Editors from Mankato State’s Lit Review Visit with Literary Arts Students

September 25, 2023

Editors and an advisor from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s undergraduate lit review, River Whale Review, visited with Perpich Literary Arts students.

On the afternoon of September 22, two editors and an advisor from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s undergraduate lit review, River Whale Review, visited with Perpich Literary Arts students to talk about the magazine and what life is like at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“I’m so glad we were able to visit with them,” said Kevin Lally, Literary Arts Instructor. “Not only did the students get to learn about Mankato State’s student run literary magazine, they got to chat with the students themselves. I think it really helped them visualize themselves as college students studying their art.”

In attendance were Geoff Herbach, Professor in the Creative Writing Program; Grace Anderson, Creative Writing student and River Whale Review Editor; and Alexandra Tostrud, Creative Writing student and River Whale Review Editor.

“It was so good listening to the discussion between my Mankato writing students and the Perpich writers,” said Professor Herbach. “It made me wish there were more exchanges between college and high school art kids. They got each other right away, shared concerns, wisdom. Really good for both groups!”

Geoff Herbach is a professor in the Creative Writing Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato, focusing on fiction and screenwriting. He advises the River Whale Review.

Grace Anderson is a senior in her final semester of college, majoring in communication studies and minoring in creative writing. She is a lead editor for the River Whale Review, overseeing the fiction submissions, audio submissions, art submissions, and more. She writes fiction and screenplay.

Alexandra Tostrud is a senior creative writing student. She is a River Whale Review editor, working in fiction and creative nonfiction. She also writes short fiction and creative nonfiction. She grew up in Hudson, Wisconsin.

River Whale Review is an online literary journal that publishes the best fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other ambitious arts created by undergraduates at Minnesota State University, Mankato. River Whale seeks to highlight and celebrate creativity in unexpected spaces–like whale watchers on the Minnesota River, they love to be astounded.