Jayla Rae Ardelean
MA English: Creative Nonfiction
Expected Graduation 2015
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have two dachshunds, love to start new drafts of essays, and keep an eye out for birds wherever I go.
How did you find out about the internship at the CLP?
I believe I found it on CSU’s website, asked Marnie about it, and then she told me to email Stephanie and I was in!
Why did you apply?
I had thought of interning for undergraduate journals as a missed opportunity for me. When I saw the brochure listing the kinds of skills and activities interns would be involved in at Colorado Review and what sorts of jobs alumni were moving onto, I knew instantly it’s where I wanted to be–on a graduate level of work.
What did you expect before you started?
I had expected to be faced with things I’d never done before and that it might be difficult.
How has it surprised you?
What surprised me the most was that in learning new skills such as cover design, copyediting, typesetting, proofreading, and manuscript selection, I found the level of difficulty to be trumped by my enjoyment in these tasks. Though it took time for me to acquire these skills, I was surprised to feel at home with them, too.
What’s a typical shift like, a “day in the life of an intern”?
A typical shift in my last semester has been to alternate between typesetting the summer 2015 issue and reading nonfiction submissions in the queue over a period of three hours, three times per week. A typical shift for me prior to this semester had been getting cozy at the computer, poring over nonfiction submissions, searching for a fitting essay for Colorado Review, while occasionally talking to Stephanie about the mysterious world of literary journals and publishing.
Where will we find you in five years?
You might find me in a similar position–sitting at a computer–but working for a literary journal that I’ve moved up the totem pole in, making my way to the top to be an editor.
How do you think this internship will help you in the future?
This internship has provided me with the skills I need to get the kind of work I want, so I’d say it has given me a perfect starting point! Also, having worked with a nationally renowned literary mag while I was a grad student is always something I can tell people and be proud of.
What advice do you have for students who want to apply, do the internship?
Go in with an open mind and learn everything you possibly can while you’re there!
Favorite CLP memory?
I have many, but as Stephanie was putting the final touches on her cover design for Supplice by T. Zachary Cotler, Colorado Prize for Poetry winner 2014, Drew Webster, the managing editor, and I were asked how it looked. We talked about balancing, consistency, and where the image had come from and why. It was a simple conversation about cover design, but it probably taught me the most, and it made me feel like a large part of the process. I was also the proofreader on Supplice, so I saw the final product before print, in addition to the cover. It was pretty amazing to see both sides of the process.
Considering doing an internship in the fall? As the spring semester winds down it can difficult to think about anything but finishing up course work, completing finals, and the promise of summer break. Even so, students may find themselves considering internships for the fall semester. The Center for Literary Publishing (CLP) Internship Program is one option for graduate students. CLP interns serve as first and second readers for the nearly nine thousand manuscripts of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that Colorado Review receives every year. Interns also have opportunities to copyedit, proofread, and typeset; learn about book & magazine design, production, and management; gain proficiency in current industry software (InDesign, PhotoShop, Illustrator, FileMaker, WordPress, and Submittable); participate in social media campaigns; and assist in grantwriting.