Atlantis Ablaze, OCSA’s literary magazine, recently published their first issue of the school year. This edition, entitled “Lurking in the Lilacs,” is an entrancing mix of both visual and literary elements. The editors and staff of Atlantis Ablaze have spent the past couple of months reviewing the submitted material as well as finding creative ways to string the poetry and art together in a cohesive manner. Now, all of their hard work has paid off, with the final product being a beautiful collaboration between art and poetry. Since there is no official theme for this issue, the array of themes present in the poems and artwork intertwine with each other in a fascinating way. The final product is ridden with a sense of loss, the search for self-love, the inevitability of death, and a deep heartache that is sure to captivate readers.

This latest issue marks a new era for Lit Mag, with Samara Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief, and Sherleen Plaud, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, taking the rebranding of the magazine to the next level with the decision to pursue a themeless issue. Gonzalez says that it “has been really interesting to see how different people’s stories align with each other, despite the differences.” She then notes that there’s “common themes of love and relationships” in the pieces submitted, which allowed the Lit Mag team to intertwine the pieces in a cohesive and artful manner. The Lead Editor, Jaden Crowder, states that “having a themeless literary magazine allows us more freedom to move forward.” This edition has full page visuals which immerses you in the themes of both the poems and coinciding art pieces. Crowder says that the magazine is meant to be “fully and wholly artistic not just in the way of us as writers, but in a way that’s a whole collective work meant for everyone to find a space in.” They plan on continuing this theme of collaboration over to their next edition as well, which is currently in the works.

With their latest project though, Lit Mag did a great job of interlacing the poems and artistic works. The romantic undertones of lilacs is present within many of the poem and art piece’s themes, with the project itself having a layer of juxtaposition. This juxtaposition is mirrored in the cover art and title for the project as well. The cover page features the grim reaper in front of a tree with full lavender leaves with the tile, “Lurking in the Lilacs.” Gonzalez says that, “Keeping in mind the visuals of the actual cover itself, I think lilacs represent concepts such as longevity and vitality, and life. They’re also a pretty romantic flower.” Lilacs are usually synonymous with romance and have a positive connotation, yet the word “lurking” and the image of the grim reaper juxtapose this sense of positive love. Sherleen Plaud, the Assistant Editor-in-Chief, credits the creative title to the layout team, who pitched the title alongside the cover art. Crowder states that Michelle Paz, the head of Public Relations, and her team are “constantly throwing our idea after idea nonstop and are very innovative.”

Although the crafting process was stressful, both editors are relieved to see the final piece roll out smoothly, especially after the hardships of a pandemic. Gonzalez says that last year felt like a blur, with Lit Mag “struggling to grasp the team dynamic” due to the difficulties of communicating in a digital space, especially regarding a project as personal as a literary magazine. She says that crafting a literary magazine is “a lot of interpersonal relations and a focus on that.” Plaud continues this statement, saying that, “it’s refreshing to see the finished product and see how beautiful it is.” Now, she’s eager to work on the upcoming literary magazine, stating that “we worked together as a team very well [for the last issue] and I’m very excited to show the future editors what they can create with all of their creativity for this upcoming one.”

You can check out the latest edition here:

https://www.flipsnack.com/CCCB955569B/issue-11-lurking-in-the-lilacs.html