A joint publication between English majors and faculty, the journal embodies the interdisciplinary nature of the Department of English at Samford University. It provides a venue for all Samford students, faculty, and staff to publish their best critical and creative work.
Literature and film continually reimagine an ever-changing world, and through our research we discover our relationships to those art forms and the cultures they manifest. Publishing one issue each semester, Wide Angle serves as a conduit for the expression and critique of that imagination. A joint publication between English majors and faculty, the journal embodies the interdisciplinary nature of the Department of English at Samford University. It provides a venue for undergraduate research, an opportunity for English majors to gain experience in the business of editing and publishing, and a forum for all students, faculty, and staff to publish their best work. As a wide-angle lens captures a broad field of vision, this journal expands its focus to include critical and creative works, namely academic essays, book and film reviews, and commentaries, as well as original poetry, short fiction and non-fiction, short films, and screenplays.
Current Issue
Literature
Mackenzie Arnold
“Radical Reconciliation: The Role of Forgiveness in the Irish Narrative”
Megan Harris
“A Study of Nature and the Divine in Wordsworth and Hopkins”
Jordan Shoop
“‘I am come home’: Audre Lorde’s Journey from the Closet to Reclaiming Her Lesbian Identity”
Lacey Spear
“Avoiding Polemics: The Satirical Subversion of Langston Hughes”
Film
Ansley Burnette
“From Bestseller to Blockbuster: Film Adaptation Theories”
Jud Potter
“Rashomon, Godzilla, and the ‘abyssal regions’ of the Human Experience: Japanese Cinema after World War II” [Curated from vol. 6.2 in 2017]
Claire Scott
“A Closer Look into Fidelity Discourse in Film Adaptation”
Samantha Smith
“Angels, Monsters, and Gazing in The Birds” [Curated from vol. 2.2 in 2013]
Creative Writing - Poetry
Jillian Fantin
“Selections from Cubanidad: A Machete Will Do”
“Selections from Cubanidad: Elegy for José Martí”
“Selections from Cubanidad: Fatigues”
Ashlyn Hamrick
“Do Balloons Go to Heaven?”;
Sarah Morgan Lake
“Ode to Tuscaloosa”
Jake Lane
“Agonal Breathing”
“Blue Poppies”
“Idiolect of a Bouncing Flame”
Emily Thorington
“Frankenstein’s Poetry”
Creative Writing - Screenplay
Jake Lane
“White-Tailed Deer”
From the Editors’ Desks - Special Series: Race and Ethnicity in Literature and Film
Brice Boyer
“Racism in Sherlock Holmes: A Cursory Glance at Character Portrayal”
Will Carlisle
“Frederick Douglass, Kanye West, and the New Slaves
Parker Gilley
“Remembering to Forget: Omeros and the Epic Tradition”
Margaret Kirby
“Solus in te: Only in You, or, the Writer’s Dilemma”
Andre’A Roper
“Nature or Nurture: The Environment’s Effect on Racial Identity Formation in Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John”
Contributors
Mackenzie Arnold
Mackenzie Arnold is a senior University Fellow majoring in English and minoring in Psychology. She will be pursuing her JD at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in the fall. Mackenzie has a passion for the Dallas Mavericks, all things Irish, and a properly made cup of either coffee or tea.
Brice Boyer
Brice Boyer is a Senior University Fellow and a Psychology and English double major with a concentration in Creative Writing. When he is not serving as Creative Writing Editor on Wide Angle, Brice enjoys reading, writing, playing piano, and spending time with his friends. As he finishes his last year as Creative Writing Editor, he looks forward to working as a Behavioral Health Technician at Alsana in Birmingham after college.
Ansley Burnette
Ansley Burnette is a junior double major in Theatre and English with a concentration in Film Studies. She enjoys writing, acting, stage managing, and horseback riding. You can usually find her dreaming about being in Ireland or planning her next trip to Disney World. Soli Deo gloria.
Will Carlisle
Will Carlisle is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Following his graduation from Samford University in May 2021, he will be moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where he will work as a worship leader and songwriter for a local church. He prefers to spend his time behind a piano with friends or on a long, scenic run with Jenna, his wife.
Jillian A. Fantin
Jillian A. Fantin is a poet and MFA candidate at the University of Notre Dame. Their poetry is published or forthcoming in The American Journal of Poetry, Sprung Formal, TIMBER, and Entropy.
Parker Gilley
Parker Gilley is a senior University Fellow from Molino, FL, studying Philosophy, Classics, and English (not necessarily in any order). He is most unperturbed when nestled into some Hobbiton-esque, pastoral idyll in the South, smoking a pipe and reading antique poetry. He will be pursuing an MA in Classics at the University of Kentucky in the fall.
Ashlyn Hamrick
Ashlyn Hamrick is a junior from Birmingham, AL, double-majoring in Secondary Education and English. She plans to teach English and share her love for literature to middle and high school students. Her ideal morning would consist of an iced coffee from Wild Roast, a captivating YA novel, and the cozy sounds of spring rain.
Megan Harris
Megan Harris is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in English with a Writing minor and a Creative Writing concentration. She enjoys writing fiction and plans to pursue work with publishing and editing in the future.
Margaret Kirby
Margaret Kirby is a junior studying English with a double minor in Classics and Philosophy. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and also sings in the A Cappella Choir. Margaret especially loves her Southern authors (mainly Sidney Lanier and Eudora Welty), and she also considers George MacDonald to be her grandfather in the faith. Her main purpose in life is to rediscover the magic of being a little child in the kingdom of God.
Sarah Morgan Lake
Sarah Morgan Lake is a senior at Samford, double majoring in English and Secondary Education. She was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. When not writing arguably bad poetry, you can catch her student teaching, writing equally bad novels and essays, and dreaming of being a professor of American literature.
Jake Lane
Jake Lane is a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, studying English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Theatre. When not writing poetry or screenplays, he also enjoys writing creative nonfiction and playwriting. This semester, Jake’s first full-length play, Entropy, made its debut as a part of Samford Theatre’s One Act Festival.
Jud Potter
Jud Potter was a senior English major with a concentration in Film Studies when he wrote his essay on Rashomon and Godzilla. He went on to pursue a career in teaching and film editing.
Andre'A Roper
Andre'A Roper is a senior Micah Fellow from Charleston, SC, studying English with a Writing minor and Creative Writing Concentration. She interns with the Birmingham Education Foundation as a Communications Fellow and is a Howard College Ambassador. Next year, she will serve as a City Year AmeriCorps member in Jacksonville, FL, mentoring and tutoring students in underserved public schools.
Claire Scott
Claire Scott is a senior from Franklin, TN, double-majoring in English and Spanish and minoring in Latin American Studies. She is passionate about Latin American literature and enjoys reading in either language. She plans on attending law school after graduation.
Jordan Shoop
Jordan Shoop will graduate this spring with an English major and a writing minor. He is usually reading poetry collections, while feeling inspired by artwork by John Dugdale and films by Derek Jarman. His recent poetic works have been published in The Elevation Review, In Parentheses, and the last edition of Wide Angle.
Samantha Smith
Samantha Smith was a University Fellow and a senior English major with a concentration in Film Studies when she wrote her essay on The Birds. She went on to graduate school to study Political Science and pursue opportunities as a consultant for humanitarian aid programs.
Lacey Spear
Lacey Spear is a junior double major in English and Spanish with a creative writing concentration, and she serves as president for Sigma Delta Pi and Spanish Club. When not discussing theology, Spanish grammar rules, or James Joyce, Lacey enjoys riding horses and making homemade lattes. After Samford, she plans to procure her PhD in Spanish Literature.
Emily Thorington
Emily Thorington is a 2020 Samford alumna and former English major living in Tampa, FL. This year, she has enjoyed teaching middle schoolers about poetry, swimming laps, and soaking up the Florida sunshine.
Guidelines
Submissions will be accepted from all Samford students, faculty, and staff. Publication of any and all submissions is up to the discretion of the Wide Angle editorial staff. Upon acceptance of submission, the contributor will be required to sign a copyright waiver prior to publication. All written submissions must follow current MLA style guidelines and be free of any grammatical errors. All submissions must be anonymous.
Critical Essays
Ranging from 2,500-9,000 words, essays can be written within any critical framework as long as they are grounded in a literary or cinematic subject. The manuscript must be accompanied by an abstract.
Reviews and Commentaries
- Reviews of recently released novels, short stories, poetry collections, scholarly works, and anthologies. Reviews should be around 1,000 words.
- Commentaries on recent literature- related events (poetry readings, poetry competitions, plays, author readings, conferences, lectures) or other topics in print culture. Commentaries should be around 1000 words.
- Reviews of recently released films, DVDs/BluRays, and scholarly works pertaining to cinema. Reviews should be around 1,000 words.
- Commentaries on such subjects as: local film-related events/topics (Sidewalk and Snapshot film festivals, repertory and independent screenings at The Alabama Theater and The Edge, etc), national/international film-related events (the Academy Awards, Sundance and Cannes film festivals, conferences, etc.) or other topics in film culture. Commentaries should be around 1,000 words.
Short Film
- Short films must be original and should not exceed 10 minutes in length.
- Short films should be submitted as .mov or as another format compressed into a .zip file.
Poetry
- Submissions may consist of one to three poems.
- All poems must be contained in one Word document. Each poem must be formatted on its own page with a title for each poem. Include explanatory or contextualizing comments if necessary.
Prose
- Prose may be short fiction or creative non-fiction.
- Submissions should not exceed thirty pages.
Screenplays
Submissions should be no shorter than ten pages and no longer than ninety pages.
Staff
Andre'A Roper, Managing Editor
Andre’A is a senior Micah Fellow from Charleston, SC, studying English with a Writing minor and Creative Writing Concentration. She interns with the Birmingham Education Foundation as a Communications Fellow and is a Howard College Ambassador. Next year, she will serve as a City Year AmeriCorps member in Jacksonville, FL, mentoring and tutoring students in underserved public schools.
Parker Gilley, Assistant Managing Editor
Parker is a senior University Fellow from Molino, FL, studying Philosophy, Classics, and English (not necessarily in any order). He is most unperturbed when nestled into some Hobbiton-esque, pastoral idyll in the South, smoking a pipe and reading antique poetry. He will be pursuing an MA in Classics at the University of Kentucky in the fall.
Brice Boyer, Creative Writing Editor
Brice is a Senior University Fellow and a Psychology and English double major with a concentration in Creative Writing. When he is not serving as Creative Writing Editor on Wide Angle, Brice enjoys reading, writing, playing piano, and spending time with his friends. As he finishes his last year as Creative Writing Editor, he looks forward to working as a Behavioral Health Technician at Alsana in Birmingham after college.
Margaret Kirby, Literature Editor
Margaret is a junior studying English with a double minor in Classics and Philosophy. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and also sings in the A Cappella Choir. Margaret especially loves her Southern authors (mainly Sidney Lanier and Eudora Welty), and she also considers George MacDonald to be her grandfather in the faith. Her main purpose in life is to rediscover the magic of being a little child in the kingdom of God.
Will Carlisle, Film Editor
Will is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Following his graduation from Samford University in May 2021, he will be moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where he will work as a worship leader and songwriter for a local church. He prefers to spend his time behind a piano with friends or on a long, scenic run with Jenna, his wife.
Dr. Geoff Wright - General Editor
Dr. Wright serves as faculty sponsor for Wide Angle. He specializes in American literature and film since 1900. He coordinates the Film Studies concentration in the English major and is faculty sponsor for the SU Film Club.
Past Issues
Cover Art Gallery
Volume 10
Ten Years of Excellence
Artist: Will Carlisle
Will Carlisle is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Following his graduation from Samford University in May 2021, he will be moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where he will work as a worship leader and songwriter for a local church.
Volume 9
Heart with Strings of Steel
Artist: Abby Olive
Abby Olive is a senior from Charlotte, NC. In the fall, she will pursue her M.A. in English at UNCC and has accepted a position as a graduate assistant.
Volume 8, Issue 2
Elgol
Artist: Hannah Warrick, Managing Editor, Wide Angle
Hannah Warrick is a senior University Fellow studying English and Fine Arts at Samford University.
Volume 8, Issue 1
The Postman
Artist: Joe Cory, Associate Professor of Art, Samford University
Joe Cory is a visual artist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Design. He also serves as the Director of the School of the Arts new Catalyst Program, and as a Faculty Fellow in Samford's Center for the Worship and the Arts.
