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The Words: November 2022

The Words

Prof. Woodward’s Class Self-Publishes Anthology

by Chloë Moore ’24

Professor Steve Woodward’s Literary Publishing class is becoming the newest member of the Macalester publishing scene (and one of the few institutions not ruled by our own Zoë Scheuerman)! For the first time in the class’ history, Steve and students will self-publish an anthology made up of creative work from students in the class. Read more about the anthology here.


image of Hannah Rehak '15

English Majors After Mac: Podcasting with Hannah Rehak ’15

by Zoe Roos Scheuerman ’24

Graduation, while exciting, can also be a source of anxiety for outgoing Mac students. People might walk away from commencement with a barrage of existential questions, including: am I employable? Will I be able to avoid a boring 9-to-5 office job and pursue my love of literature instead? Do I have to pay for my coffee and bagels now that I do

n’t have access to the lounge? How will I survive without the heart and soul of the English Department, Jan Beebe? To alumni, prospective majors, and seniors alike, fear not! This month, The Words reached out to Hannah Rehak ‘15 to get the rundown on podcasting, one awesome career where majors can put their English skills to work. Read more about Hannah’s experiences so far here.


Alumni Profile: Maddie Coy-Bjork ’19

Maddie Coy-Bjork '19

by Patrick Coy-Bjork ’24

As the younger sibling of a former Macalester student, my last name occasionally catches the attention of faculty and students around campus. Some have even identified me as my sister’s sibling by my face alone! When I meet those who knew Maddie, they always reminisce with big smiles and kind words. This is a personal joy I get to experience at Macalester: bonding with strangers over our shared appreciation for my wonderful sister. Read more about Maddie’s experience during and after Macalester here.


Haunted Coffee House

Haunted Coffee House Pie

by Patrick Coy-Bjork ’24

The English Department hosted the annual Haunted Coffee House to celebrate Halloween this year. We had prizes, spooky snacks, fun music, and our highly anticipated costume contest. Read on to see photos and learn who won!

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Twin Cities Book Fest

by Chloë Moore ’24

The Twin Cities Book Fest, organized by local literary magazine Rain Taxi Review of Books, was back and better than ever this year! Taking place on October 15th at the State Fairgrounds Progress Center, TCBF is an exciting annual gathering of writers, booksellers, publishers, magazines, and more. As the festival fell on parents’ weekend this year, I had the pleasure of dragging my parents and sister along with me, and it was definitely worth it (I’m sure they’d agree). Hear about all things local and literary here…

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Wordplay! with Asa Benjamin

by Anna Šverclová ’23

Here at The Words, we want to showcase the exciting talents of our senior Creative Writing majors through a little something we like to call “WordPlay.” This month, we asked Asa Benjamin to share one of their poems. Asa is a senior English (Creative Writing) major and Performance Design and Technologies minor. They have a soft spot for formed poetry (especially sestinas) and fantasy. Read their poem here!