PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College’s Tidepools magazine beat out colleges in Alaska, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming to take home first place in the Community College Humanities Association 2016 Literary Magazine Competition for small colleges in the Pacific-Western Division.
“It’s hardly Tidepools’ first award — they took home the Washington Community College Humanities Award in 2013 and 2015 – but to date, it is the biggest,” said Kari Desser, Peninsula College spokeswoman.
“The main thing that has paid off is that we have been ambitious,” said English and art professor Michael Mills, now in his seventh year as the magazine’s adviser.
He challenged students to seek out cover formats and styles that they found attractive and engaging.
Students responded with ideas for a “box set” edition with interchangeable covers, a double issue and last year’s edition, which included coloring pages and a set of colored pencils. Their first Kindle version was available in 2014.
In 2012, the class began including a CD with the publication. Mills said he feels it is important to have an audio history of the area’s musicians and their artistry, along with fiction and nonfiction prose, poetry, artwork and photography.
As a result, local musicians Howly Slim and Sandy Summers won first place in songwriting in the Pacific-Western Region in the Community College Humanities Association’s contest for music published in literary magazines.
Their song “Boomerang” from Tidepools 2015 took home the top honor. Slim has been a regular contributor to Tidepools ever since it began including music back in 2011.
Students get a chance to gain experience and college credit while producing the magazine by registering for English or media classes in literary magazine production.
Only residents of Clallam and Jefferson counties are eligible to submit creative work to Tidepools magazine.
Adult entries to the contest are $6.50 and youth entries are $4. This year, Peninsula College student entries are free. Non-contest submissions in all categories are always free.
The deadline for the 2017 issue is Friday, Jan. 13.
The 2017 issue is slated for release June 7.
To submit work, go to www.tidepoolsmagazine.com and click on “Submissions.”
Submissions are also accepted via hand delivery and by mail to Tidepools Magazine, Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles, WA 98362.
For more information, visit the Tidepools website or call Mills at 360-417-6462.
