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On Tuesday evening, Colorado Mesa University’s own Literary Review released their spring semester issue of the publication with a launch party at the Kiln Coffee Bar on Main Street.

Contributors to the issue stepped up to read their pieces in front of the audience while attendees picked up their own copies of the Literary Review; which were stacked on a table next to cookies and tea for the audience.

Afterwards, Editor in Chief Chloe Bourdon and her fellow editors answered questions about the publication to all who had inquiries.

“[The Literary Review] is an expression of, not some lofty author, but your immediate peers,” Bourdon said. “People who are in class with you and are going through a similar experience as you — this is a permanent expression of that.”

“Literature and art is made so that you’re not alone,” Bourdon said.

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For the first time in history, the publication came in hard cover, in addition to the traditional paperback.

Bourdon said that the choice to print in two formats was made to further distinguish themselves from other publications on campus as part of their year-old rebranding mission, which was covered in The Criterion article, “Literary rebranding.”

“What we are is a book, and I think something that people usually associate with books is the hard cover,” Bourdon said. This issue also takes on the shape and size of a book more than past issues. The fonts and styles used inside are also more often more associated with books.

As another part of the Literary Review’s rebranding, Marketing Manager Pua Utu said that he and other Marketing Manager Janine Hale have stepped up the social media presence.

“We definitely try to run with it and create the idea that Chloe [Bourdon] and a lot of people who have been here longer than us are trying to create,” Utu said.

The Literary Review is on Instagram with the handle “mavslitreview.”

“It’s really just creating a more professional look and trying to become a [publication] on campus where we’d be extremely happy if a professional group would come in and look at everything we’re producing and everything like that, and be able to say ‘Wow, this is a really well put-together group,’” Utu said.

“We’re working toward a more and more professional brand,” Bourdon said. “United, we are the Literary Review. We are your editors, your designers — this is what we want to do for you.”

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