Making their howl heard: Resurrected campus publication continues to provide outlet for literary creativity

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By Hope Smith

This year, two brothers brought UK’s only free literary and storytelling publication back from the dead.
Last year, Eric Schlich, founder of The Cat’s Figment, printed what he thought was the final issue of the campus literary magazine in the spring. But before  it was laid to rest, Christopher and John McCurry, writers and fans of the publication, approached Schlich. The two UK English majors wanted to revive the magazine.
The Cat’s Figment sits alongside the Kentucky Kernel in most buildings on campus. Behind the ferociously screaming wildcat logo, a collection of art and literary writing compiled from student submissions waits to awaken students’ imaginations.
“We aren’t of the opinion that a submission has to blow our minds, we just want it to be good,” said Christopher McCurry, co-editor-in-chief.
Aspiring authors can submit short stories, photos, drawings, poetry and responses to the suggested writing prompts for publication. The staff votes on the entries to be published in the magazine.
No topic is off limits to those looking to share their works with fellow students. The April 2009 issue of The Cat’s Figment included a poem about how best to serve revenge alongside a poem exploring mountain accents.
The magazine is available in print and online, but the staff is looking for ways to engage more readers.
“We need something like this to be available because there is often a lack of creativity on campus,” Christopher McCurry said.
The magazine can also be found posting updates on Twitter and Facebook, and in the future the McCurry brothers hope to extend the publication to include more community works.
As if potentially being read by hundreds of people campus-wide was not enough, a staff position at the The Cats Figment can earn students class credit. Through EXP 396, students can gain one to three credit hours for their staff experience.
The staff holds meetings in the Writing Center twice a month to discuss upcoming issues; however The Cat’s Figment is still looking for a more permanent residence.
“We are very fortunate to be able to work in the Writing Center, but we need a place we can call home,” Christopher McCurry said. “Right now our file cabinet is at my house and our mailing address is my brother’s house.”
The Cat’s Figment operates solely on private donations, which often come from the pockets of those most passionate about the publication.
“We need to raise more money so we can do more events and provide more for our fans,” John McCurry said. “It really is up to the artists and the fans to keep this going; that’s how we can survive, through the artwork.”
Anyone interested can attend the meeting on Saturday, Dec. 5, at noon in the Writing Center or e-mail the editors at catsfigment@gmail.com.
The next issue of The Cat’s Figment will be available a little early this time around, right before Halloween. Just look for the howling cat on your way to class.