CLC’s Bent Pine Journal receives national honors 

Central Lakes College’s Bent Pine Journal (2025 edition) has been nationally recognized by the Community College Humanities Association’s annual Literary Magazine Contest. 

The competition highlights exceptional student work from community colleges across the country, celebrating excellence in creative writing, photography and visual art. It reflects the CCHA’s mission to support personal and professional growth through the humanities. 

Awards earned by Bent Pine Journal include: 

• National Award for Best Magazine: 3rd Place 

• Best Magazine, Central Division: 2nd Place 

• Student Awards: 

• Andrew Stone – 3rd Place in the 11-state Central Region for his poem “The Sanity of Man” 

• Della Koep – 1st Place in the 11-state Central Region for her photo “A Fall Morning” 

“We created Bent Pine to be a tangible artifact that people could pick up and page through, to experience the art and creative writing of our students firsthand,” said Brandy Lindquist, CLC Writing instructor and Bent Pine Advisor. “CLC revived Bent Pine after a 50-year absence—the project had been forgotten, lost; we didn’t know about it! When, a few years ago, I discovered an old Bent Pine from 1969 at a local bookstore, I felt instantly connected to those students published in its pages over fifty years ago, attending what was then Brainerd Junior College. There’s something inspiring about a hard copy collection of works to represent a community of people at a given time.” 

The student-led Bent Pine Journal Club hopes to create that sense of connection for its readers. And just the pure joy of creating and experiencing art, so essential to our community’s survival.  

“Students crave an outlet, and we want to document their talents,” Lindquist added. “In this time of online everything, it’s cool to focus on a printed book. And students published in Bent Pine can take this with them, as concrete evidence of their professional and creative achievements.” 

Bent Pine Journal Club 2024-25: 

President: Jordan Eastman 

Vice President: Jenna Jensen 

Treasurer: Jesse Engen 

Members: Dashiell Moreland, Eileen Borg, Taylor Koons, Emma Watson, Carolyn Nix, and Hannah Ellstrom 

Advisors: 

• Brandy Lindquist (Writing Instructor) 

• Leon Dahlvang (Graphic Design Instructor) 

Additional Support: 

• Casey Hochhalter (Art Instructor)