The Pioneer Pen is Now Accepting Submission for 2021

By Evie Shaye Herndon

Volunteer State Community College is accepting submission for the 2021 Pioneer Pen.

According to the Vol State website, the Pioneer Pen is a literary arts magazine that publishes student work including, “art, photography, poetry, fiction, song lyrics, plays, monologues, excerpts from longer creative works, cartoons, short films and recordings of original songs.”

 The Pioneer Pen “gives student’s an artistic outlet and recognition” as well as “a good sense of confidence and pride,” said Faculty Advisor and Publication Coordinator, Emily Andrews, in an article in The Settler.

To be published, students must submit their work which will then be reviewed by the magazine editors. If selected by the magazine editors, the student’s work will be published in the magazine and accessible online.

“The deadline to enter is March 10,” and students can follow this link for submission guidelines,” said student editor, Carolina Cardona.

According to the Vol State website, “all entries should include contact information, a brief biography, as well as the title and medium for the work. Creative writing should be submitted in a .docx file format” and “works of art should be submitted as a high-resolution .jpg.”

 Also, “all submissions are automatically considered for the John MacDougall Award for Literary Excellence or the Fusion Art and Design Award,” according to the Vol State website.

According to a 2018 article in the Tennessean, The Pioneer Pen won a first place national award from the American Scholastic Press Association in 2017.

Students should take advantage of this opportunity, said Cardona.  

 If students “dream of being a published author or an artist, here is their chance,” said Cardona.