In January, the Arapahoe Community College Progenitor Art & Literary Journal was among the few national magazines awarded “First Place with Special Merit” in the American Scholastic Press Association’s 2018 Scholastic Yearbook and Magazine Awards.

The 2018 Progenitor’s staff and ENG 231 class were advised by ACC professor Andrea Mason. Co-Editors Cara Allen and Rachael Lozano and 11 other students and faculty met twice a week to put together another award-winning year for the magazine.

Cara Allen had a blast during her time at the magazine and says that the crew worked wonderfully together. “We all take pride in the product we put out and when you have an amazing team, incredible things come from them,” Allen says. “It was nice to have a group that had the same kind of vision for the magazine.”

The magazine features selected submissions from all over the country. Oklahoma resident and retired art professor, Darryl Halbrooks, was glad he was able to help the Progenitor achieve the recognition it deserves by taking home the “Best Story” award with “Eden.”

Halbrooks claims that the inspiration for this story came from real personal experiences and interest. “I have always been interested in the type of delusional, authoritative figure who, in his mistaken idea of right and wrong… good and evil… leads those who are close to him into doom.”

When constructing this piece, he took inspiration from the mind of the protagonist in Paul Theroux’s novel Mosquito Coast. He also took influence from Independent People, a novel by Icelandic author Haldor Laxness.

The events in “Eden” actually happened to Halbrooks at his cabin, where he writes his stories. “There really is a machine-gunner. There really was a chicken,” says Halbrooks about his story. “I really do count to one-hundred or say the name Walt Wheelock over and over again if I’m trying to pee in a public toilet at DIA.” Wonder what in the world he’s talking about? If you’d like to read this story and more, you can pick up a copy of the 2018 Progenitor from the Welcome Center in the main building on the Littleton campus.

Progenitor has evolved every year, and this year sees a big change: ACC professor Jamey Trotter has taken the wheel in advising the creation of the 2019 magazine. While this year’s staff has settled in, if you are interested in joining the creation of future Progenitors, simply sign up for ENG 231 each spring or email [email protected] for more info.

You can still submit for publication in this year’s issue. “We’re looking for your best poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction (flash encouraged), and art and photography. It’s free to submit; the deadline is Feb 20th. And/Or, you can enter the Writers Studio Literary Contest, which is $12 for a submission, $8 if you’re a student. First place earns $250 prize and a Pushcart Nomination,” explains Professor Trotter.