Peyton Bender ’26 and Joseph G. Klepeis III ’26 serve as the senior editors of the oldest national undergraduate literary magazine in the United States, committed to undergraduate works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Founded in 1983, the review has published work by writers who have gone on to have prominent literary careers, including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Victoria Chang, Ben Marcus, Claire Messud, and David Foster Wallace.
As senior editors of The Allegheny Review, they are responsible for reviewing hundreds of creative works submitted from undergraduate students from around the nation. Bender and Klepeis also copyedit and coordinate the production of the annual issue, which typically includes one hundred pages of material selected by the editorial board of the review.
Klepeis, who is majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in political science, notes that his experience working for The Allegheny Review has remained a constant since attending Allegheny College.
“The Allegheny Review was one of the first things I learned about Allegheny before I transferred here,” says Klepeis. “My first semester here, I attended the involvement fair and signed up for the email list, and the rest is history.
Last spring, the pair attended the 2025 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, where they had the opportunity to connect with publishers from around the world and attend sessions to learn about the publishing industry. The journey solidified their aspirations after graduation.
For Bender, who is majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in neuroscience, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in editing and publishing.
My experience with The Allegheny Review has directly prepared me for this goal, as I have been able to learn about the process of publishing from the selection of pieces all the way through communicating with the printers to receive the final issue,” remarks Bender.
Meanwhile, Klepeis hopes to pursue a career as a journalist or in the field of political communication.
Students of any discipline at Allegheny College are encouraged to join the staff of The Allegheny Review, and an optional course, English 504: Editorial Practicum, is recommended for interested students who want to seek practical experience in the production of a literary magazine. A microcredential in editing and publishing is also offered, which is a digital badge highlighting competencies within a field through offered courses.
Learn more about The Allegheny Review here.
