There are several words that could be used to describe the publication Flyway. Creative. Kaleidoscopic. Midwestern. Fun.

However you describe it, the English department’s magazine is beginning to catch on across campus.

“We publish the best in literary art,” contributing editor and creative writing professor Debra Marquart said. “We are trying to incorporate good visual art with work that expresses the richness of everyday life.”

One of the most unique aspects of Flyway, which is now three years old, is its mixture of visual art and various types of literature (poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction).

The combination of text and illustration lends a three-dimensional level to a medium that can often be bland and uninteresting.

“Visual art has a great narrative to it,” Marquart explained. “It is a story in an image. Writers and artists primarily work with images. They both try to create the most vivid story possible. That’s how they share creative space.”

Flyway is created by a dedicated group of professors and graduate students who select the material, edit it, organize it and combine it with graphics. It is also their job to insure Flyway doesn’t limit itself to any one type of material.

“We don’t have any notions about what people must submit or what we won’t print,” Marquart said. “I’ve been trying to find work that deals with Midwestern experience. It’s good to see these writers published with those from other areas. How does their work differ and compare?

“Our publication illuminates the American interior,” she continued. “It shows what it’s like to live in the middle of the country. But it also shows what living in other parts of the nation is like as well.”

An example of this will be found in the upcoming Spring issue, which is united by a theme of Native American writers and art.

Marquart believes people can be influenced and refreshed from works of literature. She thinks poetry is one of the strongest forms. It is no surprise then that Marquart uses a poem to describe its effects on people.

“It’s difficult/to get the news from poems/yet men die miserably every day/for lack/of what is found there,” William Carlos William’s poem “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower” states.

“In our lives,” Marquart said, “we find ourselves working, doing research or learning in a classroom. A poem might seem insignificant compared to that, but it could lead to insight. Poems nourish and inspire changes in the minds and hearts of people.”

However, even though literature is important in human development, it is often hard to find, especially on the Iowa State campus. There are very few creative publications available for students to enjoy.

Ethos releases one creative writing issue each year, the English Club publishes “Apocalypse” once a semester and the Drummer presents the occasional poem every once in awhile.

Then there is the late Sketch magazine. It recently fell into the financial abyss after the proper requirements for funding were not met.

In the meantime, its absence leaves a huge literary hole that Flyway is hoping to fill.

“I think we should have lots of literary magazines,” Marquart said. “It is important to have the space for writers to evolve. It kind of amazes me that there is a lack of literary hunger in the Midwest. When I was in New York, there was poetry scrawled across the top of city’s buses. You could find poems written on store walls.

“There, it is kind of unique to find artistic expression,” she continued. “But here, I think it should be more prevalent than it is. We need more literature on this campus. We need to ask ourselves, how are we going to find a forum, a niche, where we can display our work?”

Ultimately, Marquart would like to see Flyway flourish across campus and the nation. She would also like to see more interaction between the various literary publications.

“Different layers of publications should inform each other,” she said. “They should impact each other and create dialogue between the publications. It’s kind of like the ripple effect, a stone thrown into the water that creates reverberations that are seen and felt. That’s the way it should work.”

Flyway is published three times a year (spring, fall and winter) and is available through the English Department.

Subscriptions are available for $18 a year or $32 for two years. Inquiries or requests should be directed to 203 Ross Hall or to Professor Marquart.