Reading through Columbia College Chicago’s annual Hair Trigger magazine only reinforced my belief that our current generation is just as unsure of themselves and the future as past generations. The 2006 issue of Hair Trigger, the twenty-eighth edition in the series, is put together to showcase Columbia student’s writing and photography skills. The cover of this issue depicts a Vietnam veteran standing on the beach, flag waving in the wind with the vast emptiness of ocean in the background. In the end, this photograph summed up the tone of most every essay and story I read throughout this publication.
From the start I could not help feel very impressed by the caliber of writing that these young students displayed for all to see. Being a student of this school, I could relate to many similar experiences and issues explored through these writings. Whether it was fiction, non-fiction, or a drama prose, the stories were all powerful, and well written. The ambitious writing styles of each student are what make this magazine worth reading. There were points where I was lost in the creative styles used by these writers. I truly could not believe that these were written by people my age, and I couldn’t help but be very impressed, and proud of my fellow classmates effort.
The variation in writing styles was refreshing, yet I was surprised to find how distinctive many of these essays and stories were. Now I know many of them were fictional, but I couldn’t help but notice that many of the stories drew from personal experiences. Whether they happened to the writer, or someone they knew is open to debate, but it was gritty and clearly meant something to the writer.
A repeating theme throughout many of these stories was sex. Sex played an intricate role over and over. It was more than quote, un-quote sex though, it dealt with the uncertainties of life, and the pressure adolescents face as we mature. They’re about coming to terms with reality and the myth behind many fallacies associated with sex, and losing your virginity, and feeling used. One drama excerpt, titled After Hours, was extremely well written. It was not grammatically correct, and included several words favored by my generation, including ‘like.’ But it was the honesty of this scenario that struck me as extremely compelling. I know kids like that, and I could relate, making the stories seem believable, even if they were pulling these narratives out of their Asses.
The photographs that break up the literature towards the end of the magazine were also powerful. They were pictures of ordinary people. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate source for these photos, given each student writer faces the same challenges that the subjects of the photos did or still do. I would urge anyone interested in finding out about the wealth of talent exhibited here at Columbia College Chicago go check out any issue of Hair Trigger because you will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading further into this magazine as the years go by.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Pat, I really enjoyed reading all of your personal observations about the stories in Hair Trigger. Overall, your review was an honest assessment of what you had been exposed to. I particularly enjoyed how you infused your own thoughts and feelings and discussed how a story made you react. This would be of great use for someone who wasn't quite sure whether or not they wanted to purchase this collection. It is also great that you noted many of these stories and essays were written by students. This is intriquing right away for anyone interested.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your emphasis on how this is a Columbia based publication is also great. My only criticism would be that it seemed like the entire review was an opinion. It didn't really sound like a formal "review" with all the basic steps. It sounded more like a reflection after reading what you read. While I think the reflection is insighful and the most interesting part of any review, there needs to be some type of explanation about what exactly this collection is.
The opening sentence sets a tone that almost does not match the rest of the article. This is good because the reader expects one thing going into it and leaves with a different opinion entirely.
ReplyDeleteIt was slightly repetetive when it came to the praise of the writers, however it's hard not to continually praise something when you really enjoy it.
Although a one or two stories were mentioned, he stuck to general ideas for the paper; that was a nice change and gave an overall idea of what one could "kind of" expect.
This review was appropriately directed towards college aged students who may be slightly lost in their new position. It was a great review.
There is great success in this review from the very first sentence. I was caught off guard; it was not the opening line I had anticipated, and I think that it played greatly to the overall tone throughout your review.
ReplyDeleteYour opinions and support for this publication are clear from your confident word choice and I liked how you eagerly recognized the talent of your peers.
You did a good job giving an overview of the work, listing various themes and topics found throughout it, however I would have liked more specific examples; titles and authors of specific pieces that really stuck out.
Pat, this review is marvelously synthetic: you take a really big-picture view of the publication and highlight connections among stories that might not immediately be obvious to the casual reader. That indicates a close and sensitive reading of the publication, and lends credibility to the review. In that way, this review actually helps the reader understand the publication, not just decide whether to read it or not. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI think that the review begins stronger than it ends, and that might be by design. The final paragraph, though, seemed to lack some of the energy of the earlier prose; that's a pity, because I, as a reader, would have liked to have seen you turn your keen eye on the photographs with the same perspicacity that you show to the texts.