The castle’s built, the bowl is made, now it’s time for fish to play! Join The Fishbowl Review’s staff and contributors for our Journal Launch Party at 3:00 p.m. this Friday, May 9, at Hofheimer Library’s Foley Classroom. Eat, drink, and sit back as our authors read selections from their published works. We’ll see you there! 🌊

As the founding staff of The Fishbowl Review, we have decided to focus on publishing undergraduate students exclusively. However, this school is peopled (or “fished”) with numerous other strange and luminous beings whose experiences we can benefit from: professors! With that in mind, we’ve tasked our staff with interviewing them for their experiences in the world of publishing. Our first catch was the laughing lake trout, Dr. Terry Lindvall, by our very own renaissance woman, Lily Reslink.

LR: What is your experiencing in publishing?

TL: Publishing did not enter my mind until ten years into teaching. Busy with becoming proficient in my field(s) preoccupied my time. 

Then, after presenting papers at academic conferences, and looking at the texts I was using, I realized that I need to make all my pedagogy personal.  What had I learned that lingered in my soul? 

LR: What did you learn through publishing? Why is it important?

TL: First, let my teaching inform my publishing and let my publishing enhance my teaching. At present, my Pixar class serves as critical reviewers for a book that Steven Emmanuel and I are authoring for Bloomsbury Press on Kierkegaard and Pixar films. They shine as truly critical, candid, and helpful readers for a future text book, revealing what works and what misses.  Lectures and chapters in the book correspond to each other, cross-fertilizing and correcting the other.  

Second, as my mind buzzes like a honeybee from one flower to another (with ideas...), I find that writing several projects helps me gain perspective on each.  Serendipity often reigns, but use your imagination and your own thought processes more than looking up extensive endnotes. 

Third, like Charles Wesley writing his hymns, I seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit (and my wife, family, and friends like Craig Wansink--mostly my wife) on writing ideas for publication. 

Fourth, in teaching a course on laughter, I realized the importance of incongruity, of juxtaposing different thoughts and seeing what grows out of them.  Again, lectures lead to discerning what you can write about. But, most importantly, write what you enjoy!  You will be spending a lot of time with that book and it is better to have a delightful relationship and affection with your topic.

Fifth, I learned to take every unexpected obligation or inconvenience as an opportunity to develop new works. For example, when I first came to VWU, I was assigned to teach Church History. As I reviewed primary texts, I realized how frequently church fathers and mothers addressed the topics of laughter and humor and so I wrote God Mocks: A History of Religious Satire for New York University Press.  The book never would have appeared unless I had been fired from a previous job and came to Wesleyan. 

LR: What is your advice to people who might feel discouraged to pursue publication? What is your advice to the people who want to but don't know where to start?

TL: At conferences I established friendships with Publishers, who are actually seeking fresh and odd material, not just regurgitation of old books. Networking helps immensely. Make friends with these people and carry on correspondence even if they don't accept your first idea.  I did send large bouquets of flowers to my NYU publishers after they released my book and they brought me back for three more books. 

For those who want to publish, I would first recommend: READ different works and find your voice through various books. Second, WRITE every day at a specific time (I am up with the worms, before the robins.)

Dr. Lindvall was safely released to continue on his way. Be on the lookout for more spotlights of these terrific creatures.

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The Fishbowl Review’s website is no longer under construction! Our website is ready for you to explore at your convenience and we appreciate your patience as we’ve decorated this site for you. The turrets could use a few more stones, but that’s no excuse for delaying our grand opening. 

Don’t forget that April 10th, 2025 is the last day we are accepting submissions. We can’t wait to publish our newest issue for 2025, so stay on the lookout for that. Thank you for visiting!

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Looks like you’ve caught us by our tails! The Fishbowl’s website is currently under construction. We’re doing our very best to decorate the bowl nicely for everyone who visits. Hand building a castle takes a lot of work. We’re still happy to take your submissions up to April 10, 2025. Thank you for visiting!🌊

Welcome to The Fishbowl Review: Virginia Wesleyan University’s first official literary journal! We are so excited to share the passion and creativity of this community. We strive to create a place where students can grow safely, until they’re ready to leave for more turbulent waters. If you’re interested in sharing your fiction, non-fiction, poetry or art, we invite you to submit your work. The Fishbowl Review is a place where amid all the pressure to make waves, you can start with a splash! 🌊