Sonia Horowitz and Paige Loucks

An Interview with Rachel Hall

Rachel Hall has been the heart and light of Gandy Dancer, and as managing editors, we wanted to honor her immensely. For her final semester, we felt it crucial that her voice be included in this issue. We typically feature a newly released author, but in honor of our theme—endings and beginnings—and to mark her final issue, it felt necessary to spotlight the person who helped make this journal a home.

GD: We understand that this journal began in 2012 under your guidance and is still going strong, bringing the literary community together all over the SUNY system. How did this journal come to be, and how has it changed?

RH: I’d long wanted to have an ongoing literary journal at Geneseo, but it was challenging to keep students engaged and to establish continuity. Over the years, there have been a number of literary journals here, but they were often short-lived. (Check out this archive, compiled by Lara Mangione, of Geneseo’s lit journals through the years at knightscholar.geneseo.edu/geneseo-literary-magazines). I was inspired by SUNY Purchase’s solution to this problem. They offered a class in literary publishing in which their journal Italics Mine was created. When our English department changed its curriculum in 2012, I took the opportunity to develop a class like the one at Purchase. I knew about a number of national undergraduate journals that existed already—The Albion Review, Susquehanna Review, Alleghany Review, to name a few—and I thought it would be fun to make our journal SUNY-wide. I mean, we’re part of this big system, but we had no real contact with other programs. This seemed like a good way to make connections. At first, there were difficulties getting submissions from the other campuses, but the fact that we are SUNY-wide has become one of the best aspects of the journal. Not only is it better for our student editors if they don’t know the writers whose work they are evaluating for publication, it has also been great for forging some connections between the campuses.

The founding editors were instrumental in getting the journal started, especially Suraj Uttamanchandani, who is now himself an assistant professor at Adelphi University. I remember him coming to my office after we’d had several organizational meetings and energy was kind of flagging. He said, let’s go, let’s do this, and his commitment and enthusiasm was inspiring.

Things got really good once Allison Brown joined our team as Production Advisor. Allison is a whiz at all things design, and as a poet herself, she understands the world of literary journals. She’s brought all manner of practical knowledge to the table, a good eye, and she has been great fun to work with.

GD: Throughout the years, you have worked with many different students and different pieces, and it’s admirable that this is something that is offered as a course at SUNY Geneseo. What would you say was your favorite part about working on Gandy Dancer and working with so many different students?

RH: I love teaching this class for so many reasons. I get to know students in a different way in a class like this in which we are working to make something together. I love seeing the different talents and abilities students bring to the task, talents that don’t necessarily show up in a regular classroom. For instance, some students have a knack for outreach and community-building. Students—like you both!—have organized open-mics to raise awareness of Gandy on our campus or instigated social activities for your genre groups. Other students have designed T-shirts and totes. I love that Gandy Dancer is more than a journal and a class; it’s become a hub and community.

GD: You have created a sense of belonging for all of us in Gandy Dancer, finding ways for undergraduates and graduates to have a home for their work, which is something we have deeply cherished. What has your role in this journal meant for you, and what advice do you have for future staff and editors?

RH: There is always some uncertainty in making a journal—Will we get enough art/fiction/cnf? (we always get a ton of excellent poetry!) Will copies arrive in time for the launch? Will anyone come to our launch?—so you have to learn to embrace the uncertainty, trust that things will work out one way or another.

GD: We have received so many different types of stories, essays, poems, art, and now music that share unique perspectives on the world we live in. Has there ever been a piece that really resonated with you? One that inspired you to embrace your own creativity?

RH: So many! Creativity is contagious, which is just one reason to read a lot and widely.

GD: In this time of transition, is there something you would love to see added to Gandy Dancer? Something you wish you did, but never had the opportunity to? Do you have things you wish you’d done differently that you’d pass down to the next advisor?

RH: I’m sure Gandy will continue to grow and change as new students and new faculty become involved. I look forward to seeing these changes, but I don’t have any regrets or particular aspirations for the journal. I feel confident that Gandy will flourish under the guidance of the creative writing faculty at Geneseo. Wait, I do have one wish and that is for French flaps on the print journal! Such a classy touch. If you know, you know.

GD: Without a formal role in a literary magazine once you retire, do you plan on continuing being a part of this scene after retirement? How do you plan to stay immersed in creative spaces apart from SUNY Geneseo? Do you incorporate it into your everyday life, and what advice would you give to someone who is looking to add creative aspects into their everyday life?

RH: I subscribe to a number of literary journals, which will keep me in the loop, but I’ll probably volunteer to read for a journal next year. I think I’d miss the thrill of finding a great story in the queue too much if I didn’t. And of course, I’ll keep submitting my work to journals as well. As far as living a creative life, I try to write every week day even if it’s only for a short while. I have a wonderful writing group in Rochester and that will keep me going too. We meet in coffee shops and write from 9:00 a.m. to noon several days a week. This provides accountability and routine and has been invaluable for my writing life.

GD: You’ve published an award-winning collection of linked stories. Do you plan on releasing more of your work? Can we look forward to another Rachel Hall original?

RH: I hope so! My collection of stories, THE MUSEUM OF THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, which explores gun violence, is currently under submission, and I’ve been working on another project since this summer—a novel (I think!) about a strange historical event in New York’s North Country.

GD: Now, what everyone wants to know: how does it feel to be the most fashionable professor in the English department? Has your style changed as the years have gone by, if so, how? Where do you pull inspiration from?

RH: Oh, my! I love this question! You are funny and kind. I have always loved clothes and fashion and even as a little girl, I had strong feelings about clothes. I think of clothes as self-expression, a chance to play. As a writer and professor, I spend a lot of time in my head, so I enjoy the opportunity to play with color and texture that fashion offers. In graduate school, I worked in a vintage clothing store, so my wardrobe was largely vintage. I still think fondly of some of those clothes—fitted jackets with fur collars and eyelet dresses.