Traces of Mrs. Norton's Mind in 2005
Class of 1987

What years did you participate in the literary magazine?
I tried to participate in the literary magazine in tenth grade, but didn't end up having time in my schedule. There was no literary magazine when I was a junior that I can remember. As a senior, I was an editor on the new staff under the advisor, Mrs. Murphy. I was also the person who came up with the title Traces of the Mind that was voted to be the new title of the magazine. My brother, who was also on staff as a sophomore when I was a senior, tried for two years to change the name, but he was unsuccessful.

What were your roles?
I was an editor and a contributor. I believe I only submitted one or two stories, because I was so busy working on the yearbook as the senior co-editor-in-chief and as the vice president of NHS.

Why did you join/write for the literary magazine?
I loved to write. I still do, and I still write. I also like the opportunity to work with other writers to help me improve my talents.

If you wrote for the magazine, about how many of your writings were published?
I remember only one or two (for the reasons listed above).

How did your participation in the literary magazine affect you?
It was an interesting experience branching out from traditional assignments into open, creative work. I experimented with language and structure and phonetics, although the work that was published was a little less avant garde than the selections I wrote in my Imaginative Writing class (yes, there was an elective writing course back then).

How do you feel you had an affect on the magazine?
I am flattered that the title is still the one I thought of when I was a student. As far as the selections of writing and artwork, I find that each year, the literary magazine reflects the culture of the year it represents with a couple of common themes running through the different editions.

Can you describe the social environment the magazine staff had?
We were a very small group back then, consisting of less than ten people. That was only the regular staff, though. Mrs. Murphy made it clear to us that the magazine needed to draw from all submissions, and not just from the few of us who were on staff. We worked hard to honor that by not inundating the staff with hundreds of submissions. Most of us had been friends at least through junior high if not elementary school. It was a vibrant group of creative minds and distinct personalities.

Ms. Gardner makes it known to everyone on staff that you are the mastermind behind the title Traces of the Mind. Could you please share how you thought of this name and the process the literary magazine staff and advisor used to choose Traces of the Mind?
I wouldn't say that I was the "mastermind," but one of many great minds who contributed to the publication. Each of us had our own talents, and we were comfortable with sharing them with one another. One meeting, we were all encouraged to bring in a list of title suggestions for the new literary magazine. I came in with about eight to twelve. My brother came in with his own list. A few brought in one or two ideas. The others didn't feel they had anything that really captured we were trying to present, so it really came down to those that my brother and I brought. We discussed each one, and brought it down to three - two of mine, one of my brother's. We put it to a vote, and Traces won. The next year, Mrs. Murphy offered the option of changing the name each year, but it was voted down, much to my brother's disappointment. He suggested it again his senior year, and everyone still felt that Traces really said what they wanted. After a period of years, it was decided that the title was too well known to be changed without causing confusion.

Closing comments?
There are too many closet writers today. I am concerned that there appears to be such a lack of courage in many of today's students. It's almost as if people are afraid of being wrong. That's where true invention is born, though. I haven't been published nearly as often as I've submitted my work, but I'm still willing to try. Sharing what one writes is really important. There are times when certain kinds of writing should remain private, but I believe that everyone should try to branch out and share something significant that he or she has written. It's wasteful to hide your talents from other people.

I also find that collaborating with other writers really helps me to stay passionate about the craft. I've written with two or three other writers from time to time. In fact, I'm currently working on a project with another writer that we hope to publish at some point in the near future. We're only beginning our collaborative relationship, so we're in the early stages of discovering the strengths and weaknesses each of us offers. Fortunately, we've known each other long enough not to allow our egos to interfere with the work.