Utopia Parkway is Queens College’s student-run undergraduate literary journal. Every Spring semester, they publish students’ work in a wide range of literature and visual art. They hope QC students can explore and engage with each other’s various works of art through their journal, and creating a community of students who are passionate about sharing their art is the ultimate mission of the journal. Though sharing creative pieces can be a nervous experience, Utopia Parkway wants to create safe spaces for students to be confident expressing their work and find pieces they can identify with.
This year, Utopia Parkway is reviving the journal with a new team of editors and a highly anticipated Spring launch. The upcoming release will include a physical and online publication on their website. The last issue of Utopia Parkway was in Fall 2022 through a virtual launch. The journal has two faculty advisors: Kristy Caldwell, an assistant professor of Design, and Ryan Black, an assistant professor in the English department.
“The journal is a place where art and community meet. We’re publishing recent work by current students, so it’s a great opportunity to become more familiar with the creative work of your peers and make new connections,” Professor Caldwell said. “I’m excited to see the range of work published in the journal. Visual art from different disciplines will share space with creative writing from different disciplines. Each submission introduces a fresh point of view.”
Utopia Parkway is expanding on the types of visual art that can be submitted in both their physical and virtual publications. Utilizing both platforms showcases various mediums of creative art. The journal also continues to encourage students to submit their creative writing pieces. The journal will reflect the identity of QC students.
“I hope Utopia Parkway continues to attract like-minded students and find its way into the hands of the people on campus who might need it; that is, students who believe in the inherent value of a college literary journal and are searching for a community, whether they’re aware of it or not. I’m excited to discover, through the editors’ careful curation, the work of so many talented young writers and visual artists,” Professor Black said.
Rosaline Nizam, a senior English major and Utopia Parkway’s editor-in-chief spoke about their hopes for the future.“The goal I’ve had since working on the revival of the journal is to create a stable foundation for others to try and build from. When we started out it was eclectic and required a lot of steadying. I am hoping as chief editor to leave the journal in a state that it is more manageable for the next people who do this rewarding work of making a journal,” Nizam said.
The editors continue to plan and coordinate the launch of Utopia Parkway’s Spring 2024 issue. They strive to also create a special event with the journal’s launch where the work of student’s can be shared.
Students interested in Utopia Parkway’s launch or joining the team can check their Instagram @utopiaparkwayjournal and their website.
