About Superstition Review

Founded in 2007 at Arizona State University 's Polytechnic campus, Superstition Review is committed to publishing fresh art, fiction, interviews, nonfiction and poetry.

Superstition Review is more than a new literary journal; it is an important teaching tool in the B.A. program in Literature, Writing, and Film at the ASU Polytechnic campus. The innovative magazine is student designed, student maintained, and student edited. Superstition Review gives undergrads at ASU a one-semester crash course in magazine publishing. In 16 weeks, our student editors solicit work, read it, make selections, send rejections and acceptances, gather headshots and bios, build the pages, email proofs, make corrections, then launch and advertise the issue. They also run a blog, write press releases and format and design promotional materials. Oh, and they run a 3-part reading series too! Our magazine is a fine example of Polytechnic's hands-on approach to learning.

Named after the beautiful Superstition Mountains to the north of our campus, Superstition Review publishes two issues each year corresponding with the academic calendar.

A Note From The Editor

I have always been interested in literary magazines. My first work on a “lit mag” was with the Cincinnati Public Library's journal for high school students, titled Seven Hills Review. Perhaps it is because of that early experience as an editor that I feel that students learn as much about the publishing process from the editing end of the desk as they do by sending out their own work for publication. That's why I started Superstition Review at ASU at the Polytechnic campus.

Many creative writing programs run national literary magazines that give graduate students an opportunity to learn about lit mags from the inside out. My dream at the Polytechnic campus was to give that same experience to undergraduate students. With Superstition Review we have accomplished that goal. By targeting a national market, we ask our undergraduate students to learn fast lessons about the field of creative writing.

I'm so proud of my interns and the hard work they did to make this issue possible. To each of them I extend my sincerest thanks and praise. Every member of our staff made a critical contribution to the magazine, and I recognize the time and creative energy my student editors put into their work. All 14 interns this semester learned valuable and practical lessons, lessons that will translate to other fields as well. Ten of those 14 interns will continue to work with us next semester, and their expertise will allow us to innovate and improve many of our practices. We will also welcome 9 new interns in the spring.

I want to thank my faculty advisors Anne, Claire, Douglas, Elizabyth, Kristin, and Steve, who helped lead the interns and who provided me with lots of technical, artistic and emotional support.

A heap of thanks goes to my Department Head, Duane Roen, without whom I would never have had the opportunity to attempt this project. His support, vision, and encouragment helped this magazine flourish. Without Duane, Superstition Review would simply not exist. I also want to thank our new Dean Craig Thatcher who has shown a great interest in our magazine. He even came to one of our readings this semester. When our Reading Series Editor Sarah Snyder reported the head count, she mentioned that the Dean's attendance was like having "10 extra people." My students and I are very lucky to be working in an environment where our administrators are supportive, kind, and open to innovation.

In the coming months we hope to add a few features such as a literary contest, online submission management software, and a monthly newsletter. To accomplish this, we need an operating budget, which we don't have at the moment. We have applied for a Macarthur Foundation grant that would allow us to cover operating expenses. In the meantime, your donations would help expand opportunities for our students.

I hope you enjoy the magazine.

Patricia Colleen Murphy, Founding Editor, Superstition Review