Submissions are open now for Mercer's literary arts magazine The Dulcimer, now in its 60th year on campus.
The magazine’s theme this year is “Memento.” This edition aims to encapsulate the history of The Dulcimer and serve as a reminder of the many hands the publication has passed through and the many more it will pass through, Editor-in-Chief Isaac Linnen ‘28 said.
Copy Editor Breanna Carter ‘27 said the staff wants the magazine this year to focus on its legacy while also serving as a gift to future generations of The Dulcimer staff.
On a personal note, Carter said the magazine this year serves as a reminder to her that “we are all servants to time, whether we like it or not. But just because time will pass, doesn’t mean that the memories that you’ve made, the experiences that you’ve had, don’t matter,” she said. “It’s important to look back on all of those memories and experiences, and instead of having them drag you back and freeze you in the present, have them propel you into the future.”
With the emergence of artificial intellgience, Carter said the arts are becoming underappreciated, rendering submissions to small magazines like The Dulcimer of the utmost importance.
“We just want to spread the love of art in a world where art is starting to become offloaded to machines and losing that human connection in the process,” Carter said.
She said art is a part of what makes people human, and The Dulcimer wants to share students’ creativity to other people through multiple mediums including, but not limited to, poetry, short stories, photography, digital art and other creative works that can be digitized.
Mercer has wonderful and diverse art programs and departments, but they do not generate much fanfare throughout the campus, Linnen said. It is a small part of the campus, but he said the arts are doing great things.
“I think the arts are so integral to this space, but are rarely ever considered with the seriousness that I believe that they should,” he said.
Linnen said he believes lots of people have aspects of creativity within them that they just need to pursue. Even if they do not submit to The Dulcimer, he said they should pursue art to foster creativity around campus.
“If you have a story, we are always open to hear it, and we would love to share it with others,” Carter said.
Submissions for The Dulcimer are open through February 6. Submissions will be accepted through a Google Form also available on the organization’s Instagram.
