What The Thunder Said, Vol 4 | Page 6

Preface

The 2014-2015 school year marks a turning point for the Desert Vista Literary Magazine, one that bridges the gap between the days of a single print issue to a more interactive online experience.

In 1994, when Desert Vista was housed in Kyrene Akimel, the literary magazine, then entitled The Whale, was already publishing promising student writing, art, and photography. In 1998, The Whale was re-titled Fat Guy in a LittleCoat, then re-titled yet again aas Fragments in a Broken Mirror when the sponsoring duties transferred to David L. White and Chris Klein, who have remained the co-sponsors of the club to this day. With the addition of Chris Klein as photo and production sponsor in 1999, the magazine found a name that seemed to embody the voice of Desert Vista’s student writers; What the ThunderSaid is a name that alludes both to Desert Vista’s mascot, the Thunder, as well as to the final section of T. S. Eliot’s poem, The Wasteland. Since 2000, What theThunder Said has been honored twice with the NCTE Award—no small achievement and a testament to the teams of student writers and editors who have worked so hard. In addition, for a period, WTTS was able to host the LIT 600Awards, which awrded monetary prizes to the best poem, short story, essay, and translation of Desert Vista students.

At all times, the goal for the Desert Vista literary