Apprentice Writer at Susquehanna University rose amongst the creative boom of the 1980s, when founder Dr. Gary Fincke and his creative writing students birthed the idea for a literary arts magazine in the form of a newspaper by and for high schoolers; compiled and edited by college students. Not long after, Dr. Fincke formed the Creative Writing major at Susquehanna University, one of the top-ranked programs of its kind to this day.

Apprentice Writer’s reach cannot be understated. Over the years, we have published creatives in their earliest days, including Darron Aronofsky (The Whale, Black Swan). In the process, we have promoted creative literacy amongst young people and offered them the experience of considering the professional process of art from a young age.

For almost forty years, Apprentice Writer came in the form of a newspaper distributed to thousands of high schools. In order to boost accessibility and provide contributors a more updated print format, we now publish our issues online for public browsing with boldly designed, perfect-bound print editions for contributors. No matter where you are in the world, Apprentice Writer will ship your work to you. We believe in the artistic validation found when you hold the object of your making in your hands.

Today, our publication lives at the forefront of its niche: providing young creatives the opportunity to learn about the process of submitting their work, collaborating with staff on edits, and sharing their final product with the world. For many, Apprentice Writer is a not just first publication. Apprentice is a first acknowledgement from the outside world that what they have to say matters. We are delighted to carry this honor.

A physical space to learn, create, and commune in, the Susquehanna University’s Writers Institute serves as the hub our Creative Writing major which boasts a design modeled after creative writing MFA programs. Floor-to-ceiling shelves holding the acclaimed books of our faculty, alumni, and visiting authors, the archives of our student-run literary magazines, and professional chapbooks required of every graduating student line the walls of our upstairs lounge. Most days, our students take to basking in the lounge’s natural light while they work, socialize, and wait for one-on-one meetings with professors (an individual attention featured in the majority of our writing workshop classes). In this building, generations of writers begin the hard work of realizing their dreams. They do this in the company of professors and peers who offer community far past graduation from the creative writing program. We’d love to have you visit.

Our craft series, written by the editors of Apprentice Writer, provides essays about any and all topics which may help our contributors (or any writer/artist) in their practice. These essays are intended to help all people, but may be especially useful to teachers who would like materials to share with their students interested in cultivating a practice of creative writing/visual arts. Our inaugural post by one of our senior editors, Arabella McClendon, offers an updated perspective on writer’s block; an issue many creatives face throughout their careers.

As creative writing students at Susquehanna University, our editors bring experience both lived and academic to the table. The nuance taught in a college classroom should be open to all regardless of age or access to higher education. We aim to use our online platform to see through this vision.

Senior Editors: Ayla Kerwan, Jennifer Martin, Arabella McClendon
Junior Editors: Samantha Sims, Madison Spencer
Poetry Readers: Lily Papendick, Aidan Robertson, Ell Virgilio
Prose Readers 1: Blandin Conklin, Jim Pickering
Prose Readers 2: Kathryn Douglas, Jonothan Gundling, Ethan Mathes
Director: Tony Zitta
Founder: Gary Fincke
Special Thanks: Catherine Dent