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ArtIFact: Interviews of Editors of Artifact, publication by the Writers’ Guild Club of San Joaquin Delta College

Please answer the following, adding any details that are relevant! How would you summarize your experiences with the Artifact, what programs did you use, what tasks did you do, and what was it like?
What time period did you work on Artifact or which issues? Did you learn something from the experience?

Reina America Hutchison: My experiences with Artifact... they were great ones. I was the original editor for its first year. The first issue was put out by Paula's first freelance writing class in the fall semester of '06. I was thrilled to be involved in the literary and artistic process. I was so encouraged and just smitten with the notion of getting it out there for people to see and enjoy. It was rather exciting to see it come to life and continue to thrive long after my time at Delta. From fall of '06 to December of '07 I put the issues together: layout, content, etc. It was challenging. All the submissions came to me and I sorted through all the talented pieces and brought them together. I enjoyed the black and white format a great deal. I only used (Microsoft) Word to put it together (laughing). Which was challenging in and of itself. There were months when I got behind and others where life made it difficult to balance, but it was a moment I would never take back. It still gives me great joy to see it among the community and different hot spots on campus. I can look at an issue today and say 'I remember when' (laughing). It was (and always will be) a big part of my life. I hope it is something that remains and others take pride in.
PS... I must add I could NOT have done it without Paula. Ever. At all. She was my anchor through the whole process. She is a fantastic mentor and leader and such an advocate for all things literary.

Donald R. Anderson: I was introduced to the Artifact team kind of like a third arm, I believe in September of 2008 just before we switched to color, working with the (at the time) Graphics Editor Khuyen Lam, Copy Editor Cheavaraman Yuon, and Content Editor Jean Khut. Charley shortly after was no longer involved, and it was the three people under Paula Sheil's content-correcting guidance, through 2008, maybe even after. In 2009 we transitioned into my no longer being an editor, and that was about when Erica Naves and Johnathan Herold became editors of Artifact. I do not the editing process before my introduction to the team, or the previous editor or editors, but the times I was with the team went about like this: the first process was one of cleanup, and then of making print-ready, for me. I was an assistant copy editor, Paula being the eye that told me most of the corrections, with some more corrections from Jean, which I tried best to implement. Consistency was the thing that most needed correcting, as the experimental, though provocative, graphic layout experiments of Khuyen and wide range of fonts proved, while edgy as desired, just a bit much for making it look like a college magazine. I learned from my own mistakes and others how to get things print-ready without (any major) errors. Like any publication, if one were to look specifically for typos or minor flaws one is bound to find at least a few, proportionate to the amount of material presented, that get overlooked by the human eye. I in the end left the editing team because of the procrastination (to which I too succumbed) of the team with deadlines, and the stress to get it ready when needed, a process which was all-consuming. If I had to do it again I'd organize the team as a committee and have us set deadlines for the early stages and KEEP the deadlines, involving discussion and the much-needed communications open so that we could work out reactions to any difficulties any or all of us were having.

Info from other past editors and faculty advisor (Coming Soon, Awaiting Replies)

ArtIFact: History of the Writers' Guild Club of San Joaquin Delta College, an interview with Paula Sheil.

Donald: What are your earliest recollections on who you knew that wanted to start the Writers' Guild up as an official club this time, when did it happen, and who were those founders? I know of a previous existing Writers' Guild that had existed years back at Delta but that had lapsed, but had not been there to witness its rebirth.

Paula:

Donald: What fundraisers have there been over the years? What field trips?

Paula:

Donald: What funny stories do you have about the Artifact, or what are people usually not aware of in its history or production?

Paula: