I arrived late the journal’s launch event. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that getting into the room would prove a challenge: the room was packed.
The launch of a rather obscure literary journal. Packed a room. At LSE.
As a member of the literature society, and the person in charge of distributing the printed copies of The Beaver, this sparked some well-earned jealousy. The Clare team has fostered a lovely community of creatives that I hope continues to grow.
The chosen theme – “escape the maze” – was appropriately vague, inspiring great submissions. The cover, which was designed by freelance illustrator Tom Compton is a truly beautiful one. It provides the journal with a professional look that its editors should be proud of.
The design of the issue – albeit confusing at times – is a rewarding one. The designers have managed to incite a sense of exploration akin to that of figuring out your way through a maze. However, I found that at times poems were challenging to read because of their positioning on the page. Perhaps, this was a way of dealing with the subject of exploration and discovery “in the maze”.
This edition features many poems. Poetry is a very subjective experience, and as such I am sure there will be very many different responses to the featured submissions. I found some to be clunky at best, and some to be moving. Ant Life (by Leo Yung) and Ocean (by Abby Meyer) were particularly enjoyable. Ant Life provided a harrowing portrayal of our life choices as LSE students.My flatmates and I had a rather deep discussion about Ocean, which is – in my opinion – a sign that the poem is good and does its job. Within the essay submissions, Silver Linings to Social Mazes (by Luc Schneider) stood out for me; it is an insightful exploration of constructs, made all the much better by the addition of a personal narrative.
The latest Clare Market Review issue speaks volumes to the capacity of those who choose to study at LSE yet retain a drive for the literary and creative. In a university known for conducting rather dry social sciences, this is a breath of fresh air.
The latest Clare Market Review issue speaks volumes to the capacity of those who chose to study at LSE yet retain a drive for the literary and creative. In a university known for conducting rather dry social science, this is a breath of fresh air.
I arrived late the journal’s launch event. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that getting into the room would prove a challenge: the room was packed.
The launch of a rather obscure literary journal. Packed a room. At LSE.
As a member of the literature society, and the person in charge of distributing the printed copies of The Beaver, this sparked some well-earned jealousy. The Clare team has fostered a lovely community of creatives, that I hope continues to grow.
The chosen theme – “escape the maze” – was appropriately vague, inspiring great submissions. The cover, which was designed by freelance illustrator Tom Compton is a truly beautiful one. It provides the journal with a professional look that its editors should be proud of.
The design of the issue – albeit confusing at times – is a rewarding one. The designers have managed to incite a sense of exploration akin to that of figuring out your way through a maze. However, I found that at times poems were challenging to read because of their positioning on the page. Perhaps, this was a way of dealing with the subject of exploration and discovery “in the maze”.
This edition features many poems. Poetry is a very subjective experience, and as such I am sure there will be very many different responses to the featured submissions. I found some to be clunky at best, and some to be moving. Ant Life (by Leo Yung) and Ocean (by Abby Meyer) were particularly enjoyable. Ant Life provided a harrowing portrayal of our life choices as LSE students. I found myself having a rather deep discussion about Ocean with my flatmates, which is – in my opinion – a sign that the poem is good and does its job. Within the essay submissions, I found the best to be Silver Linings to Social Mazes (by Luc Schneider); it is an insightful exploration of constructs, made all the much better by the addition of a personal narrative.
This edition of the Clare Market Review is a testament to the growing number of LSE students becoming more engaged with creative outlets and succeeding at it in the process. A truly welcome sign of good times to come.
