Our Blog
Welcome to the Quarto Magazine Blog!
Enjoy the newest addition to our website as we explore and share topics and ideas from every facet of The Arts.
Sonny: A Picnic Poem
by The Quarto Staff
“Almost naked… I’m a baby on a blanket”
Quarto Staff Profile: Renee Morales
by The Quarto Staff
“I really appreciate having access to student work. In English classes, the stuff we read can sometimes be so filtered and already run through by so many academics that it doesn’t feel as fresh or innovative or new anymore. But with Quarto, we’re constantly seeing young people write about things that other young people care about.”
Quarto Staff Profile: Alia Derriey
by The Quarto Staff
“This was during the trenches of COVID, so I was at home in London taking classes in the middle of the night, but amongst all of that Quarto was just the best experience, even though it was completely online. I think it really got me through that year and made me feel like more of a part of a community than I ever did on campus.”
Quarto Staff Profile: Camille Sensiba
by The Quarto Staff
“I’m from a really, really tiny town called Long Eddy in upstate New York, just west of the Catskill Mountains. It's super rural. Lots of trees and more deer than people. You can only really pick up one radio station in the car.”
Quarto Staff Profile: Armaan Bamzai
by The Quarto Staff
“I think everything is about dance, especially Kylie. Listening to her feels like envisioning movement or feeling like movement is possible, which feels really exciting.”
Staff Creation Spolight:
Crystal A. Foretia
Read a poem written by Quarto’s staff editor, Crystal.
Convos with Contributors:
Grace Novarr
by Fatima Aljarman
Convos with Contributors seeks to bring together the wider Quarto community, reaching beyond the simple bio at the end of a piece. This interview series bridges the gap between the digital and the physical, the anonymous and the known, the editor and the contributor.
Staff Creation Spotlight:
Armaan Bamzai
Read a poem written by Quarto’s copy editor, Armaan.
Seeking Comfort In Winter Season
by Quarto Staff
With finals finally upon us and winter break just around the corner, our never-ending quest to seek warmth and comfort intensifies. From books and songs, food, activities, or a favorite scented candle, Quarto staff share their go-to’s for finding coziness in the winter!
Fall Shenanigans
by The Quarto Staff
What happens when you put Quarto’s staff under a tree by the math lawns? Picnic conversations mingled with the ongoing peeling of mandarins, and a collective poem eventually emerged.
Spooky Quarto Blog Post
by The Quarto Staff
As plastic skulls settle around the brownstones of Manhattan and big bags of black and orange candy occupy all of Duane Reade’s aisles, Quarto’s Staff shares their takes on Halloween this year.
Comfort Content
by The Quarto Staff
The Quarto Staff has put together a collection of some of the songs, books, poems, movies, and twitter accounts that bring them comfort, even in the midst of uncomfortable times, and might bring you comfort too.
Quarto Staff Picks: Anti-Racism Content
by The Quarto Staff
The Quarto staff recently put together some of the works and resources that have helped us educate ourselves on the Black Lives Matter movement and its history with systemic racism, and may perhaps become a resource for you as well.
In Light of Recent Events: Combating White Supremacy and Systemic Racism
by The Quarto Staff
Quarto has put together a list of resources, organizations, and actions that are dedicated to helping people become actively involved in the fight against systemic oppression and anti-Black violence.
Quarto Staff Profile: Alena Zhang
by The Quarto Staff
Read all about Programming Editor, Alena Zhang, as she describes her unique quarantine hobbies, her most loved creative works, and the people on Quarto.
Quarto Staff Profile: Priya Pai
by The Quarto Staff
Hear from Web Editor, Priya Pai, as she talks about her love of vegetables and cheese, Columbia’s creative community, and her favorite spots in NYC.
Quarto Staff Profile: Veronica Roach by The Quarto Staff
Get to know Administrative Editor, Veronica Roach, as she discusses her love for Disney, her appreciation of walks, experiencing New York City!
Quarto Staff Profile: Alex Tan
by The Quarto Staff
Learn about Staff Editor, Alex Tan, as they chat about diversity in literature, friendship, and their favorite hobbies!
Quarto Staff Profile: Charlie Blodnieks
by The Quarto Staff
Read all about co-Editor-in-Chief, Charlie Blodnieks, as they describe their “academic skepticism,” the Quarto family, and their favorite authors!
Quarto Staff Profile: Amanda Ong
by The Quarto Staff
Hear from our Blog Editor, Amanda Ong, as she talks about her creative interests, her hobbies, and the community at Quarto!
Quarto Staff Profile: Gisela Levy
by The Quarto Staff
Get to know Art and Design Editor, Gisela Levy, as she describes her time on Quarto, her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and her sweet dogs!
Quarto Staff Profile: Kayla LeGrand
by The Quarto Staff
Learn about Managing Editor, Kayla LeGrand, as she discusses her passions, what she values in Quarto, and her many other interests and hobbies!
Staying Afloat During Hard Times
by The Quarto Staff
In this difficult and tragic time, we have been thinking about how to build community, how to use our voice, how to create, and also simply (but not so simply), how to keep moving. We collected responses from our staff on how we each are trying to find joy and take care of ourselves these days.
Quarto Staff Profile: Nick Gauthier
by The Quarto Staff
Hear from our co-Editor-in-Chief, Nick Gauthier, as he describes what he loves about Quarto, his newfound love of anime, and some of his favorite works!
Quarto Staff Profile: Mita Sharma
by The Quarto Staff
Read all about our Head of Art and Design, Mita Sharma, as she talks about her journey in Quarto, her views on art as a revolutionary force, and her wide array of interests!
Quarto Staff Profile: Cameron Lee
by The Quarto Staff
Get to know Art and Design Editor. Cameron Lee as she discusses what she is passionate about, why she loves Quarto, and who her favorite authors are!
Dreams
by Gisela Levy
Art and Design Editor, Gisela Levy, explores dreaming, shares some funny, warm dreams of her own, and poses dreams as predictors of the future.
On Language as Healing
by Mitali Khanna Sharma
Head of Design, Mitali Khanna Sharma, meditates upon the Australia bushfires and offers her perspective on how language can help us find connection and solace in these difficult times.
Quarto’s 2019 Winter Reading List
by The Quarto Staff
As we relax over winter break, we wanted to share the books exchanged during Quarto’s annual winter bookswap. These are the books that we love, and we hope you find a couple you will too.
Quarto’s 2019 Fall Reading List
by The Quarto Staff
With the changing leaves and brisk air, the Quarto Staff has loved just curling up and keeping warm with a good book. Here’s what we’re reading this cozy fall!
Must-Read Chapbooks
by The Quarto Staff
In honor of our ongoing chapbook contest (which closes November 1st!), please see this staff-compiled reading list of chapbooks which have affected us and that we cherish!
Collections, Objects, Memory
by Catherine Valdez
“Mostly because I was curious, I made this post about collections and things. I asked Quarto staff what objects they’ve accumulated and why these things have become important to them.” Enjoy Staff Editor, Catherine, Valdez’s take on what the things we own mean to people.
Books that Make Us Nostalgic
by TJ Gill
Staff Editor TJ Gill wanted to learn what books evoke childhood nostalgia, so he asked the Quarto Staff for their top picks!
Liberal Arts and Self Worth
by Jane Paknia
”In three weeks, I will have finished my first year as a college student. There are many significant differences between my understanding of myself now and that understanding just one year ago, as I finalized my college decisions and considered my place in this world.”
The Right Time to Write
by Tamarah Wallace
“Writing for me had always turned into a lengthy affair, similar to binge watching a show, where it became difficult to find any suitable stopping place. Since I felt that I had to carve out hours and hours at a minimum for this activity, I would neglect to put it on my schedule, and sometimes wouldn’t even be in the mindset to write during the time I scheduled..” Here are other ways Quarto kids make time for writing!
Birthdays and Getting Older
by Neeraj Ramachandran
Staff Editor, Neeraj Ramachandran, contemplates the randomness of numbers, living in the present, nostalgia, and memory. Check out his meditation on learning from the past and understanding the present.
What are you listening to?
by the Quarto Staff
We’re back at school after winter break, and as you all know, it’s colder than ever. This week, the staff compiled what we’re listening to on our way to class as we brave the chilly weather.
Caring for yourself when stuff sucks!
by The Quarto Staff
We are living in a time where unthinkable acts of hatred are occurring everyday in the news. It’s a time when the safety of our bodies and identities are currently under pressure. A few of our editors have put together a list of the ways that they’ve been caring for their physical and mental health and well-being. We hope you enjoy our self-care habits!
Winter Reading List
by the Quarto Staff
After a long semester, we find that there is no greater pleasure than indulging in reading ~for fun~. It has become a Quarto tradition to have a book swap at our final meeting of the semester, where each editor brings in one of their favorite reads to share with our Quarto friends. We decided to put together a "Quarto Winter Break Reading List" from what went down in our book swap in case you need some inspiration this winter!
How can we reduce our carbon footprint?
by The Quarto Staff
Here at Quarto, we’re always having conversations about how to be better humans and how to help the Earth that suffers at the hands of so many human and corporate forces. Here is a list of the ways our editors reduce their carbon footprints in their daily lives in order to be more environmentally friendly!
Surefire Ways to Cure Writer’s Block
by Willa Cuthrell-Tuttleman
Can’t even begin to start writing that 15-page story due next week for workshop? Struggling to navigate the thin line between beautiful and pretentious for your next poem? Just generally paralyzed by the vast and daunting entity otherwise known as The Blank Word Document? Have no fear! The following list can hopefully give you a better and more productive way to procrastinate as you debate over whether to name your character Anna or Ana.