Established in 2008 by CCU's Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the Department of English, Waccamaw is a biannual collaborative publication. It is created by CCU students in the Master of Arts in Writing (MAW) program and graduate faculty in the English department, and it is published by The Athenaeum Press, CCU's on-campus, student-driven publishing lab.

The current publication includes 18 fiction, nonfiction, hybrid, poetry and artistic pieces selected from 288 works submitted by professional authors and artists throughout the country.

Jessica Lee Richardson, assistant professor of English, is the editor of Waccamaw and teaches literary magazine production, an experiential graduate-level course, in conjunction with Jeremy Griffin, lecturer of English and fiction editor of the online journal. Colin Burch, lecturer of English, is the nonfiction editor of Waccamaw, and Hastings Hensel, also a lecturer of English, is the poetry editor. Students in the course review submissions, analyze literary techniques involved in each and evaluate the pieces' relative merits.

"The experience has been valuable for me as a person who writes poetry for two reasons," said MAW student Margaret Nichols. "First, I now know what the other side of publishing looks like and can anticipate it as I send my own work out. Also, reading through the submissions has given me a good sampling of what appeals to editors and what does not."

Richardson believes participating in the entire process of producing a journal is instructive and enlightening to aspiring professional writers and scholars.

"Waccamaw brings artists from around the country into collaboration with our graduate students and faculty," said Richardson. "The selection and assemblage of creative work is its own art form. I think we feel mutually empowered when an issue comes together and goes out into the world, because we get to actively participate in the national literary conversation."

Peruse the current issue and past issues of Waccamaw at waccamawjournal.com.