NYU boasts hundreds of different clubs and organizations that you can get involved in, including those focused on providing creative students the opportunity to publish their work. Because of the sheer number of publications to choose from, I chose a selection of five student magazines that cater to a diverse range of artistic and literary niches.
West 10th
West 10th is your more traditional literary publication. Publishing poetry, prose, art and photography, West 10th is overseen by a student board and edited and produced by the NYU Creative Writing Program. An annual publication, the magazine’s cycles for submissions typically open up at the start of the school year alongside editorial and board positions.
Joanne Lee, a first-year majoring in English and a poetry editor at West 10th, said the publication has served as a place for her to continue developing her interest in poetry in an academic setting.
“It’s been a really enriching experience so far because I feel like it’s really hard to organically find people who are passionate about poetry,” Lee said. “So joining clubs and this journal has been really helpful in finding people that are like-minded.”
While West 10th submissions are closed until the fall, you can check out its past editions for both profound reading and artistic inspiration.
STATIC
Interested in writing about music? Especially non-mainstream artists? STATIC magazine has a role for anyone interested in music, boasting a large team of about 90 contributors, including writers, photographers, graphic designers, webmasters and a small video editing team.
STATIC is a part of WNYU — NYU’s student-run radio station — but the online publication runs on an independent application cycle every semester. Initially a print publication in the ’80s, STATIC has since undergone multiple reboots, now publishing a variety of music content such as interviews with artists, album and concert reviews and program guides from WNYU’s archives. The magazine also publishes film reviews and interviews with directors.
For students who want to get involved, junior Benny Sun, who handles external communications and project coordination for STATIC, said an applicant should be well-versed in their knowledge of music.
“It is quite a tough application cycle,” Sun said. “We are fairly discerning just because of how big our staff is, and so by proxy of that, the best advice I can give for people trying to join STATIC is [to] read a lot of music writing, look at a lot of music-related art and understand where your favorite music comes from and be ready to defend that.”
Brio
If you’re interested in submitting writing that extends beyond the English language, you might want to consider joining Brio. A multilingual and multi-genre comparative literature journal that operates within NYU’s Comparative Literature department, Brio was founded over 20 years ago and has published over 250 writers and artists in 10 different languages. The journal, which publishes both online and in print, is open for submissions from all students — not just those studying comparative literature. Brio calls for submissions every semester, with each centering on a different theme. For editor-in-chief and senior Polina Belova, who majors in comparative literature and computer science, the journal’s Fall 2024 theme stood out to her the most.
“The theme was called ‘Bildungsroman,’ which is basically coming-of-age stories, and I do think that theme resonated with a lot of students at NYU,” Belova said. “We had very different types of works getting submitted to this particular theme and I really enjoyed reading all of them.”
Brio will be co-hosting an open mic and bag charm workshop with two other publications, The Weasel and West 10th, on March 14 from 4-6:30 p.m. for students who are interested in getting involved in these three magazines.
Baedeker
Baedeker is the publication for travel enthusiasts. From essays on trips to upstate New York to photo galleries of semesters abroad, Baedeker publishes stories from its staff’s travels through photography and writing.
Originally established in 2007, Shuhe Ma and Jonny Rothberg revived the magazine in 2022 after a lack of staffing and funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Baedeker’s staff has grown to over 80 people working in New York City and around 150 contributors globally. Students can submit their work through the Baedeker website on a rolling basis and apply for leadership roles in the editorial, marketing, global operations and photography departments.
Baedeker president and Steinhardt senior Liv D’Allessandro said that the publication represents a range of unique student experiences in travel. Baedeker’s coverage highlights how students have learned to be comfortable in new countries, alongside more vulnerable pieces that discuss the concept of home and cultural representation. The publication is more than the travel magazine they advertise in their elevator pitch — it’s a space for students to reflect on the ways travel has shaped their identity.
Generasian
If you identify as someone under the Asian American Pacific Islander umbrella, then you might want to consider writing for Generasian’s magazine department. Its oldest issue online dates back to Fall 2010, and the magazine is currently staffed by around 60 students. With four other departments – media, arts, layout and blog – there’s something for everyone to channel their passions while exploring their AAPI identity, whether it’s through covering an AAPI-focused art exhibition in the city or writing about personal experiences.
Co-president and CAS senior Mae Liu said that despite the publication’s AAPI focus, the magazine is expanding its horizons in new ways. Last summer, Disney reached out to Generasian for a media event for “The Lion King” and “Aladdin” on Broadway, according to Liu.
“We have a lot of concert managers from indie and Korean R&B artists who reach out to cover their shows,” Liu said. “[Our focus] has given us more unique opportunities, [rather] than negative experiences of being kept out of certain spaces.”
Contact Sherry Chen at [email protected].
