Alchemy
Alchemy, a magazine of writing and art, is published annually as a class project by the students of Writing 246 and Writing 249, Advanced Creative Writing: Editing and Publishing I and II, at the Sylvania Campus.
The publication was started in 1973, and has survived the 50 issues it took to bring it into 2024. Alchemy seeks to empower PCC voices and includes contributions by PCC students, faculty, and alumni. In our 50th issue, we seek not only to uplift current voices, but also to embody the effort, conflict, humor, and persistence of all the people who had ever been involved in the making of this magazine.
Latest issue: Volume 50, 2024
It might be obvious that when you look back and reflect on 50 years of editorial work, you will be confronted with the past. However, what is not always obvious is how this confrontation will take place. We expect it to manifest in differences – between the past and the present, the current editorial team and the ones prior. But the truth is, this confrontation manifests in similarities: in our shared beliefs and our chosen craft. It is much harder to accept this idea, that when we look at the past, we look at what we share.
Read the full introduction
While flipping through old issues of Alchemy, it became clear that the creation of this issue held the tacit responsibility to represent, not reminisce. Our intention evolved and our task was now, to the best of our ability, to embody the effort, conflict, humor, and persistence of all the people who had ever been involved in the making of this magazine. In retrospect, this is quite a daunting task. However, we were driven to imbue our work with this idea so that we could accurately represent the relationships that had been created between the contributors, the readers, and the editorial teams of Alchemy over these past 50 years.
This issue begins with the acknowledgment of creation: of the poem and the story. From there, creation acquiesces to the consequences, good and bad, that we must encounter from the work (and words) we put out into the world. As it progresses, the pieces in the issue reflect on the idea of a society looking at itself not as a whole but as parts, as individuals. It continues through to work that embodies self-understanding, unleashing what is inside, whatever “inside” may be. The issue ends by questioning how we look at ourselves and if, after all that we have learned, we let others look upon us as well.
In this spirit, we editors asked ourselves, will this issue be a reflection of the truth? Will it represent the world currently, or what the world will turn out to be? Will this issue be a reflection of the community created among the editors, contributors, and readers at this moment? Will this issue ground us as we look into the future and live in the uncertainty of it?
Or maybe this issue is simple: much simpler than this note is making it out to be. Maybe this magazine is just an acknowledgment of eight weeks of diligent work, acknowledging judgment and pride; acceptance and humility. Maybe, this issue is just a product of the time we chose to spend together.
In 1973, a community was created to make something. In 2024 this community chooses to continue. To keep making. To give you all, Alchemy.
Contents
- we create our own coming of age
Alchemy, 2024
Poem by Jae Nichelle
Editorial team
- Sarah Cashen
- Amanda Evans
- Mierin Fanucchi
- Sean Fields
- Haley Johnson
- Kate Leonard
- Caledonia Mcgraw
- Oscar Nieves Lira
- Grace Pendergrass
- Nadia Reyes
- Julie Rose
- Paloma Tejeda
Faculty advisor
Megan Savage
Cover design
Eric Hernandez
Get a copy
Alchemy is published annually in June and is available at the Sylvania Bookstore.