Nadia Oian Vust (Literary Arts 2025) Published in “The Beatnik Cowboy”

November 1, 2024

Congratulations to Nadia Oian Vust (Literary Arts 2025) who was recently published in the literary magazine “The Beatnik Cowboy”. Nadia had been looking at literary magazines for a long time, searching for places she could submit her work, but only recently began submitting. “A lot of writers have this roadblock of actually going through with it,” said Nadia. “And I think it is definitely from fear of rejection, because art is so personal, especially writing. So, that’s been a big thing for me to work over to is, actually pressing that button and, compiling my work [for submission].”

Nadia Oian Vust (Literary Arts 2025)

Nadia discovered “The Beatnik Cowboy” by reviewing the website of another poet. One of them had been published in “The Beatnik Cowboy” and that inspired Nadia to submit there, too. “The way I find poets is through literary magazines. Most of the things that I read are short stories and poems from lit mags, and I found her through a villanelle that she wrote and it was so stunning. It was the best villanelle I’ve ever read, which is this form of poem where it’s very structured. So I went to her website and she [listed] other places [she’d] been published. I’ve done the same thing with other poems that I’ve liked because usually when I like something, I feel like I might have a chance of following in their footsteps.” With Nadia’s connection to Perpich’s “Cowboy Thursday” tradition, the title of “The Beatnik Cowboy” drew her eye.

“The Beatnik Cowboy” is primarily online, but they also release a print edition featuring the best poems from the best poets during the previous submission period. They seek the best poetry from all poets from all around the world. “We do not want poetry that slaps us with an open hand across the face, but instead art that gives us a swift kick in the yarbles,” states their website. Despite the title, they are not seeking work that is strictly “beat” poetry or about wild west gun-slinging cowboys. Submissions can be in the style of beat poetry and beatniks and the subject can be anything cowboy related, but it will not give the poet an upper hand in The Editors’ decision to publish. “We publish any style of poem concerning any subject, as long as it’s great.”

Nadia submitted three poems in total to “The Beatnik Cowboy” and they accepted her piece, “In for the night”. “After I wrote it, it never crossed my mind again until I was going through my Google Drive,” said Oian Vust. “I wrote it last April. My mom took [my sister] and me to Florida, and I wrote it about talking too much.” With a few updates, Nadia thought, why not? “I need a third poem to send in. And that’s the one that got taken.”

Dr. Kevin Lally, Literary Arts Instructor, was thrilled for Nadia to be published. “I am so impressed and not at all surprised – her writing is stunning,” said Lally. “I won’t be at all surprised when this turns out to be the first of many!”

Nadia credits her time at Perpich with giving her the confidence to submit her work. “Before I came to Perpich, I could not even dream of sharing any of my writing with someone besides my mom, and even that was kind of a leap for me,” she said. “I think it was the first weekend I was here, I shared some of my poetry with a fellow classmate, Danny Schiffer, and that was such a monumental thing for me. I was like, ‘the world isn’t gonna end,’ and I feel good about it because it’s a supportive environment. That is irreplaceable in my growth as an artist and I’m not sure I can compare it to anything. I think it’s incomparable and so necessary.”

Next year, Nadia hopes to attend Smith College, a small, historically women’s college on the East Coast. “That’s another thing that Perpich helped me realize, is what I want for my future. I love the small environment, I love the tight-knit community, I love the liberal arts feel. And I mentioned this to my teachers and to college admissions counselors about the community that’s here and how friendly and open and welcoming it is. And I can’t lose that.” Nadia had been planning on applying to large, state schools before she experienced the Perpich community. “There’s so much value in this specific kind of community, especially for me as a lesbian and as a woman, so I’m hoping to find more of that at a historically women’s college. I also really admire the trailblazing attitudes and past that they hold. And I think Perpich also shares a similarity with that.”

But before Nadia launches from Perpich next spring, there will be a lot to look forward to her senior year, including the first Lit Reading on November 13th. “The reading is gonna be spectacular. We’re workshopping right now in Lit, and I’m always amazed and stunned and so excited to be around every single writer who comes in that door. So I’m really excited to see them perform. I’m excited to see them give their pieces what their pieces deserve.”

Nadia Oian Vust is from Eagle Lake, MN and is the child of Brenda & Gary Oian Vust. She previously attended Mankato East High School in Mankato, MN. Before that, she spent her freshman year online at Minnesota Virtual Academy.