(Re)creating a Community of Letters at Cushing

Students Bring Patchwork Literary Magazine Back To Life

Someone once said that to see the light you must have seen the dark. You have never felt the light of being together if you have never felt the darkness of being alone. Would there be light if there was never darkness, or would there be together if there was never alone?

—“Aphorism” by Harry O’Connor ’25, Patchwork, Cushing Academy Literary Magazine

Simon Hunt is a self-described “word nerd.” The Cushing Academy English teacher inherited his journalist father’s passion for language and has been writing poetry since childhood.

“I love the idea of making stories and poetry. Sharing that with kids is my favorite thing,” he says.

When Hunt, a 30-year veteran teacher, arrived at Cushing last fall, helping students publish a literary magazine seemed obvious. “It’s so crucial that students be invited to express themselves, and that they not only learn to read and analyze literature, but to think of themselves as participants in a community of letters,” says Hunt.

To reboot Patchwork, Hunt recruited a staff of seven students who commissioned submissions from seminar students and through all-school contests. In the end, the staff had a solid stack of submissions to consider from students in all classes, from those who see themselves as gifted writers and those who are new to the craft. Some teachers even submitted work for review.

From the gorgeous portrait on the cover through a powerful poem about watching a family member’s passing at the end, there is much to be admired about Patchwork. Highlights include a bilingual sonnet by Jiaming Perry Zeng ’22, a sweet essay on gratitude by Yenae Gebru ’23, and an award-winning essay, “Nonviolent Protest and the False Flag of Civility,” by Talia Trigg ’22.

Hunt says having the magazine printed and distributed on campus made a big impact on the contributors and the community. “I think it says something significant to the kids:

‘We think your work is worthy of being an artifact in the manner of the books that we’ve been reading,’” says Hunt.

He hopes that for some of these students, the experience will spark a passion that lasts. “When you think about high school, one of the things you want to do is just throw lots and lots of stuff at them and see what sticks. The idea that literary culture should be part of that seems absolutely crucial to me.”