This – A Literary Webzine

beth — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Early this year, I began writing for Elevate Difference. Over the past few months, I have written more prolifically; built relationships with a handful of supportive, feminist artists; and above all, gained greater insight into my own writing through feedback from editors and readers. This – A Literary Webzine is another example of a space on the Internet that provides a forum for writers to produce and publish while joining a community of their peers. Created by Hollis University graduate Lacey N. Dunham, a former Elevate Difference contributor, This zine employs a volunteer group of editors and seeks submissions from a variety of genres.

If you are a writer looking for exposure, This is an easy way to publish your work; however, it may get lost in the cluttered text of the homepage. A photo dominates most of the space, and it took me a few minutes to realize one of the three columns below the black and white image was the essay that accompanied it. The other two columns were occupied by the Poet Spotlight and Editor’s Note, and further down the page there are links to other writings that are organized by category.

When it comes to websites, aesthetics are important, but This’s appearance is messy and lackluster. Their effort to be simplistic reads as boring, and the lack of creativity in the design gives an impression of immaturity. Although the zine references itself as an issue, it lacked any coherent theme or sense of imagery. The blog, however, includes much of the same content as the webzine, just in a more interesting and readable format.

This is successful in its aim to give all types of writers an accessible outlet for developing their craft. With a little help from a talented graphic designer, it has potential to become a valuable resource for the writing and publishing community.

Written by: Alicia Sowisdral, October 23rd 2010