By Brandon Fletcher—
Recently, the The Illuminati—a creative writing student organization—held a party for the launch for their spring issue. This organization provides students with the opportunity to improve and
showcase their writing. The mission of The Illuminati is to promote and support literature, the arts,
and creativity on the Regional campuses. Their literary journal showcases fiction, creative
nonfiction, poetry, and art from regional students, staff, and faculty.
Their launch party celebrates the annual release of their literary journal Illuminati. The event
also celebrated several awards given to students who participate in The Illuminati, including the
Malcolm Sedam Creative Writing Award. Malcolm Sedam was a poetry professor back when Miami University Middletown was a new campus. The winners of this award this year were
Katherine Keefer and Maureen Wilson.
Members and faculty shared their experience of Illuminati. Dr. Eric Melbye, who teaches
creative writing and other classes in the Languages, Literatures, and Writing Department, and is
also the faculty co-advisor of The Illuminati, said, “I just want to say that this whole endeavor of
publishing one issue of Illuminati every year is simply not possible without the right kind of
student. You have to be motivated. You have to be hard working. You have to be passionate,
creative. I’m very, very grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Sean Hopper, Amy Hall,
Deja Reed, and Maureen Wilson on this spring issue. I can’t say enough about these guys.
They worked tirelessly even when they were beyond tired. I’m so proud; I think they did a
fantastic job.”
Jimmy Hollenbeck, another faculty co-advisor of this organization, said, “I wasn’t really sure what to
expect when Eric asked me to join the The Illuminati team. I’ve published my own work. I’ve worked
as a fiction editor and editor-in-chief for a couple of magazines, and now I’m in my first year working
alongside Eric as an advisor for The Illuminati, which is kind of like going from being the sausage
to learning how the sausage gets made to being the supervisor at a sausage manufacturing
plant.”
Sean Hopper, student Editor-in-Chief of the organization, said, “Like Jimmy and Eric said, the amount of work that we put in was astronomical and … working with authors and working with each
other, it was such a great experience, and I really do think that it came out very well. I couldn’t
be prouder of a first edition with me taking up the mantle as president.”
There were also a few creative exchanges of conversation during the event. Sean Hopper
asked Kat Keefer what the creative process was like for writing her short story “Silent House.”
She said, “So once I had that kind of general idea I just wrote, like I just wrote every scene I
imagined. I wrote every color that came to my head. I was like, I see green walls, I see the
walls, the windows are boarded up. Oh, there are old couches. This house is three stories, and
honestly from there, once I had the like scenery, it kind of just all came together.” Prof. Melbye
added, “That doesn’t happen very often when you write, and you feel like you’re just the window
through which a light is shining. You’re just sort of translating. But that’s a really cool feeling. I
know what you’re talking about. Thank you for sharing that.”
Towards the end of the event, Sean Hopper announced the upcoming thirty-year anniversary
of the organization. He also welcomed anyone to join. Dr. Melbye conveyed
the organization’s need for people to help run the organization: “Everyone is welcome. There is
something to do for everyone. Even if you don’t feel creative at all, there is definitely a place for
you.”
If you wish to view the publication online, please click here: https://notthatilluminati.wordpress.com/
For more information about events on Miami Regionals campuses visit events.miamioh.edu