Student Will Produce Book of 'Rants'

Others have tried it, but Quincy House resident Bradford Z. Mahon '02 thinks he can make a commercial success out of an anthology of Harvard students' writing.

Mahon has postered extensively on-campus over the past several weeks, seeking contributors to his planned anthology Rantings from Harvard--even though the book doesn't yet have a publisher.

With the goal of a 2001 publishing date, Mahon said he expects his book to have about 300 pages and deal with a vast range of topics--including politics race, religion and death.

The viewpoints expressed in the book "should be an energetic perspective that you just don't normally see," Mahon said. "[It's] an opportunity to say something in an off-campus publication."

In his posters, Mahon writes that he will almost certainly include pieces under 2,000 words that are submitted early. He said that while he expects to receive many poetry submissions, other forms of literary expression--such as plays and essays--are welcome.

"I don't want to restrict people to a certain number of genres," he said.

As an off-campus publication, Mahon said he envisions Rantings to be carried "all over the country" in various national bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble.

Producing an anthology of student writing is often more difficult than it seems, said Caroline N. Whitbeck '01, president of the Harvard Advocate, an on-campus publication of student art, fiction, poetry, reviews, interviews and personal essays.

But "I think the idea of an anthology is always of interest," Whitbeck said.

The Advocate considered publishing an anthology in conjunction with the Boston-based Intercollegiate Literary Society last year, but that the project did not work out, Whitbeck said.

"[Rantings is] going to be a different beast. I'm worried about this one's scope," she said.

Mahon said he has received only a handful of submissions so far, but is looking for a lot more people to write.

Submissions, which are limited to 5,000 words, are due on January 15.

And while he continues to search for a publisher, Mahon said he is "pretty optimistic" that he will find one once he has a manuscript in hand. He said he has received positive feedback from a few publishing houses.

For her part, Whitbeck said the anthology could have one valuable side effect for the Advocate.

"The more Harvard students you can get to feel less threatened by a submission process, the better for all of us," she said.