2B — Thursday, April 9, 2015
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

If you find yourself enrolled 

at an esteemed university such 
as the University of Michigan, 
you’ve either been or are a writ-
er to some degree. Whether it be 
typing up lab reports, journal-
ing in your English 125 class or 
finalizing your poetry portfo-
lio, you’ve translated thoughts 
and ideas into some form of a 
written work. Wherever you 
stand on the spectrum, some-
where between occasional essay 
writer and loud and proud Eng-
lish major, you’ve likely been 
strained by the craft at some 
juncture 
of 
your 
academic 

career. Writing — that’ll getcha.

When I sat down at Espresso 

Royale on a rainy afternoon with 
two writers, I was reminded of a 
truth I so often overlook: writ-
ers are an undeniably odd breed. 
That’s not to say LSA senior 
Supreet Grewal and Business 
and LSA junior Nisreen Salka 
were weirdos — quite the oppo-
site, actually. They’re incredibly 
intelligent, witty and well-spo-
ken students of the University; 
the type that restore your dwin-
dling faith in the student body 
after overhearing some utterly 
imbecilic conversation at the 
UGLi. 

Grewal and Salka are the edi-

tor in chief and the finance and 
publications chair, respectively, 
of the University’s undergradu-
ate student-run literary maga-
zine, Xylem. 

Over our afternoon brew, 

we discussed their publication, 
the logistics behind it and its 
lengthy processes of submission 
and composition. But, we spent 
a majority of our time discuss-
ing the strenuous yet rewarding 
process that is writing (i.e. how 
we were all alike in that we’re 
weirdos by way of the craft). 

We touched on the collective 

effervescence 
shared 
among 

writers, or the notion that there 
are unspoken rules one natu-
rally subscribes to by being a 
writer. We determined there’s a 
bevy of components, some ben-
eficial, some agonizing, but all 
relatable. Between our cathar-
tic chat ranging from our love-
hate relationship with clichés to 
the dichotomy of egocentrism 
and self-doubt, just listening to 
each other was like an apology 
of sorts — an apology on behalf 
of our creative venture for its 
affliction.

That’s not to say writing’s 

all bad. Immersing yourself in 
writing is an excellent route to 
self-discovery, or the thoughts 
we can’t seem to articulate in 
any other medium, as Grewal 
can attest.

“I think for me it is mostly 

my experiences, or things I 
can’t put into any other con-
text,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll 
write a poem only because a 
poem is the best form for what 
I’m trying to say,” to which she 
jokingly added has hindered 
her from writing a lot of poems. 

On 
the 
contrary, 
Salka 

approaches her work from a dif-
ferent angle.

“I hate drawing purely from 

my own experiences, but I like 
taking emotions from those 
experiences and putting it into 
a different personalities,” she 
said. “I think it’s boring to 
reciprocate just what I’ve been 
through. Inspiration can come 
anywhere.” 

Whether derived from per-

sonal experiences and emotions 
or purely fictitious, Xylem’s 
content includes prose, poetry, 
short stories and occasional art-
work. Due to its contingency on 
student submissions, at the root 
of Xylem stems an admirable 
authenticity, each piece distinc-
tively delivered in the author’s 
emotive voice.

“I think the unique voice is 

that it doesn’t really have one,” 
Grewal said. “It doesn’t attempt 
to be anything super unified 
other than a platform for stu-
dents to get their work out 
there.”

As a platform for writers 

ranging from burgeoning poets 
to Hopwood winners, Xylem 
fosters a pedagogical environ-

ment for all skill sets. 

Prefacing each issue is Oxford 

English Dictionary’s definition 
of “xylem”: “n. Collective term 
for the cells, vessels, and fibres 
forming the harder portion of 
the fibrovascular tissue; the 
wood, as a tissue of the plant-
body.”

Which raises the question: 

what’s in the name? That’s a 
question even Salka and Grewal 
ask themselves. From a meta-
phorical standpoint, it’s clever 
— just a group of typists, sowing 
the seeds of their efforts, reap-
ing the benefits of their work 
with each tangible copy of the 
journal. Yet, to the publication’s 
two figureheads, any definition 
offered is seen as contrived. 
Salka’s been trying to solve the 
mystery since she joined the 
staff her freshman year. 

“No one knows, that is the 

biggest mystery,” Salka said. 
“That’s the first thing I asked 
the editor in chief when I start-
ed and she was like ‘no idea.’ ”

Though their roots may not 

be clear, Xylem exists as an 
abstract outlet for students like 
Grewal and Salka, who explore 
the creative pursuits that are 
often limited in the classroom 
setting.

Salka has seen the publication 

grow over the years, but its lead-
ers maintain it has remained 
a place for students to express 
themselves.

“We accept more work and we 

accept more high-quality work,” 
Salka said. “We had two or three 
times as many submissions this 
year than last year. We have 
the luxury of being more picky 
when we get more options.”

Grewal happened into Xylem 

by a turn of events, after stum-
bling upon their submissions 
advertisement 
featuring 
an 

open editor position. She came 
to the University with inten-
tions 
of 
a 
pre-med-related 

major, but a service trip to Nica-
ragua completely changed her 
mind, resulting in her pursuit 
of a dual degree in English and 
economics.

“I realized I was way too emo-

tional to be a doctor,” she said. 

Not only did the trip deflect 

her academic path, but her pho-
tos taken on the trip resulted 
in her photo essay submission 
for Xylem, for which she was 
accepted into the magazine.

“We were all so impressed by 

that, by the way,” Salka added.

As for Salka, Xylem simply 

seemed an enjoyable addition 
to her Business and Screen Arts 
and Cultures majors. The cur-
rent finance and publications 
chair has been a part of the pub-
lication since her freshman year.

After the entire board of last 

year graduated, Salka was the 
only remaining editorial board 
member when Grewal assumed 
the position of editor in chief. 
Prospects were bleak in her 
eyes, as she doubted the journal 
could replace the graduated tal-
ent. 

During the fall, the pair often 

met at Elixir Vitae, where Gre-
wal was constantly reassured 
by Salka’s optimistic outlook.

“I have blind faith; I’m sorry,” 

Salka joked. “I kept telling her, 
‘I’m sure we’ll find people.’ ” 

Sure enough, Salka was right. 

At the mass meeting, it was just 
the two of them, pitching the 
publication to an eager crowd of 
students. Seeing as she under-
estimated the turnout, Grewal’s 
only regret was that she didn’t 
bring enough cookies. 

“I found myself staring into 

this sea of people that I wasn’t 
expecting to show up at Mason 
Hall,” she recalled. 

In terms of the yearly logis-

tical timeline, Xylem begins 
advertising for submissions in 
two waves, one shortly before 
Thanksgiving 
and 
one 
just 

before Winter Break, allotting 
aspiring 
contributors 
ample 

time to create. The magazine 
generally closes submissions 
during the first week of Janu-
ary, and layout is finalized in 
late winter. Throughout the 
early spring, all components 
are sent to the publishers.

“First semester is all about 

generating interest and letting 
people know we’re accepting,” 
Grewal said.

She initially found the task 

daunting and assumed it a dif-
ficult venture to find eager con-
tributors, but alas her doubts 
absolved.

“People are eager to get their 

work published,” she said. 

In terms of what they get 

out of their Xylem experience, 
Grewal and Salka concluded 
the submissions team meet-
ings as invaluable in their pro-
gression as writers. The group 
meets in early January for what 
Grewal describes as “mega-
discussions” of the potential 
content 
for 
each 
upcoming 

issue. The lengthy submissions 
meetings last five to six hours, 
during which the team assesses 
the strengths and weaknesses 
of each piece from a literary 
standpoint. 
Group 
members 

are expected to read each piece 
beforehand, all of which are 
put in a Google Doc without 
names, in order to avoid bias 
When one’s own work is the 
topic of discussion, the writer 
is not allowed to speak on it, 
but rather listen intently to the 
commentary. 

“As a board member, your 

analytical abilities and your 
method of finding something 
valuable in someone’s creative 
work really comes into play,” 
Grewal said.

The team was smaller than 

years past, as Grewal wanted 
to emphasize consistency and 
avoid past mistakes that came 
with a larger, unreliable team.

“In the past, there’s been 

issues 
with 
people 
having 

this huge amount of interest 
upfront, or they say they’re 
super excited and they don’t 
follow through and I didn’t 
want to treat student creative 
work with that level of respect,” 
Grewal said.

The workshop-style meet-

ings create an environment for 
individual writers to improve 
their 
style, 
as 
submissions 

are dissected for their liter-
ary elements, which are then 
campaigned for by dedicated 
supporters or rejected by vocif-
erous critics.

“It’s really easy to read a 

book that’s won four prizes and 
be like, ‘Wow this is great writ-
ing, how do I do this?” Grewal 
said. “There’s no entry point 
to figure out how to write like 
that. You get better as a writer, 

as an artist, by reading work 
that’s still a little rough around 
the edges and putting your own 
opinion in.”

“Critically analyzing some-

one else’s work helps you find 
the faults in your own writing,” 
Salka added. “If we were split 
on a certain piece or someone 
felt really strongly about it, 
we would let them make their 
case.”

With thoughtful consider-

ation and helpful criticism, the 
60-some selected works rep-
resent a combination of excel-
lent writing and the essence 
of 
Xylem. 
Though 
entirely 

student-run, 
the 
publication 

exudes a unique professional-
ism that’s reflected in its pre-
sentation, described by Grewal 
as “something you would buy 
in a store.” This year’s cohe-
sive cover design includes etch-
ings of phantom-esque figures, 
with a back cover showing them 
walking away.

Though a date has yet to 

be decided (they’re looking at 
the weekend of the April 17), 
Xylem plans to host their annual 
launch party at Literati Book-
store, the kitschy bookseller on 
East Washington Street. While 
serving to distribute the maga-
zine, the event also presents an 
opportunity for writers to bring 
their works to life as they read 
them aloud, with intended tone 
and emotion that may not have 
translated over text. 

As 
with 
most 
creative 

endeavors, there’s a lot of cli-
chés attached to writing. So in 
the theme of our discussion, 
reviving our love-hate feelings 
towards clichés, I closed the 
interview with a cliché ques-
tion. 

“What’s the best part about 

Xylem?” I asked.

Salka replied succinctly, stat-

ing, “The best part is the people 
you’re with.”

As for Grewel, she gave me an 

admittedly clichéd answer.

“Maybe the book is the best 

part, but this is going to sound 
so cliché, I hope you’re ready … 
just everything along the way,” 
she said.

By the end of the interview, 

out of all the trials and tribula-
tions of writing we had previ-
ously agreed on, there was one 
more — they’re clichés for a 
reason.

XYLEM
From Page 1B

“The best part 
(of Xylem) is the 

people you’re 

with.”

At the root of 
Xylem stems 
an undeniable 
authenticity.

TV REVIEW
‘Mad Men’ premiere 
is sluggish at work

By CATHERINE SULPIZIO

Senior Arts Editrix

Severance, as it turns out, 

in the eponymous mid-season 
premiere of “Mad Men” ’s final 
season, is less easily achieved 
than 
one 
expects. 
Indeed, 

the 
episode 

shows 
how 

the characters 
remain 
as 

bound to their 
corporate 
identities 
as 

ever, 
with 

little 
promise 

for respite in 
the last seven 
episodes. 
And 

on 
a 
meta-level, 
severance 

eludes the audience, who feel 
stuck back in the thematic mud 
of early “Mad Men” — less like 
an homage and more like a déjà 
vu that refuses to leave. 

Where once Don Draper 

(Jon 
Hamm, 
“Bridesmaids”) 

plumbed 
the 
less-than-

glamorous 
depths 
of 

alcoholism, the thick veneer of 
advertising coats everything 
in “Severance.” Way back in 
season five, Draper’s fall from 
corporate grace was poised 
to offer a phoenix-style rise 
from the ashes. But in typical 
“Mad 
Men” 
style, 
Draper’s 

whorehouse past has simply 
been repurposed into another 
tool of the trade — in this case, 
to seduce a young model. 

The episode’s strength is 

in showing how entrenched 
Draper’s life is in advertising. 
In its opener, we see him in the 
midst of a psychological mind 
fuck (the type that typically 
prefaces his brand of sex). Then 
the camera pulls back to reveal 
it’s just a hyper-sexualized 
casting call. 

And reunited as the ultimate 

wingmen, Sterling (John Slattery, 
“The Adjustment Bureau”) and 
Draper are living in the financial 
excesses of their McCann buyout. 
While a brooding discontent 
with civilization characterized 
late-series “Mad Men” (think 
of season five’s string of visual 
death metaphors like the empty 
elevator 
shaft), 
“Severance” 

evokes its old brand of cynicism 
— one in which the rewards are 
reaped and the pathos is swept 
under the shag rug. 

But just as Peggy (Elisabeth 

Moss, 
“Girl, 
Interrupted”) 

cryptically suggests to a client, 
“I’d never recommend imitation 
as a strategy,” perhaps this 
circularity is intentional. After 
all, “Severance” is laced with 
callbacks: Draper’s latest is a 
fur client, and ingenue Rachel 
Katz née Menken (Maggie Siff, 
“Sons of Anarchy”) reappears 
in a dream to model it for him. 
She dies the next day, and all 
of Draper’s attempts to extract 
meaning from that well grooved 
symbolic network of brunette-

cum-mother-cum-whorehouse 
figures run dry. 

Where narration is telling 

Don old metaphors run out of 
significance, other characters 
like Ken (Aaron Staton, “L.A. 
Noire”) are running head-on 
against the narrative fates. After 
his father-in-law retires, his 
wife urges him to quit the job 
that he can afford to quit and 
write the book he should have 
been writing. The next day, 
internal politics lead to Ken’s 
firing, providing the deus ex 
machina that eludes Don this 
episode. Rather than yielding to 
the direction fate is channeling 
him into, he yields to pettiness 
and takes his father-in-law’s 
old job — purely to torture his 
ex-colleagues.

Other characters are chained 

to their stakes: Peggy flirts 
with escaping to Paris with a 
promising date, but can’t find 
her passport. Of course, it turns 
up in her office desk. You can 
leave work in “Mad Men,” in the 
literal sense, but figuratively, 
it’s a whole different story.

AMC

“I want to burn this place down.”

B

Mad Men

The Final Epi-

sodes: Episode 1

AMC

Sundays at 10 p.m.

SINGLE REVIEW

 “Whip It” first made an 
appearance as the fun-but-
forgettable opening track on 
ILoveMa-
konnen’s 
Drink More 
Water 4 
mixtape 
in 2014. It 
featured 
the rap-
per’s now 
trademark 
wavery and 
wobbly flow 
as he play-
fully free-styled over a poorly 
mixed beat and said “whip it” a 
shit ton of times. 
But 2015 is a new year, Drink 
More Water 5 is a new mixtape 
and “Whip It (Remix)” is a new 
banger. This remix features a 
reworked Makonnen verse and 
a newly remastered beat. Most 
notable, though, is the employ-
ment of rappers Migos and Rich 

the Kid. With verses more catchy 
than Makonnen’s, the fellow 
Atlanta rappers add a new energy 
to the track, giving it that this 
could actually play at a party feel 
that some ILoveMakonnen songs 
just don’t have. 
But, the hook – “teach me how 
to whip it, teach me how to whip 
it” – doesn’t have the strength to 

carry the song. And Makonnen’s 
characteristically choppy delivery 
sounds a little too jagged, leaving 
us with little to latch on to, little 
to hum in our heads a couple min-
utes after the first listen. 
Still, no one can resist a good 
Migos feature

- RACHEL KERR

ILOVEMAKONNEN

B

Whip It 
(Remix)

iLoveMakonnen 
ft. Migos and 
Rich the Kid

Self-released

TRAILER REVIEW

 Trailer #1 for “Ex Machina” 
is the perfect example of a trailer 
that gives just enough informa-
tion about the film. We glean 
scraps of 
the initial 
premise – 
there are two 
computer 
scientists, 
and they’re 
working on 
a danger-
ously human-
seeming 
female A.I. 
We know Oscar Isaac and Domn-
hall Gleeson are in it — that’s 
enough to get us to see pretty 
much anything. And, thanks to 
the trailer’s nervous pace, we 
know that it’s going to be very, 

very intense. 
We don’t learn much else, and 
that’s a good thing. In the age of 
trailers spoiling the most impor-
tant parts of the film, the “Ex 

Machina” trailer stands as an 
excellent example of how to truly 
bait the audience with mystery.

- JACOB RICH

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

A

Ex 
Machina

Universal 
Pictures

April 10, 2015