“Armoire, a Pictured Winter,” by Ethan Schwandt, Class of 2026

St. Bonaventure University

The Laurel


The Nation's Oldest Continuously-Published College Literary Magazine

The Laurel is St. Bonaventure’s campus literary magazine and the oldest continuously-published college literary magazine in the United States.  The magazine is published in the spring.

All are welcome as contributors: current and former students; current and former faculty, staff, and administrators; and members of the surrounding cities and towns.  Contributions of poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, photographs, and non-photographic visual art are welcome.

All editorial decisions, including the selections of work to publish, are made democratically by staff members—all of whom are current students.  The current editor-in-chief is Rachel Panek '26.

The faculty adviser of the Laurel is Dr. Joseph Hall. The faculty adviser does not participate in the editorial operations of the magazine.


The Spring 2024 issue is out!
Cover image shows a wooden bridge near a corn field.
Paper copies will be available on campus during the fall. The digital copy is one click away. Enjoy!

Enjoy the Laurel


Once an issue is published, free paper copies are distributed on our campus. Paper copies of many back issues from the last thirty or so years are available in the periodicals area of the main level of Friedsam Library.

Since fall 2009, issues have also been published online on our Recent Issues page. (The Spring 2020 issue is only available online. Paper copies could not be printed due to the mid-semester switch to online instruction.)


Distinctions


SPJ Mark of Excellence AwardsThe Laurel has been published continuously since its first issue in 1899.

Distinctions have included a third-place finish behind Princeton and Harvard in the Society of Professional Journalists' 2002 Mark of Excellence competition for the northeastern U.S. in the category of campus literary magazines appearing more than once a year.  In the 2003 Mark of Excellence competition, the Laurel won first place outright.


Contribute your talents to the Laurel


To contribute your creativity to the next issue or to join the staff of the Laurel, send an email to laurel@sbu.edu.

The Laurel is a student-run publication funded through the Student Government Association at St. Bonaventure University. The paper magazine is printed by Falconer Printing, Inc.

All work accepted by the Laurel may appear in the printed version or on the internet in the archives of the Laurel or in the University library. All copyrights are held by the creator of any given work. Each author has given the Laurel the non-exclusive right to reproduce their work for the benefit of the Laurel and St. Bonaventure University and its community.