Nonfiction Commons^™

Irotas 2026 Version 1, English Department-Winona State University

Irotas

Irotas is an annual student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Irotas is a sibling journal to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. This is the Irotas created in 2026. there are three versions of the 2026 Irotas.

Editors:  Elena Armstrong, Lydia Domaille, Shaela Eriksen, Jenifer Frick, Linda Hang, Eva Hodnick, Sarah Huderle, Dylan Jackson, Charlie Lund, Kendra McClure, Camden McDonald, Jade McElmury, Linda Moua, Reagan Roesler, Callie Sahlstrom, Allen Wedekind

McClure, Grace Emiliusen, Benjamin Hagen, Brandon Tellers, Jacinda Lundeen, Lupema Celis Castillo, Kylee Binning, Caleb Reed, Anastasia Piltingsrud,  Koda Mueller, Caleb Reed, Gracia Sonderup, …

Irotas 2026 Version 2, English Department- Winona State University

Irotas

Irotas is an annual student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Irotas is a sibling journal to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. This is the Irotas created in 2026. there are three versions of the 2026 Irotas. This is a 2026 issue version 2.

Authors: Marissa McClure, Alysen Endres, Mandie Schmidt, Holly Foss, Allen Wedekind, Sarah Schmidt, Calista Escobar, Linda Moua, Jacinda Lundeen, Caleb Reed, Ella Page, Kendra McClure, Cora Waterman, Benjamin Hagen, Amity Collins, Mazin Abdel-Magid, Libby Crum, Elizabeth Tischler, Elly Herrick, Kat Beekman, Lupema Celis Castillo, Linda Hang, William Mahowald, Lydia Domale, …

Irotas 2026 Version 3, English Department-Winona State University

Irotas

Irotas is an annual student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Irotas is a sibling journal to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. This is the Irotas created in 2026. there are three versions of the 2026 Irotas. This is version 3.

Editors: Allen Wedekind, Callie Sahlstrom, Camden McDonald, Charlie Lund, Dylan Jackson, Elena Armstrong, Eva Hodnick, Jade McElmury, Jenifer Frick, Kendra McClure, Linda Hang, Linda Moua, Lydia Domaille, Reagan Roesler, Sarah Huderle, and Shaela Eriksen

Authors: Sarah Huderle, Kylee Binning, Lupema Celis Castillo, Kira Kainz, Elizabeth Tischler, Calista Escobar, Caleb Reed, William Mahowald, Linda …

Burning Solitudes: Mountain Storytelling In The Age Of Social Media Reproduction, Katie Ives

Appalachia

A deep exploration into the contradictions of recording mountain experiences while having them.

A Crisis Of Craft: Creative Writing In The American University, Brenna E. Derbish

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this essay, I aim to analyze the changing nature of the Creative Writing MFA through the lens of the American culture that shaped it. In the 1930s, creative writing in American universities began to take shape, citing itself as a way to reform the philological study of literature into a more active field, a way for the common person to learn through creativity and self-expression. However, as the number of MFA programs in the nation continued to rise, admittance became increasingly selective, with many universities accepting only between 5 and 10% of their applicants. This increase in exclusivity, coupled …

Nokomis, Madeline Avila, Jack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney, Elida Roskamp, Ashley Shorba, Lucy Severson, Emily Sowers, David Estrada, Osvin Baltazar Gonzalez, Ashley Campbell, Grace Emiliusen, Zoey Cavanaugh, Elysia Beynon, Caitlin Larsen, Drake Onyx, Ava Diekmann, Alivia Tima, Emily Hill, Kiera Norman, Sunehra Subah, Jaydon Wilson, Lydia Domaille, Linda Moua, Mandie Schmidt, Sarah Huderle, Elizabeth Schneider, Bonnie Ni, Natalie Leet, Koda Mueller, Jackie Velishek, Helena Dowler, Allen Wedekind, Lauryn Schleusner, Kiera Norman, Dorothy Moore, Zoeh Cavanaugh, David Estrada

Irotas

Nokomis is the 2025 annual online student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Nokomi (2025) and Irotas (2024) are sibling journals to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. The inaugural issue of Irotas was published in 2024 and Nokomis in 2025.

Design and Technical Editors: Madeline AvilaJack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney

Fiction Editors: Jack Guimont, Jack Mulvaney, Elida Roskamp

Art Editors: Lucy Severson, Emily Sowers

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Liberty Kohn, Professor of English

Volume 29 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2015, presents a rich tapestry of poetry and fiction, reflecting on themes of identity, human experience, and artistic expression. The issue, archived as Volume 29, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 34, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Ryan Smith, in his editorial preface, describes his experience as a fledgling academic and writer, …

Volume 5, Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal represents a dynamic collection of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translations, and visual art, showcasing a diverse range of voices from emerging and established writers. Originally archived as Volume 5, Issue 2, this issue is actually Volume 9, covering Fall and Spring of the 1990-1991 academic year. As part of the ongoing archival process, some volume and issue numbers in the digital collection may not correspond with those printed in the original journals. Despite these variations, the commitment of Nebo to fostering literary excellence and supporting the creative arts remains unwavering. This …

English 101 Assignment: 9-Panel Comic Strip, Katherine Rubin

Open Educational Resources

A creative Composition 101 assignment that prompts students to draw a 9-panel comic strip reflecting on the chapter "How I Learned to Read and Write" from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.

Reaping In The Dark, Rae Perez

Honors Projects

This project, reaping in the dark, aims to answer the question ‘How do we live in a world where we were never meant to survive?’ Surrounded by heinous war and deathmaking, violent vulnerabilities, and demands that our own bodies must be contributions in the machinations of killing and exploitation, I found myself simultaneously isolated by the devastation, and empowered by solidarity and care networks and coalitions being formed in real time. In particular, I take part in and document my grief and grieving, love and loving in response to the new cycles of escalating violence in Gaza, the …

Texas Gothic, Taryn Uribe Turner

Art Theses and Dissertations

The emotional and the ecological combine to create my body of work titled, “Texas Gothic.” My thesis tells the stories of my oil paintings created through personal connections to a variety of landscapes, animals and experiences that share the setting of Texas.

Desire and regret take shape as animals and figures not fully formed or real. Unreliable narratives of the past are entangled with present tensions to create a painting that haunts and stalks.

And yet, there is hope!

Through nostalgia and sweetness and burdens, my paintings confront a shrouded future. The contradictions of time passing are explored in my …

My Daily Grounds: A Journal Of Creative Alchemy, Kathleen A. Donovan

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

My Daily Grounds: A Journal of Creative Alchemy is a project intended to renew artistic confidence and prepare a mindset for a writing retreat in Ireland in June 2024 by revisiting childhood memories and exploring the impact of early domestic abuse through a visual journaling process. This endeavor aims to stir up the creative voice and find authenticity in creation by gathering and clarifying personal data visually, following the Creative (CPS) approach to unlock new insights and ideas for writing. The resulting essays will illuminate the unseen effects of trauma and are intended for publication, reflecting a co-creative process between …

Irotas 2024, Xander Auman, Kat Beekman, Elizabeth Benfield, Jessica Grafe, Jed Nelson, Kate Nissen, Drake Onyx, Alex Peachey, Benjamin Rayburn, Mandie Schmidt, Kelly Stelzer, Kylie White, Jayde Yeates, Larissa Lopez, Alayna Majkrzak, Ashleigh Campbell, Alysen Endres, Lucy Severson, Kiera Norman, Samantha Bird, Keaton Riebel, Jaden Fleshner, Jaydon Wilson, Ian Mckinzie, Rachel Marzahn, Riker Weiler, Mushfiq Kabir, Taya Peterson, Mawatta Dukuly, Mal Bowman, Grace Guertin, Samantha Dischinger, Kieran Lombard, Ian Mckinzie, Grace Westphel

Irotas

Irotas is an annual student journal of the arts created and published by Winona State University students. Irotas is a sibling journal to the Satori Student Literary Magazine. This is the inaugural issue of Irotas (2024).

Student Editors: Xander Auman, Kat Beekman, Elizabeth Benfield, Jessica Grafe, Jed Nelson, Kate Nissen, Drake Onyx, Alex Peachey, Benjamin Rayburn, Mandie Schmidt, Kelly Stelzer, Kylie White, and Jayde Yeates.

Faculty advisor: Dr. Liberty Kohn

Glass: The Material That Defines Us, Madisyn Rex

Honors Projects

This Honors Project is an exploration of the intersections between glass science, geology, glass art, and my own personal experience with glass.

Me, Myself, And My Muppets, Sara Jones

Emerging Writers

In this personal narrative, the author explores her relationship and upbringing in relation to Jim Henson’s Muppets. She illustrates her experience at puppet camps, on long Muppet-filled road trips, and the special connection her mother and her share with the Muppets. Find out how the Muppets have shaped the author’s life, morals, and aspirations, as well as how Jim Henson’s creations have influenced and brought joy to past generations and future generations to come.

Entities: A Field Of Imaginary Games, Thrasyvoulos Ioannis Kalaitzidis

LSU Master's Theses

With this body of work, I am looking for visual symbols that help communicate unuttered meanings through storytelling and stimulate an affectual response to the viewer. This exploration is presented in two different forms: a surreal sculptural installation and a board game. The installation consists of large-scale sculptures made from light and soft materials (polyurethane foam, plastic waste, paper) that are available to move inside the gallery, while the board game is presented as a set of 3D prints with instructions on how the participants can play it. The materials used in the installation suggest a way to transform waste …

Plant Wise, Sophia Llamas

Honors Projects

Conceptually, Plant Wise is the key to bridging the gap between preconceived ideas about vegan and vegetarianism and successfully integrating plant-based foods into your everyday life. Physically, Plant Wise is a self-educational, interactive booklet chock-full of activities intended for users to complete at their own pace. Inside this 56-page booklet, there are recipes, doodling spaces, weekly check sheets, activities to do with friends and family, challenges, and so much more. Plant Wise utilizes these activities and journaling opportunities throughout as a self-reflective vehicle to give users an experience to reflect on, which aids in the retention of what’s been learned …

The Messenger

The Messenger

forward

onward so as to make progress; toward a successful conclusion.

“There is a way forward

and yes

it is with a broken

heart

but it is our own way

collectively convened,

pondered,

Shared.”

Alice Walker

A Tale Of Triumph Amidst Tragedy: C-Section In Furini's The Birth Of Benjamin And The Death Of Rachel, Alexandra Carlile

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Private Rainbows, Mikey F. Estes

Theses and Dissertations

I make art that refers to how the self is mediated through structures, objects, and images — a kind of self-portraiture that circles around its subject, reflecting a state of simultaneous formation and disintegration. Over the past few years, I have used my iPhone as a tool to make images of everyday life. As the user of this device, I am defined by both my presence and absence. I am interested in the process of locating the self within the scattered yet ordered space of the screen.

The Lady, Kara Neely

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

The Twilight Of The Gods, Juan Requena

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

Deer Diagram, Kara Neely

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

Some Poison, Some Requena

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

Rational Structure, Juan Requena

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

French Women In Art: Reclaiming The Body Through Creation/Les Femmes Artistes Françaises : La Réclamation Du Corps À Travers La Création, Liatris Hethcoat

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The research I have conducted for my French Major Senior Thesis is a culmination of my passion for and studies of both French language and culture and the history and practice of Visual Arts. I have examined, across the history of art, the representation of women, and concluded that until the 20^th century, these representations have been tools employed by the makers of history and those at the top of the patriarchal system, used to control women’s images and thus women themselves. I survey these representations, which are largely created by men—until the 20^th century. I discuss pre-historical …

Crumbs, Joseph Giordano

The Anthology

A prose story

Act Your Age, Not Your Shoe Size, Laura-Leigh Todd

The Anthology

A prose story

Chewing Gum, Rodger E. Bishop Ii

The Anthology

A prose story

Letter From Editor, Alex Muller

The Anthology

This is the introductory letter from Editor-in-Chief Alex Muller.