Literature

Essay

“‘I cannot live without my soul’: Evangelicalism, Soul Talk, and Eternity in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights”  
Rebekah Crozier - Page 5

Commentary

“The BACHE Visiting Writers Series: Katy Simpson Smith”
Corrie Parks - Page 26

“Shakespeare’s Theology”
Dr. Julianne Sandberg - Page 30

Film

Essay

“Consider My Servant Larry: Fideism and Nihilism in the Book of Job and A Serious Man”
Preston S. Blakeley - Page 41

“‘. . . women mean trouble’: How the Representation of Women and Children in Two Neorealist Films Calls for the Restoration of Patriarchy in Postwar Italy”
Corrie Parks - Page 63

Screenplay

“Land of the Living”
Connor Loyd - Page 77

“DragonTamer”
Donovahn Wyatt - Page 78

Creative Writing

“I Wish I Could Fly”
Maddie Athearn - Page 79

“Patience”
Clay Birchfield - Page 81

“August Under the Glass”
Abi Doremus - Page 82

From the Editors’ Desks - Special Series: Religion and Philosophy in Literature and Film

“Ontology in the Medium of Sight: On Women Seeing and Being Seen in Middle English Literature”
Sarah Chew - Page 84

“Revolution and Resurrection: Enjolras as a Christ Figure in Les Misérables”
Megan Crowe - Page 94

“‘pay[ing] attention’: Patience, Prayer, and a Posture of Humility in the Poetry of Mary Oliver”
Ellen Kesler - Page 102

“‘Why have you forsaken me?’: Divine Silence in Religious Cinema and Literature”
Juliana Mink - Page 106

“‘Seeing is believing. . . . Am I right?’: Hero Boy’s Journey of Sight and Sound in The Polar Express”
Edie Smith - Page 114

Contributors

Maddie Athearn is a junior Musical Theatre major from Niceville, Florida. She has been writing in one way or another ever since she was little. She is excited to finally share a piece of that here. John 15:9-17.

Clay Birchfield, a recent Samford graduate and Alabama native, is getting ready to begin an MA in English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He thanks you for taking the time to engage with him in some of life's greatest exercises in empathy: reading and writing.

Preston S. Blakeley is a Samford alumnus from the small town of Argyle, Texas. In the fall, he will pursue an MA in English at the University of Mississippi. He recently published “Out of the Whirlwind: Adaptation and Absurdism in King Lear and the Book of Job” in the Sigma Tau Delta Review.

Sarah Chew is a junior English and Philosophy double major from Albuquerque, NM. When not competing on the debate team or reading for class, she enjoys debating with friends or reading for fun, along with taking long walks and playing music. After graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate work in the lucrative field of the humanities.

Megan Crowe is a senior English major from Gardendale, AL. When she is not writing a paper or working on her novel, she is most likely reading, thinking about Les Misérables, or re-watching Doctor Who. After graduation, she will begin graduate school at the University of Alabama’s Library & Information Studies program.

Rebekah Crozier is a senior from Braselton, Georgia, with a double major in English and Journalism & Mass Communication. She enjoys long hikes, good coffee, and time spent contemplating life on the third floor of Ingalls Hall. She plans to write and travel for the rest of her life.

Abi Doremus is a first-year student from a little town on the bluffs over Mobile Bay, AL. She loves C.S. Lewis and strawberry jam on toast, her flower garden and the word penultimate, and bringing thoughts from her mind to the page.

Ellen Kesler is a senior English major from Franklin, TN. If she is not editing for Wide Angle, she is probably running, playing pickleball, writing, or trying out subpar stand-up material on her friends. She has a multitude of ambiguous plans for her life after graduating.

Connor Loyd is a senior Journalism and Mass Communication major and Film Production minor from Hartselle, AL. In his free time, he enjoys the simple things in life like writing, reading, drawing, watching movies, and hiking.

Juliana Mink is a senior English major from Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not in class or working at Seeds Coffee, she is contemplating her existential angst, writing songs about her existential angst, or sipping mint tea. After graduation, she will be applying to graduate programs and praying that someone lets her into another classroom.

Natalie Myers is a senior Studio Art major at Samford University. She is a painter and a maker. She is passionate about creating art that touches the depth of humanity and spirit.

Corrie Parks is a senior Secondary Education and English double-major from Hoover, AL. Aside from teaching English Language Arts to youths, she enjoys curating Spotify playlists, serving up lattes, and developing half-baked screenplay ideas. In the fall, she will teach high school ELA in Malaysia.

Dr. Julianne Sandberg is an Associate Professor of English at Samford University, where she teaches a wide assortment of literature and writing courses. She especially loves teaching curious students about soul-stirring writers, ranging from Shakespeare and C.S. Lewis to Mary Oliver and Fannie Lou Hamer. When she’s not in the classroom or office, you can find her on a neighborhood walk, a hiking trail, or a reading couch.

Edie Smith is a senior English major from Homewood, AL. If she is not out running in circles, she is likely brainstorming new ideas for a screenplay, watching Gossip Girl for the sixth time, or working on page fifteen of a three-page paper. When she graduates, she’ll go right back to school to hopefully graduate again.

Donovahn Wyatt is a senior from Birmingham. He is a Journalism and Mass Communication major with minors in Film Production and Biology.

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

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

Managing Editor: Juliana Mink

Juliana is a senior English major from Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not in class or working at Seeds Coffee, she is contemplating her existential angst, writing songs about her existential angst, or sipping mint tea. After graduation, she will be applying to graduate programs and praying that someone lets her into another classroom.

Assistant Managing Editor: Ellen Kesler

Ellen is a senior English major from Franklin, TN. If she is not editing for Wide Angle, she is probably running, playing pickle ball, writing, or trying out subpar stand-up material on her friends. She has a multitude of ambiguous plans for her life after graduating.

Literature Editor: Megan Crowe

Megan is a senior English major from Gardendale, AL. When she is not writing a paper or working on her novel, she is most likely reading, thinking about Les Misérables, or re-watching Doctor Who. After graduation, she will begin graduate school at the University of Alabama’s Library & Information Studies program.

Film Editor: Edie Smith

Edie is a senior English major from Homewood, AL. If she is not out running in circles, she is likely brainstorming new ideas for a screenplay, watching Gossip Girl for the sixth time, or working on page fifteen of a three-page paper. When she graduates, she’ll go right back to school to hopefully graduate again.

Creative Writing Editor: Sarah Chew

Sarah is a junior English and Philosophy double major from Albuquerque, NM. When not competing on the debate team or reading for class, she enjoys debating with friends or reading for fun, along with taking long walks and playing music. After graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate work in the lucrative field of the humanities.

General Editor: Dr. Geoff Wright