Folyosó began in 2020, in response to the Covid pandemic. Since we were holding classes online at the time, I thought that an online journal of students’ writings would provide a counterhumor to our online lives. But now the pandemic restrictions have long been lifted, we have been back in the classrooms for well over a year, and yet the journal continues.
I see several reasons to keep it going. First, it means a lot to some students. not only at Varga, but elsewhere in the world. Second, it offers students a chance to write for an actual readership, not just to complete an assignment—and, along with that, to try their hand at a range of forms and themes. Third, there’s always a need for a counterhumor of some kind.
By “counterhumor” I mean something like a countercurrent. No matter what the state of affairs, the world requires some kind of resistance—whether in the form of social criticism, lyric, painting, or whimsical tales. Writing and reading offer us a diversion from the usual and assumed. This diversion is much more than entertainment; it affects how we see ourselves and others.
This autumn, the international contest offers two kinds of diversion and counterhumor. For the first prompt, students drew connections between various arts; for the second, they wrote pieces of social criticism. Many thanks to my fellow jury members, Judit Kassainé Mrena and Anikó Bánhegyesi, who helped judge the second category (I judged the first category on my own). It was difficult to select the winners, but as in the past, we enjoyed the task.
As of this fall, we are publishing two issues annually instead of three. The next issue will come out in mid-May. Until then, we wish you good reading. Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at diana.senechal at vargaszolnok dot hu.
Sincerely,
Diana Senechal
Founder and Editor of Folyosó