More than 50 students, staff and faculty gathered at the Founder’s Hall lawn on Monday to celebrate the release of Snow Island Review Volume 35, featuring art and literary works by Francis Marion University undergraduates.
Snow Island Review (SIR), FMU’s undergraduate literary magazine, has operated as a student organization for more than 35 years. Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, partnered with the SIR team to host the annual release event. Madison Woodle, editor-in-chief and English major, served as master of ceremonies for the event.
Landon Houle, professor of English and faculty adviser to SIR, oversaw the event. Adam Houle, professor of English and adviser to Sigma Tau Delta, and other English Department faculty members also attended to support the publication. Student officers and publication contributors also participated, reflecting strong involvement across campus organizations.
Woodle announced the release of the newest volume and welcomed contributors, encouraging those involved in its creation to speak. She was the first to read, presenting her short story “Down the Dirt Road,” starting on page 60 and featured in the magazine’s fiction section. The piece explores themes of rural family dynamics, loss and uncertainty through intimate, character-driven dialogue.
Kaylee Hewitt, president of Sigma Tau Delta, represented the honor society at the event, describing the release of the newest volume as a milestone for those involved.
“It took literally a community to get this out,” Hewitt said, adding that she was “very proud of everybody” and encouraging future leaders to “find your people” and stay connected as she prepares to graduate in May.
Elliot Watts, managing editor, took the opportunity towards the beginning of the event to discuss the cover art and to highlight those student leaders who would be graduating this current and next academic year.
Artemis Cunningham, design lead and graphic designer major, explained her thought process behind the design of the magazine.
“The design was inspired by previous editions. They wanted it to be as consistent as possible so I referenced Volume 34 a lot,” Cunningham said. “I really just wanted to make the version look as clean as possible while still adhering to what they wanted.”
Cunningham has been a part of SIR for the four years she’s been at FMU. She is set to graduate at the end of this spring semester.
“Don’t take the critiques or changes too personally,” Cunningham said, offering advice to the design lead for next year’s volume.
She also read an excerpt of her friend’s short story featured in the fiction section, “The Last Dance” by Maya Alston, found on page 88.
Lillain Williamson, English major, was the first contributor to read who was not involved in editing or designing the magazine. Featured in the poetry section of the edition, she read her works “Spider HOA,” “Pigeon” and “Perspective” found on pages 28, 29 and 32.
Williamson’s poetry explored themes of imposing human systems and perspectives onto animals and was written primarily in free verse. Her work drew humor from the audience, prompting multiple laughs throughout her reading.
Dallas Cooper, poetry co-editor and creative writing major, was the second contributor to discuss his work. He was featured in the magazine’s poetry section, where he read “Find It in the Pain Aisle” and “A Boy and His Fears,” which appear on pages two and six.
Cooper’s work includes themes of self-harm, domestic violence and abuse. He writes in free verse style while staying narrative-driven using direct language. He advised audience discretion before reading, noting the content may be uncomfortable for some readers.
“I just kind of wanted to get everything out there and spread awareness of different topics,” Cooper said. “I’m not scared to speak out about things that happen.”
Ryan Watkins, fiction co-editor and creative writing major, read his short story “The Snow People,” found on page 79. His story explored control and resistance through a child’s perspective on conflict between a strict mother and defiant brother.
Sarah McClary, fiction co-editor, read her poem “Two Years in the Making,” which appears on page 14. In addition to her reading, McClary has several poems featured in the poetry section and a short story, “Deer in Headlights,” which opens the fiction section on page 48.
Another poet, Zakirah Davis, secondary education major, read her poem “Autumn,” which appears at the end of the poetry section on page 33. Her work reflected on the changing seasons and was written in free verse style.
Jerrie Cardwell, social media coordinator for SIR and professional writing major, introduced the art and photography section, which begins on page 34 and features film photography as well as drawings and digital illustrations.
Angel Lynn-McMillian, contributor to the volume, although not reading her piece aloud, announced her poem “Beside You,” found on page 21, which she stated was dedicated to her late mother.
Landon Houle reflected on the strong sense of community surrounding the event, noting the value of bringing people together to appreciate literature and support student work. “It’s always fun to get together with people who appreciate literature and writing and celebrate the work that we do,” she said, adding that writing “takes courage” and benefits from spaces where students can share and support one another.
Adam Houle highlighted the collaboration behind the publication, crediting student organizations and academic programs for showcasing campus talent. He praised students for their dedication, saying he “couldn’t be happier for the hard work that goes on behind the scenes,” emphasizing that revision is what allows their writing to resonate.
Woodle expressed appreciation for SIR and its impact on her development, noting she is “so grateful for the skills I’ve gained” through her involvement. As she prepares to graduate in December, she said she is “sad to leave” after graduating but encouraged other students to get involved with the publication and the broader literary and arts community on campus, calling it “such an amazing group of people.”
Snow Island Review has encouraged student literary and artistic engagement at FMU for decades. Officers advise students interested in submitting undergraduate work to review the publication’s submission guidelines. More information about SIR is available on its website.
Students interested in working directly on the publication can contact Landon Houle, while those seeking more information about Sigma Tau Delta at FMU can visit its Facebook page or contact Adam Houle. Students interested in learning more about the creative writing courses offered by FMU can check out the course catalog.