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non sequitur triumvirating
What started as a blog based on literary musings has morphed into an online literary journal "primarily devoted to humorous and experimental prose" featuring stories from award-winning authors, interviews with acclaimed novelists, and literary musings. A product of Columbia College Chicago grad school triumvirate C. James Bye, Jonathan Fullmer and Stephen Tartaglione, Knee-Jerk Magazine debuted this month with stories by Patrick Somerville, Billy Lombardo, Lindsay Hunter, Adam Drent, and musician Todd Miller.
The site is clean and easy to navigate, light on images (there's one) and bordered by links and drop downs. The lineup for its debut is impressive, a testament to the triumvirate's networking and promoting ability. According to Fullmer, Knee-Jerk "emphasizes the merging of the arts, featuring interviews with writers of various mediums (fiction, nonfiction, film, television, stand-up, etc.) and a section called Briefs, where non-writerly artists (painters, actors, directors, comedians, etc.) can express themselves in an artistic medium they don't typically use. In the current issue we have interviews with Mystery Science Theater 3000 writer Frank Conniff and novelist Jaimee Wriston Colbert. We also have a section called Reviews of Things, where writers can review literally anything." (The editors reviewed toast the bread, a muffin, and a bagel. Reviews are not limited to literary or breakfast items).
"We're also very excited about the August issue, in which we'll be featuring an interview with comedian/actor Michael Showalter (Stella) and will begin serializing the new book by 2007 National Book Award panelist and NYT-bestselling author David Shields (Reality Hunger: A Manifesto (Knopf)) until its publication in February, among other exciting things."
Knee-Jerk is actively seeking submissions.
Comments
wow. another magazine from a columbia college alum getting props for publishing the same authors featured everywhere in chicago. brilliant. i want to support the arts and especially new local publications (online or in print) but forum after forum for the same chi literati is making me queasy.
Another Chicago, it's difficult for me to respond professionally to your comment. The literary scene can seem disparate, even cliquey, if you're new to it, which is why seeking out collective literary events like the Printers' Ball this July 31 might illuminate how vast and dynamic the literary scene is in Chicago. Over 200 literary organizations will be represented and a handful or two of them will be CCC alum, even if it weren't held at CCC. My other piece of advice would be to make something happen instead of bitching about the initiatives and ambition of Chicago writers who produce something noteworthy other than a lazy, anonymous complaint.
if it was so hard to respond professionally to another chicago's comment - maybe you shouldn't have.
you look small, tender-headed and petty.
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