Revitalizing The Coetry Quarto

Poetry. Kohawk writers. Fun pamphlet structure. The Coetry Quarto has it all. 

There are many bygone relics from the Coe Writing Center's former years. One such artifact that slipped through the cracks a few years ago is the Coetry Quarto, a consultant-led celebration of student poetry at Coe. 

But consultants are not letting all of the past remain in the past. 

This school year, volunteers from the team of The Pearl—Coe's Writing Center-produced student literary magazine—took on the project. I had the opportunity to be at the forefront of our endeavor. 

What is this mysterious pamphlet, you ask? What secrets does it hold? Where can I get one? 

Never fear! In an attempt to immortalize our effort, I plan to deliver this record of our process out into the void. Let it be known that I, Beth VanDyk, (and my wonderful colleagues), did indeed invest time in this long-forgotten project! And should it disappear back into the ether in the years to come, I will know, and you will know, that it was here.

Bringing the Coetry Quarto to Life:

How to make a pamphlet out of nothing

It began as a memory. A spark crossed Jane's mind one day, and she caught hold of it. (Forgive me, Jane, for this artistic romanticization). The pamphlet was originally founded by the school's old literary society, Alpha Nu. Though Alpha Nu is long gone, the literary ambitions of current consultants are alive and well. 

Would some of us underlings from The Pearl team take it on, Jane asked? Yes, we would. 

Emails were sent. Submission guidelines drafted. Enter your poetry here! we hawked. Publication and fame for all!

Slowly but surely, the poems came rolling in. 

Of the student poetry submissions we received, every single one of them ended up getting published. We had just enough for two editions: seven poems in a fall 2023 pamphlet, and seven more to be released in January. My two colleagues, Kylie and Adele, created a masterful spreadsheet with authors, titles, dates and all the other relevant information. 

But the formatting, ah, the formatting! 

It is safe to say we did our best. After all, you try collaborating on a document in Microsoft Publisher between several different people when none of said people's shifts overlap! Older generations, props to you. In the end I did the bulk of the formatting. When spring semester rolled around, I knew what had to be done. The January 2024 Quarto was produced from a Google Doc template, designed by yours truly, with guidance from my lovely and Google Doc-savvy sister. So that was all right.  

  

What will I find in the Quarto? 

Originally, the old Quarto aimed to publish student poetry written at Coe, about Coe. The pamphlet was founded in 2001 and advertised itself as "poetry across the curriculum at Coe." 

 

But in order to refound the pamphlet, our aim for outreach this year necessitated widening the net! 

Welcome Coe undergrad authors one and all, with any poetry written during the time you have been at this school. The pieces in our two editions range in topic from what to expect as a new college student to speculation on the studious nature of bugs. 

While we love such diversity of creative exploration, one hopes that in the future we may be able to implement a more effective screening process that determines which submissions actually make it into the finished pamphlet. 

At least, I do. 

So if you happen to come across one of our lovely pamphlets, you will be able to enjoy both lengthy and brief, thematic and out-of-left-field poems that are sure to blow your socks off.  

And that brings us to the question...  

 

Where can I find the Quarto?

Ah, yes. you would want to know.

Do you know where the Writing Center is? No? Wend your way through the front doors of Stewart Memorial Library, wander to the back left corner, and grab a Jolly Rancher out of our visitor jar. Hello there!

But before you come in... 

Take a look at the table outside our door. There lies the Quarto for your perusal. And if we are out of copies on the table, keep an eye out for the pamphlet sprinkled throughout other academic buildings. I hear the English Suite in Hickok Hall particularly has a few copies. We like to get the word out to our fellow writers, after all.

While you are here, feel free to browse a copy of The Pearl as well. It is another excellent showcase of student work that I feel I must plug!

 

As For the Future...

Perhaps next year we will be able to put more consultants on the project. Perhaps we will create a lasting pamphlet with a legacy for years to come.

Or perhaps Coetry is simply a lost art form.

Either way, our shining proof of existence lies here with our cute little printed copies (aren't they cute?). And with readership or not, I am satisfied.