The Oval is UM’s acclaimed undergraduate literary magazine, entirely comprised, edited and created by undergraduate students. Interested students can get involved in two ways: either by taking The Oval: Literary Magazine class (CRWR 234) to build the magazine, or by submitting their stories for publication.
Robert Stubblefield, the Director of BFA in Creative Writing, is the faculty advisor for The Oval. His kindness, talent and tutorship are on display throughout every page of The Oval and UM’s Creative Writing Program, and he has helped me put together everything you need to know about taking The Oval class and submitting to this growing publication:
The Oval: Literary Magazine Class (CRWR 234) is only offered in the spring, and is open to any and all undergraduates across campus, with the only prerequisite being that they’ve taken one creative writing class at UM.
Students earn 3 credits in the class and gain valuable knowledge and connections in the publishing industry. Students are required to keep a reading journal and compile a portfolio of writing exercises, responses to texts and critiques of published works.
Then, a third of the way into the class, you move onto production. That’s when you’ll start reading submissions (usually around 300!), which takes most of the middle of the semester. However, you’ll be split into sections based on genres, and those are the submissions you will read. Everyone is on the editorial board, but a few people will use the journalism lab to work on the final production.
The last part of your semester is production, layout and design. Plus, your own chance at submitting your poetry, nonfiction or fiction pieces to the Staff Edition of The Oval. When The Oval comes out, you will table one last time. Finally, The Oval collaborates with the Mansfield Library for a launch party.
You can expect to learn how the selection, editing and production of a magazine works. You can also expect to be challenged to produce a product on a deadline and feel rewarded when you have the finished work in your hands. It’s also a unique way to work closely with your peers and tackle obstacles together.
You become what Stubblefield calls a “literary citizen” because students who work on The Oval receive credit, but they are also generous with their time and build expertise for publishing the works of their peers. Anyone can take The Oval class (CRWR 234), with the only prerequisite being that they’ve taken one creative writing class at UM.
The Oval is published annually in the spring, with submissions for short fiction, nonfiction, poetry and visual arts open from January to March. You must be an undergraduate student at UM to submit to The Oval. An individual may submit to more than one genre, and more than one piece to each genre. A short, 40-word biography is also required, written in third person.
For those who choose to join the class but still want to submit their creative pieces, you are able to submit your own works to The Staff Edition of The Oval, which is converted into a PDF. The same information about submitting a piece to The Oval stands for the Staff Edition as well.
Cutbank is the Literary Journal of the University of Montana and the state’s foremost literary magazine. Established in 1973 and helmed initially by Montana’s literary treasure, William Kittredge, Cutbank publishes two issues a year, comprised of world-renowned authors and new voices alike.
The Cutbank has different calls for submissions throughout the year, including genre contests, chapbook contests and flash fiction contests. Everyone, not just students are associated members of UM are encouraged to apply. While the Cutbank has a global reach, regional submissions have an edge in applying.
There’s something in the water in Missoula. Or in its mountains, forests and many wild places that cultivate a creative writing community unparalleled across the country. At the center of Missoula’s creative writing universe is UM’s esteemed MFA Program in Creative Writing, with its roots growing back to the 1920s.
The BFA in Creative Writing is relatively newer, but its acclaim and impact rival those of its graduate program counterpart. There’s also an enticing option of a BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Both of these programs foster sharp writers and individual thinkers, enabling the next generation of storytellers to foster their skills and be heard.