In a like-the-good-old-times place around the corner from the good times place that no longer provided the best times, three of us waited for our server to bring the hot basket of bread that we had already again asked for. Ideas were flowing between cocktails, ice water, and empty stomachs. In the face of a poet and an artist, I asked “What if we hosted a salon? That’s how artists and writers did it back in the day, right?” Get a bunch of thinkers and talkers and writers and painters and food and drinks and time together in somebody’s apartment to have a good time. Make up an excuse to get dressed up, meet interesting people, hear their truths, share yours, and go home at the end of the night, not because you want to, but because, if you don’t, the host will have to clean up everything even later, since they wouldn’t let you help.
They liked the idea. Paintings and photographs could fill the walls. Writers and poets would be given time and attention. We’d eat good too.
“What should we call it?” the artist asked.
“The Blowout,” the poet said.
“What is a blowout?” I asked, looking at photos of celebrities with voluminous hair and highlights. “Ah, that’s good. That’s real good.” The man’s not a poet for nothing.
From that breadless conversation, we sat on it through two winters and, hopefully, not another spring, as I decided to follow through and finally make the magazine happen. I’ve never been an editor, but who needs experience when you have good friends, good taste, and the internet at your disposal? We can just make things happen because we want to.
A few weeks ago, I walked past a deli with my wife that had a sign saying “Improv show at 7pm with $10 deli purchase.” Eh, why not? Worst case, we’d walk out, so we shuffled on in, bought some waters and snacks, and hopped up the stairs into an in-progress show. This is why I love New York. On a random Thursday, we discovered there is a full stage on top of a deli where four people put their dignity and comedic prowess on the line for strangers. They held our attention, non-stop, for an hour! These days, big budget movies often fail to pull that off. Those improv players wanted to make it happen, and powering through failed punchlines and weird audience suggestions, they put on a really entertaining show.
What is stopping us? We can make a space to curate and highlight the work of the people we’ve met. Having worked on my own stuff for so long now, I’ve missed teaming up to create a larger project. I’m excited to work with people to build toward a vision again. So, this spring, we’re launching the magazine on Substack.
It’s open to short fiction, poetry, essays, visual art, photography, and the occasional interview of a contributor.
The first issue’s theme is “Heat.”
Subscribe to The Blowout to receive the first issue in your inbox once it’s available!
We’re keeping it small to focus on getting the issue out and gradually iterating on the aesthetic, but I will be reaching out to more people for contributions. Although there is no public submission, if you have an idea to match the issue’s theme “Heat,” send me a DM.
Love this idea and SO excited to read! Good for you. We need more forums like this 💛