Press Release: The 50th iliad, “Eudaimonia”
Above: EUDAIMONIA: iliad Literary-Art Magazine Editorial Board members Scarlett Alston, Margo McDaniel and Jay Braswell (left to right) stand holding the 2026 iliad Literary-Art Magazine cover at the Athens Cotton Press on May 3. The “Eudiamonia” cover and subsection artwork feature five acrylic paintings that were created by Clarke Central High School junior Koah McClellan. “I have been working in my sketchbook way more (recently), and creating these pieces has shown me how much I actually enjoy working with acrylic,” McClellan said. “Something else that I have gotten from (creating these pieces) is how to work with other people in a (collaborative) situation.” Photo by Miriam Silk
Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel reveals the 50th volume of the iliad, “Eudaimonia.”
The 50th edition of the iliad, “Eudaimonia,” was sent to print on April 28 and will begin distribution in May. The magazine contains the creative works of 43 Clarke Central High School students and faculty across the span of 72 pages.
The magazine contains four subsections, “Genesis,” “Ephebosune,” “Helikia” and “Kleos” that each illustrate the development of identity over someone’s lifespan.
“The theme for the 50th edition of the iliad is “Eudaimonia,” — a word of Greek origin defined as the fulfillment of a meaningful life through authentic self-realization and human flourishing,” iliad Managing Editor Finley Sleppy said. “This theme is inspired by the passage of time, using the development of human life as a metaphor for the creative process.”
The entirety of the magazine was designed by iliad Editorial Board members, with five of the spreads done by Sleppy, who felt challenged within her creativity while designing, but was proud of the final result.
“There was a lot of trial and error that came with creating spreads while keeping the designs neat and consistent with this year’s theme,” Sleppy said. “I am really grateful (to iliad Editor-in-Chief) Margo (McDaniel for) trusting and involving me in the design process to develop skills that I previously didn’t have.”
“The theme for the 50th edition of the iliad is “Eudaimonia,” — a word of Greek origin defined as the fulfillment of a meaningful life through authentic self-realization and human flourishing. This theme is inspired by the passage of time, using the development of human life as a metaphor for the creative process.”
The magazine features 25 art pieces and 24 creative writing pieces, which were curated and selected by the iliad Editorial Board in February after submissions closed on Jan. 30.
“(When going through submissions), I saw a lot of very interesting pieces, things I haven't really seen before and some things that I immediately knew fit our theme so well and were an immediate yes (for publication),” iliad Outreach Director Jay Braswell said. “I think with all of the pieces we chose, a lot of them have deep meaning behind them.”
iliad adviser and re-founder David A. Ragsdale has overseen the production of the iliad since 2001, when he started at CCHS. Ragsdale believed this year’s magazine was unique among the volumes he’s seen.
“Ms. McDaniel and her team have worked diligently to bring in fresh ideas, fresh art and have worked to seamlessly weave the iliad’s website with its print content,” Ragsdale said. “There’s no doubt she’s built upon the foundation of programmatic legends to put her own stamp on the magazine.”
Covers of the iliad Literary-Art Magazine over the years are featured below.
Story by Margo McDaniel
Margo McDaniel is a senior and the Editor-in-Chief for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. This year, she hopes to help creativity flourish at CCHS by giving student artists and writers a space to create, grow, and express themselves. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, listening to music, and spending time with friends and family.