LLP Creates More Opportunities for Student Publishing

Me with Dr. Emily Murray

A Conversation with Dr. Emily Murray
by Dakota DiBenedetto
LLP Social Intern

As an aspiring publisher, I decided to interview an LLP professor is advocating for more publishing opportunities in the classroom and department. . Becoming a publisher has been a dream of mine for a while. I am an avid reader of books, and I want to share the joy that I experience when reading.

Dr. Emily Murray, PhD is an Associate Professor of English and graduate of Cumberland University. While interviewing Dr. Emily Murray, I learned about what drives her passion, her plans for a student journal, and the pathways and skills needed to becoming a publisher. We also discussed how AI will may affect the publishing world.

Audio of the full interview is at the end; my favorite moments are sumarized below. 

What inspired you to pursue this career?

 There was a student literary journal made in the past called Sketches. The student journal was last published in Spring 2014. Dr. Murray decided to start it again, naming it Blue Ink; A English Literary Journal. The name came from her students in her Writing for Publications class, that she fundraised for. Dr. Murray said “I wanted to illuminate student voices and wanted to highlight how students feel, what they think about, what they are doing, and what matters to our students.” 

What are your hopes for the student literary journal?

Dr. Murray hopes that we can consistently publish a winter and summer edition of the journal highlighting student works of literature. The main struggle is maintaining that consistent engagement with the journal. The student literary journal will not only be open to English students but to every student on campus.

How do you see AI affecting publishing?

With AI being such a prominent use of technology today it is important to understand how this will affect the publishing world. Dr Murray said “I think AI has both a negative and positive impact. In my classes we engage with AI. It is a good place to get started to see what it shows us and how we could revise it to make it an authentic human voice.” 

What skills are essential to becoming a publisher?

 I was curious about the relationship between writing and research skills.. While both skills are essential, writing skills can always be developed, you can practice and get better. you will always have to edit and revise. Dr. Murray stated that “Nobody's first draft is perfect.”

 This was an eye-opening interview to hear from someone in the field I wish to work in. Make sure to be on the look-out to the student literary journal and its open submissions as the website will be coming soon.

 Check out the Full Interview Here:  My Conversationwith Dr. Murray