Midwestern Gothic is a brand new Chicago-based literary journal that focuses on writing from and about the Midwest. Co-founders Jeff Pfaller and Rob Russell were frustrated that while the East Coast, West Coast, and the South are recognized for their distinctive writing styles, the Midwest is often overlooked. It’s their goal to change that with their new endeavor. We chatted with them about the journal and its purpose.
Q: Could you describe Midwestern Gothic? What kind of content do you publish? What’s your mission as a publisher?
Rob: “During graduate school I spent time studying American regionalist writing and noticed there was a severe lack of Midwestern literature, no real national push like there was with the Southern, Eastern, or even Western Lit. And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a shame, considering how ripe with mythology and history and uniqueness the Midwest is.’ It was born out of that, really. That was the first spark of an idea that this might be something worth doing.”
Jeff: “I think people who live in the Midwest have a very strong affinity for the region, even though it lacks the glitz and sex appeal of the East and West Coast. And there’s room for a lot of different types of people: farmers, blue-collar factory workers, urban city dwellers. That’s really what we’re aiming to capture in the fiction and poetry we feature – that ‘rough-around-the-edges’, ‘it’s beautiful ’cause it’s ours’ mentality these folks from all different walks of life carry around with them.”
Q: What made you decide to get into publishing/editing?
Rob: “Jeff and I are both writers ourselves, so we love being around good writing, especially writing by our fellow Midwesterners. For me, it was something I just had to do: Try to show the world what I see in the Midwest, how I see it, and that we are, truly, an artistic force to be reckoned with.”
Jeff: “Stories have always been a big thing for me, and that’s not just limited to literature. Movies, comics, music, and all the random things people create carry a huge draw for me. To be able to give a small slice of those stories a voice and presence where they might not have otherwise is very attractive.”
Q: Could you describe the process of choosing and editing what goes into Midwestern Gothic?
Rob: “Our aim is to showcase the very best in Midwestern fiction, from those who live here or have lived here, even those just inspired by the region, with poetry and prose that highlights what this place is like, good, bad, and ugly. Typically, that tends to be fiction that focuses on place and characters, rather than story (although, a good story is nothing to pass up). But our main focus is to really draw attention to the region, the little details, the people, and show others how we already see it, not just as the Corn Belt or Rust Belt or whatever. ”
Jeff: “Honestly, the biggest surprise during this whole journey has been both the quantity and quality of submissions we get. I’d agree with Rob, the strongest elements of anything I consider has to have characters and a setting that aren’t invisible. They permeate the whole piece. Usually, when you have that, an interesting story falls out of it.”
Q: What do you think could be improved upon in the world of literary journals? Are there any gaps you’re trying to fill?
Rob: “To be honest, as much as I love to read and as much as I love how easy it is these days for writers to connect (thank you internet!), it also produces an onslaught of literary journals—almost anyone can have an idea and do print-on-demand and market via Facebook and Twitter or put up a website. It can be, at times, just a uniform group out there, and it makes it hard for us (as a business) to get noticed. It just makes us work harder, I guess, to really put ourselves out there and produce a quality product that people want—and, so far, I’m happy to say people are enjoying what we’re putting out.”
Jeff: “The biggest gap we’re trying to fill is to provide something that celebrates the Midwest. There are a few out there that do it incidentally, or on a super-local level, but we wanted to have a platform for the whole region. One thing that I feel is lacking in most journals is a tangible identity. Not everyone has to be in a niche, but after reading a handful of them, it’s easy for them to blur together, and I think part of that is because most journals don’t pick a niche or a purpose.”
Q: What’s next for Midwestern Gothic?
Rob: “Just keep plunking ahead, really! We both love what we do here, it’s great fun. We are co-founding/hosting a reading series in Michigan called the Wednesday Night Sessions that will feature Midwestern writers/poets—I’m really excited for this. We’ll have more info on the Midwestern Gothic website later this month, but we’re aiming to have our first meeting the last Wednesday of September. Come one and come all!”
Jeff: “It’s nothing definitive yet, but we’ve tossed around the idea of creating a small press closely tied to the Midwestern Gothic ethos and publishing one or two books we really love every year. Right now, I think we’re still growing and trying to figure out how to do the literary journal right. Once we master that, then I’d say there are definite plans to expand.”
Finally, the following is a questionaire we ask all of our inteviewees:
Q: What is your all-time favorite book?
Rob: “Of all-time? Easy: As I Lay Dying. I have read it and dissected it from cover to cover more times than I could possible count. It continues to inspire me every time I flip it open.”
Jeff: “Non-fiction is The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore. I read it in college and it was one of those books that fundamentally changed the way I looked at the world. Fiction is tough – but if you’re putting a gun to my head (Rob often does) I’d have to pick the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yes, it’s genre and yes it’s obvious, but there’s something about those books that makes me feel good every time I crack them open – and they’re the reason I fell in love with reading in the first place.”
Q: What was the last book that you read?
Rob: “Story of My Life by Jay McInerney.”
Jeff: “Right now I’m re-reading Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin in anticipation of watching Game of Thrones on DVD.”
Q: What one word do you love?
Rob: “Porch swing. (Sorry, technically two words, but I do love them regardless.)”
Jeff: “Summer breeze. (Rob picked two, so I can too, right?) A lot of my favorite small moments usually involve being outside with just a little rustling through the treetops. Heaven.”
Q: What one word do you despise?
Rob: “The word ‘nude.’ Can. Not. Stand. It.”
Jeff: “My day job is in advertising, so I have lots. Most of all, I hate the word ‘creative.’ Especially when someone says something or someone is ‘creative.’ It’s just so general and overused.”
Q: Often, when crafting a piece of work, artists and writers strive to please or impress a very specific one-person audience, be it their mother, their spouse, or a high school teacher. Who do you think of in this way when crafting an issue of Midwestern Gothic?
Rob: “As an editor, I want Midwestern Gothic to be recognized by fellow Midwesterners, but our goal is to also show off to people outside of the Midwest, so I always hope they like what we do as well and are as equally impressed. I guess, on a personal level, it would be my 8th grade self I’d like to impress. Show him all that scribbling and doodling will pay off at some point in his life.”
Jeff: “Myself. My approach has been to put together a collection of stories and poetry that I’d love to read. Even if we don’t sell a single book, if we can do that it’d be worth it.”
Image by Lacie Meier. Midwestern Gothic has released two issues thus far–issue two just came out this month.
