High school creative writers earn honors

With one year and a positive review under their belts the Bigfork High School creative writing students are at it again, creating Hatch, a literary and art magazine.

English teacher Louis Jessop brought the project to Bigfork last year, and gave the students a goal of creating the best high school literary magazine possible. And create a great product they did.

“It met all of my expectations for what I wanted out of a first year,” Jessop said. “Actually I think it exceeded expectations.”

Printed on high-quality paper with a thick cover, the 100 page square magazine is more like an anthology, filled with poetry, short stories and art by Bigfork High School students. Most of the stories were captivating, the poetry thought provoking, and the art makes clear that not all of Bigfork’s artistic talent is in the galleries downtown.

While the magazine is created through one of Jessop’s classes, any student in the high school can submit their work for publication.

The first issue of Hatch was printed last spring before the 2014 graduation and Jessop submitted the product to several competitions and review processes.

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded the magazine a score of 892 out of 1,000  “which we are pretty proud of for our first magazine,” Jessop said, and it received the highest award from the National Council of Teachers of English.

The first year of the magazine was a lot of work for Jessop, and while it still is, he now has a crew of four experienced seniors for his editorial staff: Kera Leslie, Isaac Passwater, Rosalie Lander and Courtney George, that are able to help the students who are new to the project.

The four seniors helping lead the project are the only students who returned to the class this year, which could be a great asset to Hatch, as new students bring new ideas, voice and experiences Jessop said.

Last year’s magazine was completely funded by sponsors in the Bigfork community, and students are seeking sponsors again for the project. It will cost between $3,000 and $4,000 to print the magazine. Entering review contests, like the Columbia Scholastic Press Association also costs money, but provide the students will professional feedback.

Working toward having their writing and art printed in a professional publication has been a great motivational tool for students, Jessop said. It allows them to see a relevance in what they produce and is rewarding.

Jessop hopes that some day there might be extra funds for a few students to go to the conventions put on by these press associations, where they can both learn, and accept their awards in person.

For now they will continue to look at the reviews received and keep improving an already stellar publication.

Anyone interesting in donating fund to the project can contact Jessop at the high school. There are also a few copies of the first issue of Hatch available.