HWS News
10 September 2025 • Faculty Revitalizing Seneca Review
Two HWS students preserve the past and promote the future of Seneca Review, HWS’ internationally recognized literary journal.
For Hazel Brown ’28, an English and creative writing major, and Laura Thérien ’26, an English and writing and rhetoric double major, this summer provided a unique opportunity to intern for HWS’ literary journal, Seneca Review, as part of the Student Scholarly Experience Undergraduate Research Program.
Under the guidance of Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric and English and Creative Writing Geoffrey Babbitt, the students executed projects to improve the journal’s digital strategy while organizing a literary reading.
Babbitt, who serves as editor of Seneca Review, says Brown and Thérien worked with focus and accuracy and were able to complete an astounding amount of work. “They were able to accomplish more than I ever expected."
The students’ primary goal was to modernize Seneca Review, which was founded in 1970 and specializes in poetry and translations for an international audience. This played itself out in three distinct projects: updating and shaping journal policies, building a website and database for the journal and digitizing 40 years of the journal's back catalog.
The students first created a demographic survey. “We visited other literary journal websites for inspiration and then created a demographic survey with categories we hope will give Seneca Review a more accurate sense of who is currently being featured in the journal to better its representation,” says Brown.
With direction from Brandon Moblo, the library’s archivist, they also digitized 40 years of the journal's back catalog - approximately 80 issues.
“It was probably our longest running project through the summer. Each issue needed to be cut apart, have its glue peeled off, be scanned and then digitally cropped before being made into a final PDF,” Brown explains. “I will admit that scanning a literary journal is a highly capable distraction, as there is a poem on every page you will want to read. And the old covers are also beautiful.”
Thérien emphasized the project's significance: “Digitizing the archives was a huge step forward for the journal and expands its reach. It allows Seneca Review to give readers a new way to access the work of award-winning poets, like Seamus Heaney, Rita Dove, Jorie Graham, or Yusef Komunyakaa, as well as established local and regional authors.”
Brown and Thérien also designed and built a new website, which Babbitt hopes will launch before the Fall 2025 issue.
In addition, the students organized a successful fundraising reading at Two Goats Brewing, a small, locally owned brewery overlooking Seneca Lake. The event featured 16 readers, some driving hours to attend after being invited by Babbitt.
Seneca Review Reading
With the help of graphic designer Abbey Frederick ’20, the students designed T-shirts and stickers for the journal. Thanks to merchandise sales and generous prize giveaways from local businesses like Water Street Cafe, Empire Coffee & Donuts, Monaco’s Coffee, and Captain’s Cafe, the event generated proceeds nearly equal to a full day's sales at the national annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference.
"In a lot of ways, I was coming up with ideas and delegating, but they were turning everything that I wanted to happen into a reality, and they did it to absolute perfection," Babbitt says.
This academic year, Brown and Thérien will continue their work with Seneca Review as social media editors. On campus, Brown also works with the HWS Tutor Corps to boost childhood literacy in Geneva and is a veteran of several young writers' programs. Thérien is a member of the HWS sailing team. She also represented Team USA at the 2023 World Ringette Championship.
Top: Interns Hazel Brown ’28 and Laura Thérien’26, confer with Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric and English and Creative Writing Geoffrey Babbitt.
