I first learned of Peach Mag after viewing their event promotion on the Just Buffalo Literary website. I didn’t know anything about them but figured their unique advertising and the lineup of writers scheduled to read was worth a night out. I felt an energy and an excitement for Peach Mag, given the number of people filing into Dreamland, the venue that hosted the reading. Peach Mag has only been in existence since August, but it is rapidly making a name for itself. After learning more about Peach Mag over the last few days, I found out why they are the literary community’s newest sensation.
Peach Mag started because it’s three co-founders and visionaries, who themselves are writers and teachers, wanted to provide an online outlet for creative writers to easily connect with others in the writing community and showcase the talent in the city of Buffalo.
Rachelle Toarmino is a creative writer who recently published her visual poetry chapbook Personal & Generic (PressBoardPress, 2016). Rachelle’s work has appeared in literary presses such as Shabby Doll House, Alien Mouth, Metatron’s ÖMËGÄ, Potluck Mag, Alien She Zine and the Ghost City Review.
Matthew Bookin was named by Dazed Magazine as one of its ten alt-lit names to look out for this year. A well-deserved honor for someone who's had his work featured in multiple magazines and presses such as: Cage Match, Metazen, Everyday Genius, Metatron’s ÖMËGÄ, Plain Wrap Press’s Quarter, and The Elm Leaves Journal and Shabby Dollhouse, which he’s also a contributor to.
Bre Kiblin is a graduate of the English Department at the University at Buffalo and is now teaching in the Buffalo Public School system, sharing her passion for books with her students. When Bre is not teaching or working on Peach Mag, you can find her selling books at the Talking Leaves Bookstore.
Peach Mag operates strictly as an online magazine. The aim is to maximize the exposure of writers by making their work easily accessible to would-be readers. And of course, all of it is FREE! This means no waiting in line to buy a book or ordering a copy online, paying full price along with shipping fees. This magazine can be accessed anywhere on a computer or a mobile device. Another advantage Peach Mag has gained by operating exclusively online is that every Tuesday and Friday a writer and some of his/her work is featured on the website. You can become a household name with just a few clicks of the mouse! How exciting is that? Especially for emerging writers like me, hoping to find a place where a poetic voice can be heard, stories can be read and creative work put on display! If you’ve been looking for a place for your written work to call home, then you’ve come to the right place. Peach Mag has announced that they are accepting submissions for unpublished work. Whether you write prose, craft poetry, or create visual art or multimedia, Peach Mag wants to provide an outlet for your creative endeavors. Submissions are only open until November 30.
Peach Mag not only gives writers a chance to be featured online, but also at their Episodes reading series. On October 14, Local writers such as Noah Falck, Paige Melin and Woogee Bae had their talent showcased. Three Buffalo-based writers were given a chance by Peach Mag to fill the room with their poetic voices and rhythmic sounds. There were also two out-of-town writers invited to read: Richard Wehrenberg and Bella Bravo from Monster House Press based in Indiana chose Buffalo as a stop on their reading tour. They, too, with their poems and prose, helped ignite the energy of the night and reminded us all why the written word is such a powerful art form. You can be on the next Episodes reading event, or If you have an event of your own taking place, Peach Mag can host it. Just by sending in a submissions, you are positioning yourself to be in the spotlight like the writers at the fall reading. What a reward for all your hard work! The next Episodes reading series takes place on Thursday, March 16 at Sugar City.
The literary community in Buffalo is growing. Everywhere you look there are writers groups forming, new reading events taking place and literary magazines being created. Our great city offers many platforms for creative expression. Peach Mag has taken that platform to the next level. its online philosophy gives writers a far greater chance to gain exposure than most other magazines that publish in the traditional paper form, especially if you are selected as a featured writer. The part that’s most exciting is that you could be selected to share your work at the reading series before a large crowd, many of whom are themselves writers. You can even have Peach Mag host one of your events. It has taken ample time and investment, but over the last three months, Peach Mag has managed to elicit community support, create a brand with the help of its esteemed graphic designer, and build a beautiful website. Peach Mag has already become a recognizable name and pillar in the Buffalo writing scene and its future is looking very peachy.
Below are links to the website and submission page
http://www.peachmgzn.com/submit
