High school students launch literary magazine

Students at Sisters High School have produced a literary and arts publication showcasing fellow classmates’ work.

Verbatim was officially released Friday, June 3.

The project was spearheaded by English teachers Doug McDonald and Samra Spear. A committee of six high school students turned the project into a reality.

Juniors Amelia Andersen, Scott Barton, Maureen Broadbent, Tiffany Martin, Jesse Prichard and Rose Slavkovsky were responsible for recruiting and selecting submissions, editing, photographing artwork, designing the layout and the promotion and sales of the finished product.

Funding for Verbatim was provided by the Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters High School English Department and through the sales of the magazine. Verbatim was printed by X-Press Printing.

Verbatim features the work of 48 high school students in free verse, rhyme and prose. The 32-page compilation of both written and visual artwork comes complete with a newly recorded 18-song Americana Project CD. The songs on the CD were written, performed and recorded by students involved in the Americana Project.

Those same students also engineered and produced the CD.

A donation of professional recording equipment to the high school made the production of this CD possible.

“Our hopes are to produce a magazine each year,” said advisor McDonald. “This magazine is the first of its kind at Sisters High and allows writers, poets, photographers, artists and musicians of all stripes to showcase their work for the whole community.”

For more information or to purchase a copy of Verbatim, call Doug McDonald at Sisters High School, 549-4045.