Litribune revives print to rally local creativity

By Fritz Klug
News Editor

Karie Kuiper/Western Herald The first issue of the ‘Litribune” came out July 22, 2009.

With most publications going digital, three Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids residents are printing against the grain.
“We want people to know where they are and unplug from their virtual existence,” Ben Davey, founding editor of the Litribune, said.
The Litribune is a publication of local writing and artwork. The brainchild of Ben Davey, it was originally envisioned as a literary journal, but that soon morphed into an all-out community publication.

“I came to Kalamazoo [from Grand Rapids] and noticed that there was a lot of potential here,” Davey said. “People were always talking about what they could do, but not doing it.”

The content of the Litribune includes poetry, fiction, music reviews, and non-fiction pieces about local businesses, events and non-profits.

Also included, is artwork from local artists.

“Kalamazoo has a diverse arts community, we want to unify it and create something together,” Aaron Geer, Litribune editor and Creative Writing major at Western Michigan University, said.

The Litribune held three house shows in May to raise money for the first issue, which Davey said was a way to get people interested in the publication.

Designed on an old PC with Adobe InDesign and printed at Kinkos, the first issue debuted with a raucous release party at The Strutt on July 22.

The mission of the Litribune is more than just to publish local writing.

“We want to open people’s eyes to bright spots in Michigan,” said Geer.

“[The Litribune] is an independent publication for and by the people of west Michigan.

There are no limitations to what will be published in the Litribune: poetry, fiction, playwriting, non-fiction, editorials, artwork, book and music reviews, the pages are “a blank canvas.”

Geer said he hopes that the next issue will be twice the size of the first, with at least four non-fiction pieces instead of one.
If all goes well, there will be a circulation of 300 issues, 100 more than the first.

While that debut issue contained album reviews from such well known bands as Wilco and Faux Hoax, Geer said he is looking for local bands who want to have their music reviewed in future issues.

Geer added that the staff is continuing to look for writers who want to be published.

“A lot of people write and don’t do anything about it,” he said.

“We want them to be a part of something new in the community.”

Writing workshops are held at 8 p.m. every Sunday and Wednesday at 619 West Cedar, where editors and writers come together and peer-review each other’s work.

“The actual publication is less of an issue than getting people together,” Geer said.

There is much planned this month. A “zine tour” is scheduled for late September.

There will also be a fundraiser at the Strutt on Sept. 25, an event for which they are still looking for bands.

The Litribune is also expanding its audience to include Grand Rapids, where Davey and promotional manager Dan Climie are moving this fall.

With a new website planned, and future benefit concerts in store, the Litribune is a vision of an artistic cooperative with spaces of locally grown art.

“Members of your community have come together to show you our vision,” Davey writes in his July Editor’s Note.

“Now is your opportunity to act. Be a role model in your community, volunteer, write a story, make art. Make change.”
The next issue will be released Sept. 18; submissions are due by Sept. 10.

An October issue is set to premier at the Michigan News Agency during the Art Hop on Oct. 2.

The deadline for submissions for the October issue is Sept. 24.

Submissions can be sent to thelitribune@gmail.com. Their website is thelitribune.wordpress.com

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=7250

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Aug 30 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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