Zaida Martin, Writing & Literary Studies ’25
Welcome to the 2023 issue of The Gleaner Blog!
In continuation with our Staff Spotlight, we will get to know another vital member of the publication. Leslee Blahut, Managing Editor, has worked with the Gleaner since 2007. Along with her duties for our literary journal, she is the administrative assistant for both the English Department and the Office of Accessibility Services at Delaware Valley University.
As part of her duties for The Gleaner, Leslee has the amazing opportunity to view submissions as they are received. Leslee removes the writer’s name and replaces it with a number. Then the anonymous, numbered entries are judged by the Gleaner staff to determine what will be published in the year’s issue. In addition, Leslee also manages the journal’s budget and the Gleaner Release Party, in which the journal is unveiled to the public.
Leslee has a unique perspective on the inner workings of both the student and editorial teams. Having enrolled in a few Media and Communication courses, Leslee was able to submit works to the journal as an active student. She gave some insight into the fun of student submission; “I enjoyed submitting my works and the waiting process. Since everything is anonymous and chosen based on content alone, you never know what will and won’t be published.” Now, she gets to be a part of the editing process!
One of her favorite parts of having a literary journal at DelVal is the wide variety of student submissions. Any student in any major is welcome to the process, with all forms of artistic expression. Whether it be photography, short stories, or poetry – everyone is encouraged to submit, making the Gleaner a wonderful showcase of our student body’s skills.
When asked what she would like to see done with the Gleaner, Leslee explained; “I would love to see more awareness built around the journal. Everyone should be comfortable sending in anything they want, and know it is an anonymous process.” It is a low-stakes, no-risk submission with the wonderful reward of published works!