Books

Publication showcases art and more

The folks at The Aletheia, the most recent addition to the list of UH literary journals, have been hard at work for the upcoming release of their second chapbook, which will be issued today during the monthly reading series at Avant Garden.

Edward Garza, a literary studies junior and the newest member of The Aletheia staff, shared what to expect from the journal this semester.

“We’re publishing our second-ever issue — my first issue as editor. I was published in the first one and got a chance to meet the other editors, and they decided to take me on.

“This issue is poetry heavy and has a lot more art than the previous issue did.”

The journal’s focus is on the UH undergraduate community but also has a wider range of artists in mind.

“What makes The Aletheia exceptional is that it is more than a publication. Our mission is not only to showcase UH artists, but to do so beyond the bounds of campus,” Garza said. “Thus, every month we post new content on www.thealetheiajournal.com.”

Part of what distinguishes The Aletheia from other journals is its substantial amount of exclusive online content that either showcases additional work from a particular artist or provides an insightful interview about the creative endeavors of those individuals.

“The content constitutes a student feature, an alumni feature and a faculty feature. These profiles allow readers everywhere to discover more work from an Aletheia artist as well as learn more about her or him through an interview,” Garza said. “This, of course, is in addition to the digital copy of the journal, which is also on the site.”

The Aletheia also hosts monthly readings at Avant Garden, 411 Westheimer. The readings revolve around the work of contributors and UH’s undergraduate literary community.

“The readings typically feature three writers from the journal. These have been well-attended, lively events,” Garza said.

A reading dedicated to undergraduates is fairly rare and a great experience for up-and-coming writers to practice reading to an audience, which besides being entertaining helps instill confidence in young writers.

On Saturday, editors got together to bind the Spring 2012 chapbook together. The debut issue was also hand-bound, with a rough thread that gave the journal an eclectic feel.

“We editors maintain a fun and productive atmosphere — whether we’re hosting a reading or deciding on which submissions we’ll publish.

“Since our creative interests encompass prose, poetry and visual art, the journal is all the more rich,” Garza said.

“We want to give you literature that is not only strong and inventive, but a joy to read.”

The Aletheia is published by the University of Houston Honors College Center for Creative Work.

For more information, visit www.uh.edu/honors/honors-minors-programs/center-creative-work/aletheia.

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