News / Art
Contrary Magazine Devotes 2009 to Emerging Writers and Poets
First Issue Features Promising Poets and Fiction Writers
The Winter 2009 issue, at contrarymagazine.com, includes short fiction by Sabrina Tom, Cynthia Newberry Martin, Curt Eriksen, Miles Klee, and Stephanie Johnson.
"This is some of the finest fiction and poetry we have seen, from some of the most promising young authors we have encountered," said Editor Jeff McMahon. "But this is just the beginning. We plan to devote this year to the best young writers working in English."
Three of the poets who contributed to the issue will have their debut collections published this year. Contrary published Gregory Lawless' debut poem, "Snapshots of the Epic," in 2007. The poem won Best of the Net award, and Lawless now has a book of poetry forthcoming from BlazeVOX press. Kiki Petrosino's first book, Fort Red Border, will be published by Sarabande Books in 2009. And Contrary Poetry Editor Shaindel Beers's first book, A Brief History of Time, will be released by Salt Publishing at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, which takes place Feb. 11-14 in Chicago.
Contrary celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2008, just after winning four awards coveted in the online publishing industry. In addition to Lawless's award from Sundress Publications, the story "Household Poisons" by Thomas King won a 2008 "Best of the Web" award from Dzanc Books. And Amy Reed's short story "How You Remember Her" was honored as a notable story by both Dzanc Books and the Million Writers competition. Reed subsequently signed a book deal with Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, which will bring out her debut novel Beautiful next fall.
An independent journal of fiction, commentary and poetry, Contrary was founded five years ago by a team of editors who met in graduate school at the University of Chicago. They published its first issue in September 2003.
In addition to promoting new writers, Contrary promotes established writers who its editors believe deserve more attention. It has published commentary by the late columnist Heywood Broun, poetry by the late screenwriter Ben Maddow, author of "The Asphalt Jungle," and some of the first literary fiction by Andrew Coburn, the author of 13 mystery novels. Contrary published Coburn's short story, "The Heir," and his lyrical commentary, "Plum Island."
Contrary's anniversary issue featured these and other selections of the journal's best work from the last five years. It can be viewed in the archives at contrarymagazine.com.
