A shiny edition of The Colton Review is lying on an end table in Johnson Hall Rotunda. A quick flip through its pages reveals glossy art prints, artistically formatted poems, and irresistible short stories that leave you wanting more.
But this synthesis of poetry, prose, and artwork doesn’t magically materialize every year on couches and end tables across campus. Behind the scenes, a team of passionate writers, editors, and designers work yearlong to create a journal where the creativity of the Meredith community simply bursts off every page.
“Getting to hold and celebrate the book that the editorial staff and the design team put so much effort and care into creating is so satisfying,” said Ashley Hogan, Faculty Literary Advisor for The Colton Review. “It means the world to me to have a record, year to year, of the creative work our community produces. To me, each year’s edition captures something about the emotional heart of the year at Meredith, the way a yearbook does.”
The pages of The Colton Review certainly speak to the heart. They are a place where writers and artists alike can bare their souls about everything from heartbreak to horror, midnight musings to lost siblings, and natural wonders to lifelong lovers.
“There is nothing more rewarding than reading an amazing submission and then seeing the joy on an author’s face as they read it themselves in the final publication,” said Lauren Shaw, co-managing editor of The Colton Review. “The first time I saw my writing in print, it made me so excited, like I finally created something tangible that a group of talented women felt worthy of publication.”
Anticipation is already building for the release of Volume 22 of The Colton Review on April 14 for Celebrating Student Achievement Day 2026. Every time an edition of this award-winning journal is finally revealed, it is truly a moment to remember.
“Seeing my hard work and the work of my fellow designers displayed and printed for [Meredith] College feels like winning first place in a tournament,” said Ashleigh Hare, co-art director of The Colton Review. “It’s difficult to fully explain the excitement of seeing your own designs come to life and be used for such a large, professional project like this.”
So the next time you see a copy of The Colton Review lying on an end table somewhere on campus, take a moment to crack open its pages and savor the true labor of love that you hold in your hands.
Explore the latest issue of The Colton Review at coltonreview.com. Send creative writing submissions for 2026-27 to coltonreview@email.meredith.edu.
Photo information: After a year’s worth of hard work, Cady Stanley, McKenzie Bowling, Ashleigh Hare, and Lauren Shaw hold the newly revealed cover for Volume 21 of The Colton Review at Celebrating Student Achievement Day 2025. Look for the reveal of the 2026 edition in April.
Melyssa Allen – News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087 | Fax: (919) 760-8330 | allenme@meredith.edu