The Promethean
The Promethean is an annual journal of the College of Theology, Arts, and Sciences of Concordia University-Portland. Members of the community, the student body and other authors are encouraged to submit pieces for publication via email. The content is chosen by a staff of student editors in a blind review process.
The opinions expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Theology, Arts, and Sciences, ASCU, or The Promethean staff. All works are copyrighted.
The publication of The Promethean is made possible with funding from the Associated Students of Concordia University (ASCU).
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The Promethean, Volume 06, Number 02, Spring 1998
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
What a glorious spring! How lucky we are to live in such delightful surroundings. The Pacific Northwest is a gardener's delight, full of fertile soil and scenic beauty. Our own Concordia campus is a wonderful example of the exciting variety of blooms, blossoms, greenery, and landscaping that can be achieved here. It's such a treat to walk around campus and observe the many plants, lovingly tended by our grounds crew, all wildly blooming and sweetly scented. Your eye strays from one blossom to another ...to the ivy-covered brick walls...what a great oak tree...look, there's a daffodil next to a...cigarette butt? Can you believe it? Somebody just threw their cigarette right there on the ground—right next to the ashtray! In fact, the whole ground here is strewn thick with cigarette butts—how gross!
We have a beautiful campus here—don't ruin it by throwing your butts or other trash on the ground. Clean up after yourself! And if you see someone littering, get right in their face and demand they clean it up. We do not have maid service at Concordia!
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The Promethean, Volume 07, Number 01, Fall 1998
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
This issue is dedicated to my fabulous Promethean editorial staff — Charlotte, John, Michael, Tim, and Jamie. They had a real vision of what they wanted The Promethean to be, and their creativity and artistry show on every page. In addition, you will find their names as bylines alongside many of the works in this issue, since they are all talented artists in their own right.
So thanks, gang, see you next semester. And best of luck to Charlotte as she graduates and goes on to new adventures. We'll miss you!
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The Promethean, Volume 06, Number 01, Fall 1997
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Why The "Promethean"?
At the start of the semester, I asked some people on campus what they knew about The Promethean. The answers were humbling, ranging from "The what?" to "Is that the newspaper?" Forging fearlessly ahead, I then asked if anyone knew what "Promethean" might mean. Even the members of my staff seemed uncertain. It therefore occurred to me to explain what this word means and why it is an appropriate title for our campus literary magazine.
Webster's defines "Promethean" as 1. of or suggestive of Prometheus; 2. creative; boldly original.
Definition 2. seems clear enough, but Definition 1. seems to beg the question. So Promethean is suggestive of Prometheus? Great! That's like saying Rabelaisian is suggestive of Rabelais — not very helpful unless you know the meaning of the original term. Clearly more insight is required. Prometheus, it turns out, was a Titan — one of the children of Uranus, the ancient Greek personfication of heaven, and Gaia, the goddess of the earth. Prometheus stole fire from Mount Olympus, where it had previously been used only by the gods, and gave it to mortals. This was in direct defiance of Zeus, king of the gods, who was really ticked off about it. As punishment, Prometheus was chained to a rock, where every day an eagle tore out his liver, which regrew overnight, so that it could be tom out again. Finally, Prometheus was released by Hercules, another Greek godling who went around doing any number of good deeds of this sort.
So we at The Promethean encourage everyone to seek light and truth, challenge the status quo, and enhance the Concordia campus with their creativity. Many thanks to those who were bold and original enough to submit their work in this issue.
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The Promethean, Volume 04, Number 02, Spring 1996
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Ah, spring. The time of year when a young man's thoughts turn to thoughts of how to fill this page without lapsing into meaningless babble. And love--but at the moment, that isn't foremost on my mind.
Modern technology is often a wonderful thing. Oh, sure, I know it has its critics--most notably that Unabomber guy--but most people tend to agree that it tends to be useful most of the time. A perfect example is this issue's cover. If you haven't seen it yet, go ahead and sneak a peek now. I'll wait.
. . . . . . .
See, you didn't miss anything. Anyway, this piece of art started out as a relatively simple drawing. I scanned it and saved a copy to disk. As a result, I was able not only to make it whatever size it needed to be for this magazine, but I could play around with it a little using a program called Adobe Photoshop™. I was just messing around, not planning anything serious, but I ended up with something I thought looked rather sharp. The artist, Caitlin May, agreed with me, and a cover was born. I firmly believe that this issue represents a new standard for The Promethean. It is a standard that would not have been reached without the efforts of many people. First, Caitlin deserves another mention for not only the prize-winning artwork, but for agreeing it looked neat when "enhanced."
Special mention should also go to Dr. Lynnell Edwards, who decided to require her Creative Writing students to submit work as a part of the course.
Finally, a special thank you goes to Dr. Dan Wright and the rest of the staff--to Dr. Wright for continuing to show his faith in my skills (as well as writing an article which is sure to generate thought and maybe spark some controversy), and to the staff for putting up with my annoying little control issue. Weekly meetings aren't really so terrible, now are they?
I am so glad that's out of the way. Now can go back to thinking about love. Enjoy this magazine.
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The Promethean, Volume 05, Number 01, Fall 1996
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Welcome to the all new, mostly different, Promethean
If you paid any attention to anything over the course of the past semester, you probably saw or heard something about a "big double issue" of The Promethean coming in March." If so, you may be just a wee bit confused right about now, and I don't really blame you. This isn't the double issue, and none of the publicity ever said anything about an end-of-semester issue this term.
You may also be wondering about Manna, which until recently was the student newspaper here at Concordia, and why there hasn't been an issue yet. Well, you're looking at it. Thanks to a number of factors (most of which would, I fear, prove insanely boring), The Promethean and Manna have combined forces, merging their best features into one publication.
With this change comes a change in our publishing schedule. In the past, The Promethean has come out once every term, be it the semesters that started last year or the quarters which came before. Next semester, we begin our new twice-a-semester frequency. One issue will come at midterm, and the other will come at the end. This may seem a tad ambitious, but we feel it is the best, and perhaps only, way to keep the news we report at least somewhat current.
It also provides us the chance to print more of the fiction, poetry, and artwork that are synonymous with The Promethean, in addition to a number of new features. We have always relied upon student submissions, and that is not going to change; our new format and philosophy (news as well as literature) provide opportunities for your submissions in your preferred area, be it literary, artistic, editorial, or news. And in case you're wondering, the two contests which had been announced for March's now-defunct big double issue have been split between the two scheduled issues: the winning poem will be showcased in one issue, and the winning short story will be the showpiece of the other. More details will come as soon as we work them out.
Enjoy!
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The Promethean, Volume 03, Number 02, Winter 1995
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one that has had a crazy term. It has been full of excitement and deadlines, but through it all I have felt that The Promethean's outcome would reflect nothing but the excellence found on Concordia's campus. I hope that you will agree as you look through the pages of this term's issue.
I would like to take an opportunity to express my gratitude to all of those people who have helped me "learn the ropes" this term. First of all, thanks to my staff for accepting a new editor with no questions asked. I appreciate all the work that you have put in on this issue--it certainly shows. Also, thank you to those wonderfully, creative people that have put their hearts into their work and then decided to share it with the world. Your submissions are greatly valued. Next, a few personal thanks to those who supported me: Geramy, for your extra trips around town, Erich, for all the "brain-picking" that I did, and to my parents for the late nights on the computer (I promise to be more social now).
My congratulations to Randy Bush and Midge Kehoe for their $25 prize winning visual art entry. The cover looks terrific! I did not realize that such artistic talent was found within the Bush family tree.
I hope all those readers who crack these pages find the joy that this journal has brought to me. Enjoy reading it!
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The Promethean, Volume 03, Number 03, Spring 1995
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
I would like to thank all of The Promethean staff and Dr. Wright for their dedication towards this project. The deadlines were quick to come, but with the help of Steve Jackson, Chris Martin, Andrew Werth, and Dr. Wright, the 1995 Spring Term edition of The Promethean was able to be born.
Well, it's the end of another term, and summer vacation is creeping up on us fast. Not only is it the end of the year; this year is also the last year of Concordia College. Next year will be a turning point in the history of both The Promethean and Concordia College. I hope that you will enjoy flipping through the pages of this fine piece of work. It has been a long and difficult task to bring you the best literary work out there.
Again, I hope you enjoy the works enclosed within these pages. Look for the next edition of The Promethean from Concordia University's first Winter Semester.
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The Promethean, Volume 04, Number 01, Fall 1995
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Change.
For many people, it is the only thing in this world that is really consistent. I am not one of those people, but I do have to admit that a lot of it sure does seem to happen a lot of the time. It happens so fast, on occassion, that nobody can keep up.
Take, for example, what happened this summer. Concordia became a University. The old quarter system was replaced by semesters. Weber Hall was completely and drastically remodeled.
Any one of those changes can be dealt with easily. Some people may even be able to handle two or all three of them. But Concordia's changes go further than just that. People graduated, transferred, and left for other reasons. They were replaced, to a small extent, by a new group of freshmen and transfer students. Each change in the student body is reflected in the basic feel of the campus. Who knows how many years go by before a former student can come back and barely recognize his or her surroundings? Many of the pieces in this issue of The Promethean deal with change to some extent. The winner of the short story contest, Heidi Wilke, features one of the most drastic and more permanent forms of change, but I'll let you read that for yourself.
A magazine like this does not come about through the efforts of a lone person. Thanks go to my staff, whose names are listed to the right, for the effort they put into helping select the contents of this issue. Special thanks go to Dr. Wright, who, on the first day of the semester called me into his office and asked if I would like to be the editor. Hopefully, his faith in my skill has been rewarded.
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The Promethean, Volume 02, Number 02, Winter 1994
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
During the course of the term, I have been fortunate enough to have studied the many complex ideas behind the question, "What is a hero?" It has occured to me that heroes may do very little but stand for very much. Consider the "hero" whom we applaud for saving someone's life: the action, in itself, may take very little time and is done with even less thought; the "hero" places herself in a perilous position in order that someone else may live, not to gain attention or reward. It is this force, this respect for humanity which holds us together.
In the same way, the writers herein are heroes. With the exception of thought-out intent to write a good piece, what they have contributed may take little time to read. However, the thoughts expressed in these pages stand for far more: concerns about relationships, origin, understanding, power, morality, and places of meaning in one's life are expressed for our thoughtful consideration. This force also holds us together; for we are communicative being whose lives depend on interaction, expression, and sharing.
I would personally like to thank the writers as the experience has been and will always be one of discovery.
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The Promethean, Volume 02, Number 03, Spring 1994
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
How does information affect noise? Information, we must steadily remember, is a measure of one's freedom of choice in selecting a message. The greater this freedom of choice, the greater is the uncertainty that the message actually selected is some particular one. Thus greater freedom of choice, greater uncertainty and greater information all go hand in hand.
From The Mathematics of Communication, by Warren Weaver.
I have been asked by several people, "What is The Promethean?" It dawned on me that in none of the previous issues has the origin of The Promethean's name been addressed. Prometheus was a God in Greek religion. He was very intellectual and a supreme trickster. His contribution to the human race was stealing fire from Zeus and returning it to man. Likewise, The Promethean seeks to steal "fire" in the form of art and literature and return it to the general population.
There are different ideas out there about what The Promethean is. Perhaps you've already noticed some changes in this issue like the color cover and the warped title text. The color cover will be (budget permitting) a regular occurrence. The title text is my own doing. Why? To illustrate a point--nothing is certain. Everything is open to change. There is no specific type of work or genre that we limit ourselves to. If you have written, drawn or photographed anything that is unique and creative, we want to print it!
Now that this issue is complete I must express many thanks: to the staff of The Promethean who put up with my endless requests and helped to create an outstanding issue; to everyone who submitted and filled otherwise empty pages; to Nancy in Student Services who gratefully shared her computer time; to Heidi for her input and understanding (and to whom I owe dinner); to the workers in the information office who sorted through piles of paper for me; to Bev Petersen for the use of her laser printer; to the employees of Davis and Fox printing who answered my endless questions; and to everybody else who made this issue possible.
My apologies to Aaron Brown for inadvertently "borrowing" a couple of numbers. (That's a bit cryptic, so don't panic if it makes no sense to you.)
This issue is dedicated in memory of Professor Clifford Horn.
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The Promethean, Volume 03, Number 01, Fall 1994
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
The Promethean is in it's third year of publication. With each year and issue the journal is growing. I hope that it will continue to grow and become an integral part of Concordia. This journal is a valuable means for Concordia students, staff and friends to share their creativity. I hope that all who read this issue will enjoy it's contents and find a piece with which to identify.
I would like to congratulate Bennett Tracy Huffman for winning our staff over with his poem. The poem A Jiifto for Somalia is the recipient of the $25 prize for this issue . I would also like to thank everyone who contributed to this issue. All of the works submitted are given careful evaluation and I appreciate everyone who is brave enough to let the staff critique their work. I must make a personal apology to Gary Altman, Greg Bye, and Lynn Drake. The essays that they submitted are not included in this issue due to a virus on the disk which contained their contributions. Please look for their essays in the next issue.
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The Promethean, Volume 01, Number 02, Winter 1993
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Here we are. The second issue is finally together, despite its lateness. Its lateness is an interesting subject, which in itself relates to what this issue encompasses at this time of publication.
During the week before finals last quarter, as we were finishing layout, Michelangelo struck, crippling our entire system. The day was March 6th.
Michelangelo, for those who are unfamiliar with computers, is a crippling computer virus that strikes on one day, disabling the hard drive. To top this, there was also another virus present to worsen the effect. We lost the layout due to this virus, and had to start from scratch. (I also began to be more religious about making backup copies and checking for viruses daily....)
Viruses were once simple creatures that were just an endless loop of computer pong, and easily correctable. Of course, in the wrong hands, computer viruses have become extremely lethal and deadly, causing more harm than ever thought possible.
Society in general is becoming more complex and the problems with complexity create larger and more devastating problems. Computer viruses are just one area where this is evident. We also see this at the governmental level where more bureaucracy creates more expenditures; diseases such as AIDS continue to be uncurable; university departments have become more specialized; armed conflict has progressed to the point that no one knows who is on the "good" side and on the "bad" side.
Society is fragmented. There seems to be two different views to every issue, and people seemed to be pulled into this polarization. Yet, the authors in these pages examine how to solve this split, or eliminate this split.
Winter must be the most depressing time of year, or darkest time of year, since much of what was sent to us dealt with dark, gothic issues, or dealt with issues in a gothic matter. Just take a glance at Randy Bush's "One Flesh" or Linda Pillifant's "Death By Mutual Agreement."
These are two themes that jumped out at me during my readings of the material, but it is also the last time to do so.
Since I finish my undergraduate work soon, I have opted to resign. This journal has been a vision of mine since I first came to Concordia almost two years ago. After hard work and many hours of lobbying, I was granted the chance to see a literary journal through. I hope the journal will continue to be a quality work after I am gone. Like a child, it is hard to let the journal go after seeing it begin to mature.
Enjoy this issue.
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The Promethean, Volume 01, Number 03, Spring 1993
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
When given a full page on which to write freely, one should should always pick up a pen and begin, and I, luckily, have been given this page. Only the reader can decide if what I have written is thoughtful and important.
This is the third issue of a journal which has yet to realize its full potential. Improvements have been made, and they will always be necessary as we strive for (near) perfection.
To realize this goal, everyone must contribute; submissions must be made (from both on and off campus); support must be offered. When this is done, the journal will truly be a group project to be looked upon with distinction and pride. In this capacity, The Promethean very well could be the very unifying identity of which Concordia is in need.
I would like to take this opportunity to address a concern that was raised with the last issue: The Promethean didn't print all submissions received from Concordia students. No, we didn't. In fact, we printed many pieces received from off-campus sources. Our goal is to publish a number of diverse pieces. Such a goal requires input from many sources and support from all readers. I can only offer critics this advice: celebrate the creativity and work behind each piece with an open mind.
If you read a piece you don't like, write something to top it. If you read something you do like, tell the writer. In either case, the journal will become a creative outlet and marketplace.
In this process of creating a forum for writers, I have a very small part. So, with the rest of my free page, I would like to thank the writers; without their desires, dreams, hopes, fears, creativity, concern, love, and highly perceptive way ofliving life with an eager curiousity, this journal would not be missed when printed late.
I would like to thank Scott Ward for his simplicity and perception.
I would like to thank Peter Huggins for a unique twist on the season.
Thank you, Angela, for taking time out of your busy schedule--good luck, by the way--to submit your thoughtful verse.
Hey, Tim! Thanks for not being too bent out of shape when you realize I have used your real name for your piece. If anyone has a problem with his piece, re-read the first half of this column. Can you believe Tim was actually concerned?
Erich, thank you for becoming involved and writing a piece many artists will appreciate.
Randy, thanks for the disk and saving me a lot of time. Your piece is one of my favorites. (Do I have to be objective?)
Dr. Wright, thank you for including a piece that will probably bore some because it is well written and addresses an idea that takes a great deal of literary background and scholarship. Isn't that ironic?
I would like to thank Dr. Kunert for writing a piece in which he is personally involved. It answers questions and reaffirms a genuine sense of what faith can mean to those in need.
With this space left, I would like to ask that people get involved. Pull an old poem out of a drawer, write what you feel, inform those who search for knowledge. Write your part in this collective effort and send it in.
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The Promethean, Volume 02, Number 01, Fall 1993
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
After just finishing this issue of The Promethean, the same nagging feeling reduces me to simple frustration: I know that there are potential witers out there who have thought about contributing but have not. It is not only that I value each piece submitted, but it is because I know that people are moved by and enjoy reading the works of others.
For instance, I'm willing to believe that Amy Westlund's "Homecoming" will stir the thoughts of those who have been lucky enough to travel and rouse a sense of curiousity in those who have not. Hidden meanings and not so hidden impressions of the world are to be found in the poetry of Randy Bush--whom I thank for being a regular contributor--Robert York, Tim Benton, and another author who chose not to reveal his/her identity. I wonder why? This piece is exceptional and speaks to something we may all find of vast importance.
Again and again I will ask that every reader of The Promethean make a point of submitting something . . . anything that may shed new light on an old subject, spark the interest of the reader, provide thoughtful insight on an event, character, or subject, or simply entertain.
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The Promethean, Volume 01, Number 01, Fall 1992
English Department, Concordia University-Portland
Welcome to the first issue of Concordia's literary journal, The Promethean. I could go on and say how much blood, sweat and tears went into the development of this journal, or how hard it has been to put out the first issue of a forum like this, but I won't. Instead, I'd rather focus on some of the work that has been submitted for your enjoyment this time around. Surprisingly enough, we have received submissions from a vast number of students on campus, students from other campuses, and faculty here and elsewhere.
Since this is our first undertaking, the pieces that we received varied in theme--everything from politics to relationships, but many works, as I look with 20/20 hindsight, involved coming to grips with different sorts of feelings, be they anger, remorse, confusion, exhaltation, or even, (surprise) happiness.
I think everyone will find a little something that he/she will enjoy. We have a variety of poetry for all tastes, several "different" works of prose, a book review, an essay from Birmingham, England, and some interesting photographs.
Those of you who missed the deadline this time around will be interested to know that your works are being considered for our Winter issue, which should be published during the second or third week in March.
Last, I would like to take the time to thank the staff of the journal for the tons of material through which that they waded. We have constructed The Promethean as we have been flying, so to speak, which has made things difficult at times. The efforts of those evaluating the work have created the shape of this issue; we will now see the fruits of their decisions.
Once again, I hope that you will enjoy the works contained in these pages, and I encourage all of you to contribute works of your own.
