November 2019
From the President
When I first began writing in earnest during my Freshman year, I didn't think much of it; it was just a hobby to get some ideas out. As time progressed, though, I slowly realized that not only did I enjoy writing, I enjoyed it more than most other pursuits in my life. Not to say that those things were unimportant, but writing and storytelling has been my avenue for relating to the world, and it means so much to me that this club exists for other writers to share their own passions.
451 Press will be expanding this year with the introduction of Mercy and Notre Dame Belmont into our club. I'm waiting with bated breath to see the results of our collaborations, and am incredibly excited to see this underway. This issue, and perhaps the next, will not include their writings, as it is still a "work in progress," but you can bet that I'll bring this to pass.
Hurrengo arte!
-Taigen Irigoyen, '20
Taigen's Work
From "Hangman, Chapter 32- Garden of Dreams Part I: Lost Time"
'
Gallow followed Warren through the sparsely populated streets downtown. The sky was a warm beige color; sunlight broke through the patchwork butts.
“Which store are we going to?” he asked his friend. Warren didn’t look back at him, but gave a short reply.
“The one on second.”
“Shouldn’t we be going that way, then?” Gallow asked, pointing to a direction that had not existed before.
Without acknowledging that he was right, Warren abruptly changed course, walking briskly to where Gallow had directed.
It was beneath a tall, overbearing row of buildings that bent and curved in a way he couldn’t understand. The street quickly became narrow, sloping inward at a sharp incline; small trees lined the sidewalk. A large concrete wall blocked the whole street off at a point; many barred windows were built into it, but if Gallow had wanted to look through them he would have seen that there was nothing beyond them but the beige sky.
'
Michael's Work
From "Alarm Clock"
I woke up to the sound of my alarm. The obnoxious buzzing made me want to crush my alarm to hell. I wiped the gunk out of my eyes, my body aching from the track practice I had the night before. As I got out of bed the pain coursed through my legs. This did not provide me with a better mood. I turned off my alarm feeling irritated by the pain in my legs and ringing of the repetitive noise in my ears. I wonder if I could buy a new alarm that doesn’t make me want to punch my wall when I wake up.
From the Archives
Editor's note: A favorite website of mine, poets.org, describes the philosophy of haiku thusly: "the focus on a brief moment in time; a use of provocative, colorful images; an ability to be read in one breath; and a sense of sudden enlightenment." Each of these poems in Ryan Kaher's wonderful trio is as true to this description as any I've read. Enjoy and enjoy again! -- P.V-K.
Morning Ballet
Ryan Kaher, '01