Cal Poly’s literary journal, Byzantium, will be hosting the annual LoverSpeak poetry reading tonight. The event will feature original love-themed poetry written and read by Cal Poly English professors and lecturers.
Organized by this year’s Byzantium co-editors, Beth Shirley and Mateja Lane, LoverSpeak serves as a fundraiser for the journal, which features short stories and poems by Cal Poly students.
The journal has been passed down through the English Department as a senior project, normally headed by two selected English majors and one art director. This gives the English seniors a more hands-on route for their otherwise intangible projects.
“It’s all student-run,” Lane said. “We have no outside help, which is really cool. It’s definitely a learn-by-doing aspect for Cal Poly.”
Students who wish to be published submit their work to the annual Al Landwehr Creative Writing contest. A team of English faculty then reviews the work and picks their top three choices for each category, both poetry and short fiction.
The contest is the deciding factor for Byzantium content. The first, second and third place winners receive cash prizes, as well as a feature in the award-winning literary journal. The editors also get to include their favorites that don’t place with the judges.
In order to fund such a project, the editors must find ways to raise money while promoting awareness for the journal. LoverSpeak has proven to be a blend of the two and also a unique opportunity to see a personal side of professors and lecturers.
Dr. James Cushing, San Luis Obispo’s 2009 Poet Laureate, will be the MC for the evening and will also read some of his own work. Cushing said he is as excited as the students to hear his fellow faculty discuss their views on love.
“Everyone who will be reading has his or her own experience of love and his or her own track record and, you know, flights of glory and walks of shame,” he said. “I hope that the readers get to function for the people in the audience in the way that a hand dropping a pebble into a pool would function — to create some ripples that affect life on the shores.”
Byzantium co-editor and Mustang Daily copy editor Beth Shirley is also excited for the reading and said she hopes to get students to come out and support their professors.
“When I go to poetry readings, I find myself very inspired to write my own poetry,” she said. “It’s such a great expression of emotion and feeling, and it’s cool to see that from faculty.”
In addition to reading their original poems, various faculty will also have their books of poetry on sale at the event.
“It’s a fun thing to do. It doesn’t have to be your stereotypical romantic date,” Lane said. “The poems are about love, but neither for nor against. I know some of them are going to be really funny. It’s going to be a truthful night about love.”
Six faculty members will be reading, as well as two winners from last year’s contest. The reading is tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Science North Building in room 215. The reading is free, although donations are accepted. All donations go to production costs for Byzantium, which will be available in late spring.