The Michigan Ave. Creative Arts Journal, Henry Ford Community College's annual literary and artistic journal, is coming back for its second outing and shaping up to be even better than the first. The debut issue recently placed second in the Community College Humanities Association's annual literary magazine competition. Pretty impressive for a baby, right? Submissions for the second issue have been open since the beginning of the year, and will soon be coming to a close. With the deadline nearing (November 5! Authors and artists, mark your calendars), we took a look at the publication from its inception to the present, and what is still to come.

Its precursor was a magazine called Good Wheels, supervised by Dr. James Wanless. Good Wheels came out every five years and exhibited the best work of the creative writing students who passed through the school in the time between each issue. Following its success, another journal was proposed; a journal to be released annually that would accept submissions of two-dimensional artwork and non-fiction essays, in addition to creative writing entries. Ms. Ruth Ann Schmitt, of the English department, became supervisor of Michigan Ave. and has been involved with nearly every aspect of its creation.

When asked about her work with the creative arts journal, Ms. Schmitt was clearly—honestly—enthusiastic. She has a passion, and the precision, necessary to successfully manage such a large undertaking.

“I feel thrilled,” she said in regard to what she and the others who contribute to Michigan Ave. are doing, but concedes emphatically that “it is very detailed work.” In addition to reading all of the submissions as they come in, she will begin, at some point, to compile a handmade mock-up of the journal’s layout as the deadline nears. From viewing the various mock-ups compiled for last year's issue, it is easy to recognize the painstaking care. Ms. Schmitt places the pieces—works earmarked as likely to appear in the journal—in preliminary positions inside of a binder. The pieces are then edited and rearranged several times during the read-through and selection process, before the final version is ultimately sent to the graphics director.

More than anything else, perhaps, aside from how much she loves doing it, speaking with Ms. Schmitt about the creative arts journal makes one thing clear: how much she appreciates the people who assist her, as the editor, in making the project a reality. The Michigan Ave. Creative Arts Journal is a labor of love adopted by many people, and she is very respectful and appreciative of the effort given by her assisting faculty (this is a trend we're noticing with editors, isn't it?) Richard Bailey, Peter Putnam, and Pedro San Antonio have returned from last year's editorial board to volunteer their time to read the assorted submissions.

Also returning is Patti Sekulidis as Artistic Director, whose work comes with high praise. “She has a great eye,” Ms. Schmitt said, crediting Sekulidis with adding to the professionalism of the first issue's look. New to this year’s team are two student editors, Brianna Klutz and Jason Tipton. Ms. Schmitt takes special care to mention them, happy to have their help and happier still that students are even more involved with the journal.

Ms. Schmitt is always surprised and pleased with the level of dedication to Michigan Ave., not only from her fellow volunteers, but by the students that submit. “I can say that it increases my faith. You ask people o do something, and they submit, and it's better than what you would have ever expected.” In response to whether or not she feels she has seen a different side of students—especially after having read and viewed so many expressions of “self” from students that may not have been shown publicly before—she notes that the lives of students have many nuances and a sophistication that is more tangible in the works that they submit; works that reveal themselves through art and writing.

“It suggests that there is so much talent here, but no one's seen it. The most thrilling thing about this is…just look! Look at what's here,” she implored.

Look is exactly what you should do. You'll be surprised. Flipping through the journal is likely to give anyone affiliated with the school a rush of unexpected pride, because it really is a compilation of art. It will inspire you, hopefully in time for the November 5 deadline. If not inspiring, a peek at it will at least make you feel competitive, because who doesn't want to see their name in print? Editions of last year's issue are available in the school library, room 110, but get there fast because they're nearly gone.

As for the issue to come, Ms. Schmitt is confident that an earlier deadline (the first issue’s deadline was nearly a month later) and the experience of the prior year will prove significant. She hopes to have the second Michigan Ave. Creative Arts Journal published by April 2011 but, with the massive amount of work required to release the best product possible, the date is still tentative.