For decades, GFA’s literary magazine Penumbra has been a space where creativity thrives—where student and faculty writers and artists bring their voices to life on the page. This year, the editorial team took a journey through the archives, selecting standout pieces from past editions to share at a recent Friday Speaker.
Gathered in front of their peers, they read selections that resonated with them most—pieces that captured moments of inspiration, reflection, and artistic expression. From poetry that once filled the margins of a 1982 edition to a 2000 piece by a former faculty member and GFA parent, their selections spoke to the lasting impact of creative work at GFA. Their look back was especially timely, as GFA recently welcomed back one of Penumbra’s former editorial staff members, Nadine Pinede ’82, who reflected on the magazine’s early years and shared the story behind its name.
Penumbra isn’t just about the final publication: rather, each book captures the stories and ethos of a full year in and out of GFA. Our mission is to illuminate student voices, providing an outlet for your poetry, prose, and art. - Deniz & Serra Nalbantoglu, Co-Editors in Chief
Penumbra itself evokes the nature of creative expression:
Penumbra (pi-num-bruh) ~ A space of partial illumination (as in an eclipse) between the perfect shadow on all sides and the full light.
In every edition, students and faculty step into this space, shaping ideas that illuminate the world around them. As we celebrate the Centennial, looking back at Penumbra’s past reminds us that the voices within its pages continue to shape the GFA story—then and now.