The Composer
In 2016, I was the editor in chief of LASA High School's literary magazine, The Composer. I oversaw the magazine's creation from theme selection to printing. The magazine was advised by LASA High School English teacher Bradley Sharp.
The following is an excerpt from my "letter from the editor":
The theme we picked this year is Constellations. Inspired by the celestial atlas “Urania’s Mirror,” we sought to show how art is reflected in the stars.
We have been gazing at those bright dots in the sky for as long as humans have been around, and for just as long have been trying to explain what we’re seeing, whether it be with story or science. From the inherent meaninglessness of stars randomly scattered through the night sky, humans have crafted stories and given life to the figures we see in the sky.
This process of creation forms the core of our theme. The writing and artwork is divided into three sections: Points of Light, Celestial Geometry, and Stories in the Stars. Each section represents a different step in the process of giving meaning to the stars. We imagine that when humans first looked up at the night sky, they saw not fully-formed constellations but rather only “Points of Light.” Those candescent spots set across the sky must have overwhelmed them with wonder. Then they would have fashioned patterns and figures out of the stars, connecting them in a sort of “Celestial Geometry” and so beginning to structure the night sky. Finally, these people would attach full myths and tales to the cosmos — “Stories in the Stars” — creating whole narratives out of the essentially meaningless scattering of the stars in space. This process is the same as that of an artist. An artist finds wonder in the everyday, in the mundane, and finds — or gives, perhaps — meaning to it. The challenge of our ancestors — to find that meaning amid the vast randomness of the cosmos — is the continued struggle of the artist.
The star maps that are featured both as the section dividers and as the background for the content layouts follow this progression in a visual way, tangibly illustrating our ideas in gorgeous watercolor, created by the amazing Parker Losefsky. The mountains that ground each page were inspired by the borders on star wheels, and our choices of typefaces echo the fonts found in Urania’s Mirror.
I developed criteria for processing and rating submissions. I designed most of the spreads for the magazine. I oversaw the artwork used for the cover and section diviers. I proofread the magazine along with literary editor Ethan Russo and oversaw distribution.
Below are assorted spreads from the magazine.
For my work on the magazine and other excellence in the English department, I was awarded the English department Book Award upon graduation, seen below.