The literary arts magazine of Yeshivat Frisch, titled “Kalliope,” published its first issue of the year last week, with the theme of “Light and Fire.” The issue appears online at Kalliope’s brand new website, frischkalliope.org, where readers can enjoy original poetry, short stories, artwork and photography by Frisch students.
Kalliope’s editorial and writing staff is aiming to publish quarterly issues going forward, an exciting development for the magazine, which used to come out annually at year’s end.
“This first issue is a reflection of Chanukah, a time when our faith should light our way in life,” said Kalliope editor-in-chief and Frisch senior Michal White. “Our goal was to show our talents and make an enjoyable issue for the readers, as this was our first online publication.”
“Each piece of writing has something to do with the theme of light in the middle of all the darkness, but the nice thing about it is that every writer interpreted that theme in a different way,” said Kalliope layout editor and Frisch freshman Jacob Nussbaum, whose work on the current issue constituted his first foray into web design. “Everyone is so creative; all the writers took the same theme and wrote such diverse works, and this issue turned out to be amazing because of that.”
“I had always loved to write, and Kalliope gave me the opportunity to meet with likeminded people who would be able to give me constructive criticism,” said White about joining Kalliope as a freshman. “It’s nice to have a running commentary with all of the club members, and I find that I get insight into who they are through their writing and our conversations throughout the editing process.”
Nussbaum started attending Kalliope club meetings after reading and being captivated by a previous issue. “At first, everyone was shy, but by the next meeting I felt like we were all best friends,” he recounted. “I enjoy the meetings so much because they’re so fun; I spend the whole time laughing and working with amazing writers.”
At the meetings, students bring in pieces to workshop, or simply write in each other’s company. “There is usually a lot of laughter and conversation during these sessions because we’ve all grown as writers and friends during these times and it’s enjoyable to write alongside others who share that same love of writing,” said White.
“There are universal sentiments expressed in Kalliope that can provide us with insight,” said Kalliope’s faculty adviser, Frisch English department member Lauren Burstein, about the publication. “Our students showcase both their creativity and their thoughtfulness in the essays, short stories, poetry and visual art pieces we publish. It is a real treat to observe how the students cultivate a positive and productive environment. It is a true celebration of the arts!”
Frisch boasts a vibrant publication scene that includes FrischBits (news features and Divrei Torah), Frisch Off the Press (breaking school news), Be’er Shavua (pieces on the parsha), and Foreign Language Journal, in addition to Kalliope.
