The Allegheny Review – 2004

What comes to mind when you think of undergraduate writing? Overwriting? Sentimentality? Fuzzy thinking? Certainly I had my doubts when I cracked open the cover of Allegheny Review, an annual devoted to the work of undergraduates. Yet, although I found one or two examples of overwriting, I was pleased to find my doubts largely ungrounded. The writing in Allegheny is clear—so refreshingly clear that some of our more mature poets could take a lesson. A stark sonnet on a woman’s abortion blows any notion of sentimentality out of the water. What comes to mind when you think of undergraduate writing? Overwriting? Sentimentality? Fuzzy thinking? Certainly I had my doubts when I cracked open the cover of Allegheny Review, an annual devoted to the work of undergraduates. Yet, although I found one or two examples of overwriting, I was pleased to find my doubts largely ungrounded. The writing in Allegheny is clear—so refreshingly clear that some of our more mature poets could take a lesson. A stark sonnet on a woman’s abortion blows any notion of sentimentality out of the water. Allegheny bestows an annual poetry award, this year honoring Ingrid Moody, represented in this volume with five graceful and understated poems worthy of publication in any poetry journal. A few fiction selections round out this issue. Though they seem less strong than the poetry, there are some moments in them that shine, such as Camron Terwilliger’s description of the title character from his award-winning story “Lighthouse Keeper”: “He set aside his yolk-stained dish, and began to whistle low plaintive notes, his sallow cheeks bulging like sails.” A subscription to Allegheny would make a welcome and satisfying gift to an undergraduate with a passion for writing. [The Allegheny Review, Box 32, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA 16335. E-mail: [email protected]. Single issue $4. http://review.allegheny.edu.] – DM