The Kudzu Review Editor-in-Chief Havilah Sciabbarrasi brings enthusiasm and a vision for the journal's future to her position

By Sara Vigne

Havilah Sciabbarrasi’s passion for book publishing and desire to work in a collaborative environment led her to apply for an editorial assistant position with The Kudzu Review. Her hard work and dedication to the publication’s mission then earned her the position as editor-in-chief just one year after joining Florida State University’s only undergraduate literary magazine.

Her rise to the top role was an unexpected but rewarding journey.

“I was on the nonfiction team in the fall of 2022 and the fiction team for the spring of 2023 when the editor-in-chief position opened,” says Sciabbarrasi, who is a senior majoring in English-Editing, Writing, and Media major. “I’d only been there a year, but we were all encouraged to apply, so I thought, ‘I might as well.’ I didn’t think I would get it, but I did.”

The magazine publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art from undergraduate students all over the world.

“It’s a really cool opportunity for students to potentially get themselves published for the first time,” Sciabbarrasi says. “A lot of literary magazines are only open to graduate students. The Kudzu Review is a chance for students to get their work published while also receiving personalized feedback.”

English-Creative Writing doctoral candidate Olivia Sokolowski is the magazine's faculty advisor. Together, she and Sciabbarrasi manage the requirements for ENG 3943, which is a course intended to provide students with practical experience in the field of literary editing. Students work under Sciabbarrasi’s direction throughout the process of soliciting, judging, and editing manuscripts as well as designing and distributing the magazine.

“I’ve enjoyed working one-on-one with Havilah and hearing about her ideas for Kudzu’s future,” says Sokolowski, who also is a graduate teaching assistant for the English department. “Havilah also enthusiastically supported the creation of a new events coordinator masthead role for Kudzu, which commenced this month with senior English-Creative Writing major Delaney Brown at the helm.”

Sciabbarrasi’s own opportunities with Kudzu arose when she transferred to FSU from Florida College in Temple Terrace, a small city near Tampa, Florida, where she was a writing lab instructor and library assistant for the college.

“I knew I wanted to work on Kudzu when I transferred to FSU—I was ready to soak up anything that the English department put out there,” she says. “I was doing my research the summer before I transferred, and I had also been communicating with an academic advisor because FSU has always been the dream."

Sciabbarrasi’s resume is filled with writing, editing, and tutoring experience from various publications and organizations. She says a remarkable aspect of working with The Kudzu Review is its inclusivity.

“You don’t have to be an English major to be involved. This is a great opportunity for anybody who’s interested in the creative fields,” Sciabbarrasi says.

Kudzu’s global outreach is another standout feature, she adds.

“Obviously, we can’t reach everybody in every country, but we keep it quite open because there’s a real shortage of undergraduate literary magazines,” she says, highlighting its openness to diverse voices and styles. “We don’t ever really put a theme out there because we don’t want people to try to bend a story that they might already have toward something that they feel like they should be writing about.

“I think there will always be wonderful stories, and I think a theme can sometimes organically arise from the things that we’ll select. But I would much rather have a really great story that doesn’t fit into a box than get things that check off criteria for an overall theme.”

During the summer of 2023, Sciabbarrasi took FSU courses in Valencia, Spain, through International Programs’ Editing, Writing, and Media Program. In addition to writing an article for the program’s magazine, Nomadic Noles, she worked with the program instructors as an editing intern, helping other students navigate the writing process.

“Studying abroad was the experience of a lifetime,” Sciabbarrasi says. “I jumped at the chance to live somewhere else for a while and travel the world. It helped that Spain offered me the chance to work for a real FSU publication.”

She adds that serving as a student-editor for Nomadic Noles helped her realize the importance of forming a good bond with writers.

“The more I understood their intentions, the better I was at helping to shape and share their stories,” Sciabbarrasi says. “It was an honor to be trusted with my fellow students’ work.”

Jack Clifford, a co-instructor with Susan Hellstrom for the EWM-Valencia Program, says Sciabbarrasi’s contributions and interactions with students were exemplary.

“Working with Havilah was so easy and really a joy,” says Clifford, who also is the English department’s media specialist. “She came to every class prepared, and she encouraged lively class discussions. I also know from watching the way she communicated with the students that they appreciated the insights she offered on their writing assignments.

“Seeing her as the Editor-in-Chief for The Kudzu Review is not a surprise—Havilah is an excellent writer, editor, and a natural leader.”

Part of the reason for Sciabbarrasi’s success as editor-in-chief is her focus on the magazine’s future.

“I had a pretty clear vision, and I think that’s partially why I was chosen to be the next editor-in-chief,” she says. "I want people to know about Kudzu by virtue of it being a great literary magazine with a reputation extending beyond campus.”

Sciabbarrasi’s dedication to outreach is evident in her efforts to connect with FSU undergraduates and to bring attention to the magazine.

“We started doing a lot more to connect with everybody on campus,” she says. “Literary magazines rely a lot on volunteers willing to go out there and spread the word. Now people actually know we exist; before, we were just a whisper or shadow in the corner of a classroom.”

Sciabbarrasi also provides insight into the responsibilities of being editor-in-chief.

“My day-to-day is governed by making sure that everybody is on task in each section, sending updates as-needed for event coordination,” she explains. “Basically, my job is to oversee everything and make sure that the ship doesn’t go down, that we stay afloat. A big part of being in charge is knowing when other people are better at doing something than you are.”

In masthead and general meetings, Havilah’s passion for the magazine is visible; her enthusiasm is contagious, and she creates a welcoming but rigorous environment for members.

— Olivia Sokolowski

Demonstrating this essential leadership skill, Sciabbarrasi’s commitment to empowering the Kudzu team helps nurture an environment where everyone’s contributions are valued.

“In masthead and general meetings, Havilah’s passion for the magazine is visible; her enthusiasm is contagious, and she creates a welcoming but rigorous environment for members,” Sokolowski says. “In the fall of 2023, under Havilah’s leadership, the magazine was able to raise enough money to produce a physical issue this spring. The editorial staff, bolstered by this development, are now working hard to meet this goal by the end of the semester.”

For students who want to join The Kudzu Review, Sciabbarrasi emphasizes the importance of stepping outside of their comfort zones.

“The main advice that I would give to anyone interested is to not be afraid to show your passion,” she says. “The opportunity is about more than just wanting to write; you have to put yourself out there and do that work and not be afraid to let people see who you really are.”

Sciabbarrasi’s path as a student writer and editor has been guided by her belief in the power of storytelling. In her role as editor-in-chief with The Kudzu Review, her commitment to fostering a strong literary community at FSU and to expanding the magazine’s reach beyond campus has strengthened the magazine for the future.

The magazine is currently accepting submissions until March 8 in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art for Issue No. 72. Find more information here.

Sara Vigne is an English major on the editing, writing, and media track, with a second major in professional sales.

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