By Rachel Berthiaume ’20
For Brett Murphy Hunt ’11 and Jon Bishop ’11, their Assumption educations instilled in them a deep love of learning and passion for writing. This, paired with their love for literature, motivated them to create Portrait of New England, a submission-driven online literary magazine launching this summer with the goal of encouraging aspiring writers and “reviving regional, New England literature.” According to the longtime friends, the magazine will provide a yearly issue that features a variety of different authors and styles of writing, while capturing the meaning and beauty of New England in a pure, original way.
“With this new project, the main goal is to put forth something artistic and creative for the world to enjoy,” said Hunt and Bishop. “Indeed, our liberal arts education showed us the importance of endeavors such as this.”
The duo’s idea for Portrait of New England evolved from their desire to enable writers to share their love for New England through both nonfiction and fiction literature and visual art. Hunt and Bishop report a “sense of pride” over the triple-digit submissions they received for their inaugural issue. They added that while their Assumption education prepared them to “go out into the world and try to find our callings,” sometimes that means seeking out or creating one’s own opportunities. “Remember that opportunities don’t always come to you; you have to go out and find them– or create them,” they added. “Always remember that what you do in this world should positively impact your community and society at large.”
