Volume 2008 Parnassus

Editor's Introduction

Part of Parnassus's purpose and privilege is to represent various voices in the Taylor community, and part of the pleasure in glancing through its pages is finding these voices in the creative work of different authors and artists--individuals whom you may never have suspected to see in such a forum, or whose voices you may never have heard before.

Within these pages you'll find pieces by undergraduate students from both the Upland Ft. Wayne campuses, a candidate in one of Taylor's graduate programs, faculty members from different departments, and alumni living across the globe, from Indianapolis to Boston to the Philippines. You'll also see that a wide variety of majors are represented, including Psychology, Chemistry, Business Management, Development Economics, History, Media Communication, and more (in all, 58 authors and artists from 23 different fields are represented). Additionally, you'll find an interview with nationally-acclaimed author Sven Birkerts, paired with a small sampling of his work.

In the effort to offer multiple voices, in this edition, you'll also find carefully-selected quotations at the start of each work. A few noteworthy pieces feature a comment from one of our poetry, prose, or art judges; some feature a personal note about the work by its author or artist; others offer a simple quotation that is relevant to the work, mined from sayings and writings from a variety of individuals, from authors and religious leaders to actors, advocates, and more. These quotations aren't intended to guide your interpretation of each work; rather, they are simply reflections on some aspect of it.

As editor, I hope that some of the art and writing you come across speaks to you. Please try to listen. Enjoy this edition of Parnassus, as well as the many voices presented within it.