When I'm called upon to talk about what it is that I do for Knox, whether it be at a conference or an alumni gathering or in a job description or even during a passing conversation in the grocery store, I often say that I help tell Knox's story. While that seems like a relatively simplistic answer, I believe it truly sums up what I do in my job as editor of Knox Magazine and as the College's vice president of communications.
For the last 13 years, I've worked with talented and passionate individuals to tell the stories of other talented and passionate individuals-in print and online, in photos and in video, in 140 characters and 40,000 words. Our work, in a nutshell, is meant to encourage more talented and passionate individuals to spend four years of their life on this campus, to move their family to this prairie, to engage with their alma mater, or to invest in the future of this College. And much of that work is featured twice yearly in this publication, which officially turns 100 years old this month.
For a century, this magazine has told the story of Knox, its alumni, faculty, and students, in articles, photos, and its beloved Class Notes. The magazine, like the College itself, has experienced many twists and turns, taken on many shapes and sizes, editors and schedules, and names throughout the years, but it has always remained true to its mission as one of the primary vehicles through which we showcase Knox to the world.
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It seems particularly fitting to me that both Knox Magazine and the Program in Creative Writing are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year as both, at their heart, are dedicated to storytelling.
The magazine published its first batch of stories exactly 100 years ago in October 1917, and in 1967, two Knox faculty members, Sam Moon and Robin Metz, decided to formally introduce an academic program dedicated to creative writing. Over the course of its 50 years, this program has grown in size and prestige. It seems particularly fitting to me that both Knox Magazine and the Program in Creative Writing are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year as both, at their heart, are dedicated to storytelling. We celebrate this serendipitous event in this issue of the magazine with a series of articles dedicated to the creative writing program, along with an overview of the magazine's history told through a century of Class Notes.
Other celebrations have taken place throughout 2017, including readings and alumni gatherings both on and off campus and the creation of a stunning collection of letterpress broadsides featuring the work of our faculty and alumni, as well as a few literary luminaries like Marilynne Robinson. But there is one celebration that is particularly worth noting (or at least I think it is)—after 100 years of publication, the magazine is finally entering the 21st century with a brand new digital edition.
Magazine content has been available on the Knox website for a little more than a decade, but it's never had its own stand alone website, one designed specifically to showcase magazine content. So, 100 years after its first publication, we are proud to announce the launch of magazine.knox.edu, a website that features everything you'll find in the print edition of Knox Magazine, plus more. We've added multimedia features, such as video and slideshows, and we're even planning on some podcasts in the near future. We will feature expanded features and profiles (see the interview with filmmaker Insiyah Saeed '03), along with exclusive online-only content. We hope to publish magazine-length feature stories throughout the year and to introduce a few new magazine sections, such as the "Question of the Month," which will allow us to feature more alumni voices outside of Class Notes.
Essentially, we've given Knox yet one more way to tell its story, and that's something worth celebrating.
—Megan Scott '96