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Evan Miller's avatar

I have felt this exact same way when a podcast I listen to ends or goes off the air (thinking Binge Mode, specifically). We do get attached to these publications because they come to symbolize something meaningful in our lives.

I wonder if in this case it also relates to the overabundance of lit mags, many that are woefully under read. I'm writing a post this week about short stories and why they're underappreciated and I think it relates. We need more eyes on this type of writing!

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Agreed! Let's be the change!

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Polly Hansen's avatar

i think I'm missing something. I've never thought of a lit mag as a home. Maybe I should, that I should develop a relationship with one special mag that I love. The Sun? Too far out of reach? Maybe try something smaller? I flit around looking for a home.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Keep looking, Polly! A special place is out there for you!

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Polly Hansen's avatar

Thanks, Amy. I'm trying!

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L. Vocem's avatar

To me it has been Carve. I love their aggressive approach to what they call Honest Fiction. Their stories are cool. They do interviews of what it took to do the story, plus they have really cool cover art.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

That does look like a cool publication. Thank you for chiming in.

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Jessica Dylan Miele's avatar

I love Carve Magazine too! But the thing I’m looking for is a call for a themed issue, like how Amy Nicholson describes in her piece. I just love how themes ignite my inspiration, and I look forward to reading how other writers interpret the theme too.

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Jeanne Lyet Gassman's avatar

What a lovely tribute! I've been mostly offline because we were evacuated for the fire in Ruidoso, but now we're home, and this is one of the first things I read when I opened my email. Sarah James was lovely to work with. She published my essay for her healing issue where I wrote about how our daily walks with our dog healed our grief and anxiety during COVID. This was a wonderful magazine that will be missed.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Jeanne, I'm glad you were able to experience Clerestory as well.

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Meg Robson Mahoney's avatar

Thanks for writing a beautiful story! It makes me ache to find an editor like you did at Clerestory.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Keep submitting, Meg! You will find that special editor!

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Robbi Nester's avatar

Thanks for this wonderful piece. Writing is such a solitary occupation. It demands that we sit for hours tuning into our own minds and consciousnesses in order to access the world. Such a paradoxical calling!

You captured perfectly this roundabout way of connecting to others. A community of writers, online, several removes from the immediate, is a perfect embodiment of the writer's relation to the world, and that's what you present here.

I'm sorry you lost your literary community. I hope you find another soon.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Thank you so much, Robbi :)

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Carol Coven Grannick's avatar

A beautiful tribute to a wonderful journey and relationship.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Thank you, Carol!

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Stephanie Gail Eagleson's avatar

It sounds like an absolutely beautiful publication, and I'm sorry I've only come to know about it upon its closing. I'd love to read that anthology--L'Engle is an all-time favorite! What a gift Sarah gave you.

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Joe am's avatar

Mourning the recent closure of Taproot, a rare indie print mag

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Sad indeed.

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Allie Rigby's avatar

"Sometimes writing saves our lives." Oof. Yes. So sad when the special ones close...

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Thank you, Allie.

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Shelby Raebeck's avatar

Lovely tribute, Amy. So nice to get a glimpse into the genuine joy being published can bring. Sometimes it's not about distribution numbers or what comes next, but about growing, creating, and, finally, belonging. Thanks for this.

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Amy Nicholson's avatar

It absolutely IS about "growing, creating, belonging," Shelby! Let's not forget that when the going gets tough.

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Minerva's avatar

Yes. Writing saves lives. Www.defaulttogoodness.com

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Jun 27, 2024
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Amy Nicholson's avatar

Thank you for reading! And for your kind words:)

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