Spirits, the Literary / Arts Magazine of Indiana University Northwest, is releasing its Winter 2001 issue. To celebrate the release of its new issue, the Spirits staff is holding a publication party. 

The event will take place on Tuesday, December 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at That Little Café in the Library Conference Center on campus. Writers and artists from IU Northwest and the Northwest Indiana region whose work is featured in the new issue will be present at the event.  The publication party is free of charge and open to the public.

As part of the event, contributing writers will read their prose and poetry appearing in the Winter 2001 issue. Snacks and refreshments will be served, and the new issue will be available for $3 per copy. 

This yearís magazine features an oil painting by IU Northwest Fine Arts student, Heather K. Lewis, on its cover, 14 poems, 7 prose selections, and 24 pieces of artwork. A monoprint by IU Northwest Fine Arts student Nicholas P. Wardell appears on the back cover.

Since its establishment in the fall of 1990, Spirits has earned numerous awards from the Indiana Collegiate Press Association, winning the ICPA 
"Literary Magazine of the Year" award six times. Spirits is published bi-annually and features original, previously unpublished art, fiction, poetry, essays, and photography from IUN students, staff, faculty, and alumni and residents of Lake, LaPorte, and Porter counties in Indiana.

Writers are also scheduled to read their poetry and prose at Beaners in Merrillville on Tuesday, December 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and at Barnes and Noble in Merrillville on Wednesday, January 9 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

For more information, call 219-980-9760.