But enough about what I think. What do Christina and Matthew have to say about their literary labor of love?
“The Greater Miami Valley area includes a large community of artists,” says Christina. “Many of them are writers, and I realized a few years ago that there was something of a vacuum in terms of local publishing outlets.”
With that, she started doing occasional small press runs of one-time publications for special occasions, such as literary readings. She created the pieces under the name Mock Turtle Press. “I really like Lewis Carroll’s Mock Turtle, who is a storyteller,” she explains — and says her efforts caught the attention of Ron Rollins (associate editor of this newspaper), who wrote about them several years ago and suggested that she consider publishing regularly.
“That sounded like a good idea,” Christina says, “and so Mock Turtle Press became Mock Turtle Zine with its first issue in May 2010.” Christina is a teacher, fiction writer and textbook author.
Matthew, a poet, teacher and blogger (www.amalgamattor.wordpress.com), was an early contributor to Mock Turtle Zine and answered a call Christina put out for writers who might be interested in helping her with the ’zine. He soon became managing editor.
The ’zine’s sixth issue will be available at Dayton’s next First Friday event, on Dec. 7, at these locations: Press in Downtown, Fifth Street Wine & Deli in the Oregon District, at Ghostlight Coffee in South Park and at the newly reopened Ohio Company in the Fifth-Third Tower on Main Street. The ’zine will also be distributed at locations on Brown Street, in Yellow Springs, at Wright State University and in other outlying areas in the week following publication.
Area literary magazines
While Mock Turtle Zine is a literary print magazine not associated with (or started by) a local institute of higher learning, it’s worthy to note some other local literary publications:
• Antioch Review, published in association with Antioch College since 1941, is not only one of the United States’ oldest literary magazines, renowned throughout the literary world as a literary review of the highest merit and is open to fiction, poetry and essay submissions.
• FLIGHTS is published by the Sinclair Community College Department of English each fall and is open to fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction from all writers, with special consideration given to those from southwest Ohio and welcoming work from Sinclair students.
• The FOGDOG Review at Wright State University has been publishing student essays about literature, popular culture and film since 1997.
• Orpheus Art & Literary Magazine at University of Dayton annually publishes U.D. students’ art and literary work.
Literary events
• Today, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Books & Co. at The Greene: “Alternate Paths to Publishing,” featuring bestselling, self-published e-novelist Tonya Knappes and Greyden Press Publishing adviser David Braughler. Sponsored by Antioch Writers’ Workshop.
• Today, 7 p.m., sponsored by Books & Co.; held at The Schuster Center: Anthony Bourdain, author of “Medium Raw” and many other books on the world of food and the people who cook. Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630.
• Friday, noon, at Books & Co.: Oliver North will sign his book “Heroes Proved.”
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