When alumnus Dan Carey paid a return visit to Suffolk University this fall, he already had fulfilled one of his life’s dreams.
Mere months after his 2016 graduation, Carey, an English major with a concentration in creative writing and minors in classics and music history, founded a literary and visual arts magazine—Paradise in Limbo.
Carey said his experience with two literary magazines associated with the English Department—Venture and Salamander—provided him with the knowledge and expertise to succeed.
“I first had the idea of creating my own literary magazine back in my first year at Suffolk,” said Carey, who as a senior was editor-in-chief of Venture, a student literary magazine, and also worked extensively on the Salamander magazine for established and maturing literary talent. “Working with Venture and Salamander provided me with firsthand experience concerning what it took to produce literary publications.”
The achievement comes as no surprise to English Professor George Kalogeris.
“Dan is a very good writer. He was one of the best poetry students I’ve had in 20 years of teaching,” said Kalogeris.
Considering the first issue of Paradise in Limbo, which features 28 contributors, Kalogeris said: “I thought he did a very good job making the selections—the range and depth of them. He should be commended on the arrangement of the poems and visual material.”
The publication, which is available in print and online, has a significant representation from the Suffolk community.
Suffolk English Department faculty members with works appearing in the first issue include Kalogeris, Peter Jeffreys, and Jennifer Barber, founder of Salamander, plus professor emeritus Fred Marchant. A short story by the late Peter Caputo, a longtime English professor, is included as a posthumous tribute to his literary career.
The magazine also includes submissions by Suffolk graduates Shakiel DeBaggis, Serina Gousby, Corey Howard, Trent Larrabee, and Meaghan Murray; sophomore Jenny Hunt; and former student Marissa Trunfio.
The magazine represents a major undertaking by Thinking Core Press, which Carey started earlier this year, celebrating its debut issue with a highly successful launch party in September.
The submission process for Paradise in Limbo is open to all. The deadline for material to be considered for the second issue is Oct. 31. Details may be found on the magazine website.