The Crosshatch Collective, Vol. I. is a compilation of 19 non-fiction stories written by the undergraduate students of Dr. Todd Taylor's ENGL 300 class on the third floor of Greenlaw Hall. These stories are just as different from each other as they are the same– providing insight into the perspective and experiences of undergraduate students on the cusp of entering the professional world through memoirs and interviews. While the stories range in topic and mood, they are united by the passion that permeates each work and the conviction that these are stories that need to be shared.
Letter from the Editors:
In visual art, to crosshatch is to utilize both light and shadow to create volume and definition. To create meaning. The same is true for the authors within Crosshatch Collective, as each individual voice paints a brushstroke that contributes to the final publication. Without each individual story, we would be missing an absolutely necessary perspective on the life that we all live. Our goal with this publication is to uplift each of those perspectives and voices, giving them space to breathe and to be heard. These perspectives range from memoir to journalistic, but don’t let categorizations fool you. Within each memoir is a reflection on the internal and external. Within each interview is a conversation with the world. As you read, allow each word to form an image in your mind. Allow those images to connect with one another to illuminate meaning within the works. Allow these authors to sketch for you a picture. One that is light and dark and every value in between. Allow Crosshatch to help us all create meaning. We hope that this publication does all of these things and more and could not be more proud of the work produced by this team. Enjoy Crosshatch Collective, Vol. I.
– Editors-in-Chief, Marie Young and Georgia Chapman