Baily’s Beads, the literary magazine of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, and student writer Shahada Thomas have both received awards from the American Scholastic Press Association for the magazine’s 2017 issue.

For the fifth time, the association named Baily’s Beads the Most Outstanding Literary Arts Magazine, awarding it a near-perfect score and First Place with Special Merit.

Editors of the 2017 issue were writing majors Colin Almeida of North Wales and Stephanie McFall of Smethport, and Amy Gaberseck of Smethport, an interdisciplinary arts major who served as the head editor of layout and design.

Faculty advisor Dr. Nancy McCabe, professor of writing and director of the writing program, said, “These awards are due to contributions from the entire staff, but I especially would like to credit designer Amy Gaberseck, whose hard work, talent and high professional standards brought this issue to the highest level it’s ever been, in my opinion.”

Anna Lemnitzer, assistant professor of art, served as art and design advisor.

The 2017 issue included writing that engaged with current debates, including work dealing with race issues and a series of poems about the Sandy Hook shootings.

Thomas, a sophomore writing major from Chester, won an award for best fiction in an undergraduate magazine for her story, “Heat Wave,” a coming-of-age story about a young girl’s first awareness of racism and the way it shapes a friendship and her own sense of humanity.

The staff of Baily’s Beads released the 2018 issue of the magazine last month, and it is currently available on campus.

Baily’s Beads is accepting submissions for its 2019 issue.