The staff of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s online literary journal Upcountry has finished its last round of editing and the latest issue is now available for viewing in an interactive new format.

Dedicated to showcasing poems, short stories, personal essays and visual art from the campus community, Upcountry is a publication of the University’s English Program. It is published twice yearly.

The journal’s advisor, Dr. Melissa Crowe, said that this year, the staff decided to make the leap to a more interactive format to give viewers a more hands-on reading experience. The journal appears in a browsable magazine format through a digital publishing platform called Issuu. The platform allows pages of uploaded print material to be viewed much like a traditional printed publication, with animated, flipping pages and left-to-right page viewing.

Crowes said, “Flipping the pages of Upcountry in its new format is both an intellectual and tactile pleasure. The staff is thrilled with the final product, which truly showcases the fine work of UMPI students.”

The Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Upcountry features the work of 18 writers, poets and artists. Works range from Lila Albert’s essay “Back to Godhead” and Andrew Bellamy’s poem “Going Downstate No. 1” to Anthony Scott’s story “The Great Buford Family Crisis of 2010” and Cassie Green’s poem “Stealing from a Beggar”.

“Honestly, we were overwhelmed with the caliber of the submissions we received this semester, and the work included in the issue makes me proud to be associated with these students and alumni. I can’t wait to see what comes over the transom in the spring,” said Crowe.

This year’s student editors are Mika Ouellette and Barat Qualey. The Upcountry staff will host a reading/launch party for the issue during the Spring 2012 semester.

To view the latest issue in its new, interactive format, visit http://upcountryjournal.wordpress.com/ and click on the “Expand” button.