“Southern Indiana Review” is an internationally distributed literary journal based on campus. Matthew Graham and Thomas Wilhelmus co-founded the literary journal in 1994 as an outreach project of the RopeWalk Writers Retreat, an annual summer writers conference through USI and took place in New Harmony from 1988 to 2010.
“SIR” is published twice a year and contains fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry written by emerging and established writers. The SIR Press was created in 2013 and began publishing books through the Michael Waters Poetry Prize.
Casey Pycior, fiction editor of “SIR” and associate professor of English, said he is incredibly proud of every issue that comes out.
“Editors of literary journals ferry art into the world,” Pycior said. “What a great privilege and responsibility that is. As much work as being an editor is, I don’t want to take any part of it for granted.”
“SIR” has had many notable contributors over the years, including National Poetry Series winners, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalists and the current Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón. “SIR” has been recognized for its high level of prestige with its awards in “Best American Nonfiction,” “The Best American Poetry” and “Pushcart Prize” anthologies.
“This means the University of Southern Indiana has a presence in nearly every bookstore and library in the United States,” said Ron Mitchell, editor-in-chief of “SIR.”
“SIR” receives its funding through USI’s College of Liberal Arts with heavy support from the USI Foundation and the Department of English. Students at USI can now be involved with the journal through the literary editing and publishing minor, a new minor established within the last year that introduces students to the history, methods and practical skills required by the publishing field. Students develop their ability to meet the needs of an audience or client. This minor also allows students to work with faculty to edit issues of “SIR.”
“Students involved with this minor will get to be involved in every step of the publishing process, gaining experience establishing and articulating standards; corresponding with authors; working with layout software; editing and printing manuscripts; and creating unique marketing campaigns that will make the students more employable postgraduate,” Mitchell said. “This rare opportunity for students will result in undergraduates being able to get high caliber publishing jobs that frequently require a master’s degree or years of experience.”
The minor is 18 credit hours and involves working with Mitchell, Pycior and Rosalie Moffett, poetry editor.. Students will be given the opportunity to take part in every step of the publication process, which includes evaluating manuscripts, magazine layout, proofing, marketing and publicity.
“The opportunity to work at a literary journal of ‘SIR’s’ caliber is not commonly available to undergraduates,” Pycior said. “We’ve got something really special here, and we’re excited about the experience we can provide students.”