Dear Readers,
The other week, Alysia and I were interviewed about The Rumpus by our local alt-weekly, and I wanted to share with y'all. That's right, we live in a place that still has an alt weekly (RIP City Pages in Minneapolis, Baltimore City Paper, Village Voice, etc.), and brace yourselves, it's even IN PRINT! Except that the piece doesn't mention Marisa Siegel our former publisher/owner and CRUCIAL reason thatThe Rumpus still exists and (of course) not being able to name every editor and volunteer reader that makes the magazine possible today, I think this turned out pretty okay! That's Virgo for: I don't think I embarrassed myself too much.
Here's a typical "me" quote about working toward making The Rumpus sustainable: If an actual billionaire can’t figure it out, how are two people and many other people who are volunteers and have other full-time jobs and do not come from money or have access to that going to make it work? So, we might be partly delusional here, but we are strong-willed and willing to be flexible and scrappy and stubborn.
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And a pretty "Alysia" quote about our website and the much-needed redesign: It’s all duct tape back there. And not even duct tape, but generic duct tape.
Read the whole interview here. And here's the part you've heard before . . . become a MEMBER or DONATE to help us move from generic duct tape to real life building materials.
I hope Spring has started where you are! We're all looking for reasons to be optimistic around here. -Alyson
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Originals "Cloistered" by Cathy Mayer:
"I can't stop thinking about the nuns in Hollywood..." |
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Interviews & Reviews The Boiler House Poets Collective, "the confluence of [...] passionate yawps" (an interview) David Weber reviews Claudia Putnam's Double Negative Geetanjali Shree, mother tongue and English translation (an interview) Jay Butler reviews Renee Gladman's Plans for Sentences |
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Rumpus MAY Book Club Picks |
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Every month subscribers receive a book in the mail handpicked by The Rumpus staff. Now through April 15, you can sign up for our May Poetry Book Club pick West: A Translation by Paisley Rekdal and/or our prose Book Club pick The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling.
As a subscriber, you'll also be invited to an exclusive online video discussion with the book's author + a Rumpus Editor. Subscribers are encouraged to join in the chat with their questions before and during the conversations. These will take place on the Rumpus' Crowdcast channel and will remain available to subscribers for 1 month after they take place. |
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FINAL WEEK to show your SUPPORT for our National Poetry Month poets! |
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Letters in the Mail (from authors!) |
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| | | Letters in the Mail from authors is a Rumpus subscription in which you receive an actual, postmarked letter from one of our favorite writers in your IRL mailbox twice a month. All letters are non-promotional, include a creative prompt, and have a return mailing address in case you'd like to write the author back! Coming up for adults!
April 1: Henriette Lazaridis
April 15: Erica Berry
Coming up for Kids!
April 1: Sonja Thomas **Last regular Kids letter
*IMPORTANT UPDATE: after April 1, we will no longer be commissioning new Letters for Kids on a regular basis. This program has been wonderful for so many young readers, but the subscriber count and interest has been low for several years. This is also the magazine's only program that is not geared toward adults, so it's been a tough fit. We'll notify existing subscribers and cancel any recurring billing shortly. Thank you so much for the folks who have supported this program in the past and we hope you'll consider joining us as Letters for adult subscribers in the future. |
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Rumpus Editor & Member Recommendations |
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| APRIL 4 - MAY 9: Writing personal essays about people you know is especially fraught. Rumpus nonfiction editor Anna Held (@ajshults) is teaching a six week workshop on writing essays about family! This class is open to writers of all experience levels. Learn more HERE.
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*If you're a Rumpus Member, editor, or volunteer reader, email [email protected] your upcoming literary-related events or classes and we'll do our best to include them in an upcoming free weekly newsletter. We appreciate you supporting the work WE do and would like to pay it forward. |
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Reader Support Keeps The Rumpus Going! |
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| Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, CA and now based in Asheville, NC with readers and editors all over the US and abroad, The Rumpusis one of the longest-running independent online literary and culture magazines. Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. We lift up new voices alongside those of more established writers readers already know and love. Often, we are an emerging writer's first notable publication, which is something we’re really proud of. We believe that literature builds community—and if reading The Rumpus makes you feel more connected, please show your support! Our Membership and subscription programs along with tax-deductible donations made to The Rumpus through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, help keep us going and brings us closer to sustainability. |
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