Principia College Welcomes Renowned Poet to Campus, Launches New Issue of Student Literary Magazine

ELSAH - Students and community members are invited to Principia College for the launch of their student literary magazine and a reading by a renowned poet.

On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the creative writing program in Principia’s Center for Narrative, Meaning, and Media will host the event in the Marshall Brooks Library on campus in Elsah. From 5–6 p.m., attendees can join in a Q&A session with student editors of “Mistake House Magazine,” the college’s literary magazine that publishes student work from all over the world, as they launch their 12th issue.

Additionally, Texan poet Saúl Hernández will be onsite to read from his award-winning poetry collection “How to Kill a Goat and Other Monsters.” The first 25 attendees will receive a free copy of Hernández’s book, and he will sign copies after the conversation concludes at 6 p.m.

“We’re just trying to raise the profile of ‘Mistake House Magazine’ and what it offers students and hopefully to inspire students, but also people in the community to engage with cultural production through the campus, through the magazine,” said Sky O’Brien, a visiting Principia professor. “It’s just a wonderful way to engage with poetry and fiction and photography by students. We love to uplift the student voice.”

“Mistake House Magazine” is named after the Mistake House, a building on campus that was designed as a “sample house” before the rest of the campus was built. With this theme in mind, the student editors seek experimental, original works of poetry, fiction and art to publish in the magazine. They accept work from students all over the world.

The magazine is completely edited and designed by undergrads at Principia. As they prepare to launch their 12th issue, O’Brien is excited to share his students’ work with the community.

Every issue of “Mistake House Magazine” has a section called “Soap Bubble Set,” which includes interviews with a well-known writer and artist. This issue includes work by Hernández and St. Louis artist Ron Young. Hernández will fly in so he can attend the launch party and provide a reading at Principia on April 30.

He will also offer a poetry workshop to 20 participants before the event, from 4–4:45 p.m. on April 30. Both community members and students are invited to sign up for the workshop.

O’Brien and his students are especially excited to welcome Hernández to campus. Hernández writes about his experiences as the LGBTQ+ son of previously-undocumented immigrants. His debut poetry collection has won a few major awards since its publication, and O’Brien said he and his students are “very honored” to bring Hernández to Elsah.

O’Brien thanked the Center for Narrative, Meaning, and Media, the Marshall Brooks Library, and the Friends of English Club for their work to make this happen. He added that St. Louis has “a vibrant poetry scene,” and he hopes this event adds to the region’s offerings. He noted that poetry is an important part of the human experience.

“[Poets] speak to the heart. They speak to the soul. They speak to your inner experience, your inner world, in a way that other writing or other modes of communication just can’t,” he said. “Saúl is a poet whose poetry really speaks to the soul, and it’ll make you feel things that you maybe haven't felt before or you've never thought about. Poetry just brings everything up.”

O’Brien and his students hope to welcome people from across the Riverbend region to campus on April 30 for both the conversation with Hernández and the “Mistake House Magazine” launch.

The event is free to attend, though registration is encouraged. Those who wish to attend Hernández’s workshop must RSVP. Click here to reserve your spot at the workshop and/or the reading. To read past issues of “Mistake House Magazine,” visit the official website.

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