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The Kilgore Review: 2024 earned awards in nearly every category at the 65th Annual Florida College System Publication Association Conference.
“Dear Sir, poor sir, brave sir:” he read, “You are an experiment by the Creator of the Universe. You are the only creature in the entire Universe who has free will. You are the only one who has to figure out what to do next – and why. Everybody else is a robot, a machine.” – Kilgore Trout
Pensacola State College’s The Kilgore Review, an annual student-run literary and arts magazine, is accepting submissions of poetry, prose, and artwork until Feb. 7, 2025. This publication showcases the creativity of PSC’s emerging artists and writers and is under the direction of Dr. Marisa Mills this year, the advisor for the Lit Club and The Kilgore Review: 2025.
Sara Smith, Associate Professor in the PSC English and Communications Department, explained in the 2024 edition of the journal that the magazine’s title is inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s fictional character, Kilgore Trout, a recurring figure in Vonnegut’s works symbolizing the unique challenges and roles of authors in society.
The Kilgore Review Editor-in-Chief, Fiona Rodriguez, shared how her involvement with the PSC Literature Club helped her grow personally and artistically.
“When I came to PSC, I was introverted but knew I needed to get involved in something, to meet people,” reflected Rodriguez. “Lit Club brought me out of my shell, and I feel like it changed my life.”
The Lit Club meets Thursdays at 2:30 p.m. on the Pensacola campus in Bldg. 4, upstairs in Room 466L. Members collaborate on writing, share feedback, and work together to produce The Kilgore Review, which is released each spring.
The Kilgore Review differs from the College’s other literary journal, the Hurricane Review, by exclusively featuring student work. This gives PSC students a unique opportunity to gain recognition among their peers and represent the College.
All smiles, The Kilgore Review: 2023 Editor-in-Chief Fiona Rodriguez proudly holds her 2023 Debra Vasquez Poetry Award, annually bestowed to only one outstanding poet in the FCSPA Conference.
Rodriguez encourages other students who enjoy writing to get involved with Lit Club and participate in this exciting and engaging process. Not only do students form close bonds with others, but they can also gain accolades and a larger audience by being published in the journal and competing in the annual Florida College System Publication Association Competition.
At the 64th Annual Florida College System Publication Association (FCSPA) Conference in 2023, Pensacola State College brought home 16 awards total, between the student newspaper The Corsair and The Kilgore Review: 2023. In Magazine Division A, The Kilgore Review earned top honors for poetry, nonfiction, artwork, and design.
Rodriguez won the 2023 Debra Vasquez Poetry Award and the Magazine Division A First Place for her poem “Old Man.” She admitted, “I had never really written poetry until I joined Lit Club and found my niche. I really feel like I found ‘my people.’ I’m proud of how much I’ve grown.”
Last year, at the 65th Annual Conference, The Kilgore Review: 2024 captured first place bragging rights for Overall Artwork and for Magazine Photography, along with six other awards for the publication.
For more information about joining Lit Club or submitting work to The Kilgore Review, contact Dr. Marisa Mills at mmills@pensacolastate.edu.
Don’t miss this chance to showcase your creativity and become part of PSC’s vibrant literary and artistic community! We look forward to the release of The Kilgore Review: 2025 in mid-April.