At the mere mention of “It was a dark and stormy night,” do you itch to pick up your pen and send chills down your peers’ spines? Do you want a place to develop the quality of your poetry? Do you simply like writing, reading, and communicating with others? If you find yourself nodding in agreement to any of these questions, Harriton hosts the perfect club for you – the Corinthian.

The Corinthian is Harriton’s literary magazine of student prose and poetry. On Wednesdays until 4:30, the aspiring authors and poets of Harriton convene for an afternoon of relaxed writing, thoughtful editing, and illuminating discussions. At the start of each meeting in the library or room 249, the editors offer a prompt to spark everyone’s imagination. From using the words “defenestrate,” “petrichor,” and “pickles” in a single poem or coming up with an oddball character, Corinthian prompts are always inspiring, and they make the club perfect for anyone who enjoys turning his or her thoughts into ink.

After the prompt, each writer reads his or her results out loud to gain valuable critiques from the other students. Then, anyone who has written something outside of the meeting can share his or her story or poem for criticism and eventually enter it into the magazine. The hungry writers often enjoy snacking on cookies while they discuss.

People more comfortable holding a camera or paintbrush than a pen can also be involved in the club. Co-editor Becca Shapiro notes, “Both our winter and spring editions are always in need of artwork/photos that express or at least sort of relate to ideas brought up in our stories and/or poems. Submissions can be sent directly to the regular email ([email protected]) to be considered for the magazine.”

Currently, the Corinthian is made up of 8-12 students. Attendance varies from day to day, and anyone can join. Dan Olivieri and the previously mentioned Becca Shapiro, both juniors, are the two editors, and the staff sponsor is Mr. Crooke.

Although the number of students is quite small compared to clubs like HTC and Stock Club, quality, not quantity, is what really matters at the Corinthian. The dedication and talent of the members are apparent even from the first sentence of a draft. Membership in the Corinthian has increased by more than 50% from last year to this year. Hopefully, the future will bring even more growth.

Interestingly, the Corinthian is one of Harriton’s oldest clubs: It was founded in 1962, just 5 years after Harriton’s opening. The origin of its unique name is not known definitively, but the members’ general consensus was that the name was probably as old as the club itself, and that it referenced the ancient Greek city of Corinth, which was known for its fabulous wealth and culture.

According to the 1962 Harriton yearbook, there was a contest to decide on the literary magazine’s name. The other options besides Corinthian were not identified. However, everyone at the present meetings agrees that the name Corinthian is definitely cooler than the name of LM’s literary magazine – the Dolphin.

The Corinthian can be a great way to get work published, not only in Harriton’s literary magazine, but also in other forms of media. Like past editors, both of the current editors of the Corinthian have won notable awards for their writing. Dan and Becca each collected 2013 Scholastics Arts and Writing Silver Key awards last spring, with Dan winning in two categories and Becca winning in the short story category and placing an honorable mention in fantasy.

Dan spoke about the spirit of the club: “The Corinthian may not be the biggest club. It may not have a high profile. It may not be what our school is known for. But when you walk into the room (or library) where it is held and you see those excited faces and you see people greeting each other by name, you know that magic is afoot. It is the magic that appears whenever people who understand each other come together. It is the magic of knowing that one is not alone. It is this same magic that reading brings. You see this magic in the laughter and the conversation and the smiles of the members.”

The Corinthian is published twice a year – once in December, and once in May. Do not forget to pick up a copy! It is an amazing chance to view the work of Harriton’s authors, poets, and photographers, and to explore the art of storytelling. If you are interested in joining the Corinthian, do not hesitate to comment on this article, contact Mr. Crooke, or contact one of the editors. Make sure to come with a pencil, a creative mind, and an appetite for literature and cookies!