Posted by Alisa Mentor, GD Creative Non-Fiction Reader for 6.2
It’s bittersweet to say that the time and effort invested in the production of Gandy Dancer 6.2 has finally come to an end. The hours of work, discussing, formatting, and rereading has paid off and left us with a physical representation of the sheer amount of passion the Gandy Dancer crew puts into each issue. On Thursday, May 3, we celebrated the newest addition to the Gandy Dancer family.
The day kicked off with high spirits and pure joy to finally share the product of our work with our fellow Geneseo students, faculty, and the family, friends of our editors, many who are graduating seniors. The pleasant weather outside reflected the ambiance if the room filled with smiling faces. The back of the room hosted two of my favorite things—swag and food. The tables featured Gandy Dancer T-shirts, pins, mugs, tote bags and stickers, and a buffet breakfast was available for our guests.
Like launch parties of the past, managing editors, Lily Codera and Meghan Fellows began by thanking the staff and our readers for the journey but also expressing hope for the new adventures that readers will have on their own and through Gandy Dancer. This also introduced the reoccurring theme throughout the magazine of travel and the different kinds of journeys to be experienced. A slideshow of twelve art pieces by seven artists that are featured in Gandy Dancer 6.2 played while some authors also featured, came up and read their pieces.
Something can be said about hearing a piece read aloud by the authors who write them. Their voice adds another dimension to the narrative and they know exactly when to stop and what words to add emphasis. Three authors came to read aloud their pieces, creative nonfiction authors Jennifer Galvão and Rachel Britton read “Pilgrimage” and “Masks,” respectively, and fiction writer Hannah McSorley read “We Went to the Ocean to Forget.” The audience was captivated listening to their clear voices as they read from their works. In order to hear some of the poetry in 6.2, art editor Olivia Cockerham, read a selection of poems even though the writers weren’t able to be with us.
After the readings, guests were welcome to mingle, eat, and get their Gandy Dancer merchandise fix. Students talked about their experiences working with the Gandy Dancer—some first timers, other more seasoned—and reminisced about the memories they’ve made working as a team on this project. Faculty congratulated students on a job well done for the quality of the magazine. Some guests took pictures in front of the ongoing art slideshow, others made use of the Gandyman cutout. With not one frown in sight, the launch party was a success leaving us with full stomachs and great memories to carry us forward into our new journeys wherever they may take us.