a campus-wide email, and once all of the submissions have been received, Martin sends them out to her readers. These readers are not given the names of writers, and are asked to rate the pieces they receive. Martin then compiles the top-rated pieces, lays out the issue using Adobe InDesign, and prints it through Quick Print.
The literary magazine has been a continued presence on Houghton’s campus since its first issue was published in 1932. Sophia Ross ‘17, whose grandfather, Wesley Nussey ’40, was one of the first editors of The Lanthorn in 1938, and acted as one of two co-editors her junior year, recognizes the legacy of the magazine. When asked what sets it apart from other writing outlets at Houghton, Ross stated that the periodical is “an outlet where we can voice how we feel.” Where other publications are more focused on current events and technology, The Lanthorn is “geared toward the poetic,” she said.
“I think it affirms poetry’s continued significance in today’s society,” Ross said. She believes each issue is a continuation of the larger canon of The Lanthorn, adding that topics explored in past issues of the publication dating back to the mid-1900s explore similar themes to the work published in today’s Lanthorn.
According to Martin, what separates this most recent issue from previous issues is that it is rooted in diversity. Martin stated there is a “a higher degree of diversity than there has been in the past.” She added, “There are a lot of people at Houghton who are writing, powerful, insightful, beautiful words.” In publishing their work, she hopes to “shine a light on some of the voices we may not hear from very often.”
Joe Miner ‘18, who was published for the first time in this edition, described this edition as “more confessional” than previous issues. He said, “Every piece goes deep to the core of the writer.” Along with Martin and Miner, this issue’s writers are comprised of students from several different years and majors, including Theresa Patnala ‘19, Samuel Yuly ‘18, Meredith Guffey ‘17, Judith Marklin ‘17, Rachel Harrington ‘19, Hendrick de Smidt ‘19, Bethany Kuiken ‘18, Jonan Pilet ‘17, and Shannon Moore ‘19. Each voice views the human body and its struggles and celebrations differently, which in turn represents what Martin described as the “incredible diverse interests and passions” of Houghton students.