Penumbra 2024 Edition

Hello! We are honored to present you with 2024’s edition of Penumbra. 2024's submissions radiated personality, diversity, and passion. The pieces we selected were cathartic and raw, finding the beauty in despair, music, rage, language, secrets, and the stars. Because of this vast range of poetry, prose, and artwork, we were inspired by underground zines of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s for our design. A zine is a pamphlet-sized collection of prose, poetry, photographs, collage, and other media. We were drawn to this style because a zine can hold anything within its pages: there is no limit to its creativity and quirkiness. Zines emphasize the unique style and story of each author. In this edition of Penumbra, we celebrate the individuality of our contributors: the voice, intimacy, and vulnerability inherent in perspective and memory. 

Our cover is bold, vibrant, and alive with color and words. We used a letter from the 1983 yearbook to honor the decades of writing that have been an essential part of our school, and we have drawn from the GFA photo archive to illustrate the spirit of our community. 

 - Juliette, Riley, & Julianna

I joined Penumbra my sophomore year and have been starstruck by everything we do ever since. To be a part of a community that is formulated on a shared love for the arts and their ability to reflect human experience has been an incredible source of growth and inspiration. There’s nothing I’ve loved more at GFA than being able to get to know my peers through their writing. As I’ve moved up the ladder in the Penumbra editorial board these past couple of years, I’ve been able to be a part of the intricate book-making process and create a book with Riley and Juliette, the most like-minded people possible to work with. My love for Penumbra partly stems from working with those girls. 

We hope you find joy, inspiration, and life within these pages. Thank you for reading!

 - Julianna