A WRITER'S LIFE

Bloomington may have a bumping music scene, but it also hosts a lively writing community driven by academia and plenty of creative people willing to write down their thoughts through various facets of literati. Through poetry and short fiction magazines, as well as live poetry readings, local minds bent on the written word get their 15 minutes of fame.\nMagazines\nArea publications for local writers include Labyrinth, sponsored by Indiana University's Honors College, and Canvas, sponsored by the IU Union Board, creative magazines geared towards students. Both publications run poetry, essays and short fiction, as well as visual art and photography. \nCanvas reaches publication once in the fall and once in the spring semester as an insert in the Indiana Daily Student.\n"Canvas gives students the opportunity to share their thoughts, ideas and writing talent with the IU community," says IU Student Director Mary Hansell. "Canvas does not only affect those published, but also those in the community that will read the magazine, because they will be reading the thoughts and ideas of another person."\nPublished yearly, Labyrinth comes out every April and can be picked up at the Honors College at 326 N. Jordan Ave. A volunteer, self-selected staff runs the publication, and all of the work comes from undergraduates, this, according to Edward Guber, faculty advisor to Labyrinth. \nAnother local literary magazine, Bathtub Gin, runs independently and supports itself by charging for advertisements and by being sold at area bookstores. Its submissions are open to the public, giving IU English professors and other ambitious Bloomington writers an opportunity for publication. \nFounded in 1997 and published by Pathwise Press, Bathtub Gin's founder, editor Christopher Harter, arranged worldwide distribution for the magazine by Empty Mirror Books. Issues are distributed throughout America, as well as specific locations in India, Armenia, Japan and other countries. \n"For local writers (outside of IU), Bathtub Gin is about the only place to see their work in these parts," says Harter. "It is their stage, concert, gallery, etc."\nIssue 14 includes Joe Kerschbaum, Hiromi Yoshida and Andrew Kenower, who Harter considers some of Bloomington's best writers. Bathtub Gin is currently accepting submissions for Issues 15 and 16 until Sept. 15.\nIn addition to local magazines showcasing the talent of local authors, the Indiana Review gives Bloomington residents a concise view of the nation's best authors. Indiana Review is a biannual not-for-profit literary journal edited by IU students with partial support from of the Department of English. It is published by NcNaughton & Gunn, Inc. and is distributed by Ingram Periodicals. With submissions from all over the world, it reaches a national audience at popular bookstores including Barnes & Noble and Borders Books. \nMany students buy and subscribe to the two issues each year, and it is common for professors of introductory creative writing courses to use it as assigned reading. Despite the connection to IU, the Indiana Review has a policy of not accepting work from any student, staff or anyone else currently or recently affiliated with Indiana University. Book reviews are the exception.\n"It would represent a conflict of interest, as possible nepotism could arise, and we'd like to avoid those kinds of situations," says editor Esther Lee.\nLee is assisted by associate editor Grady Jaynes, as well as poetry editor Kyle Dargan and fiction editor Will Boast. All four are students in the three year creative writing program, and are thus seeking their Masters of Fine Arts degrees from IU. \nIndiana Review's latest issue, released in May, is a special edition devoted to the theme of being stuck between cultures. It features essays, fiction, interviews, graphic arts, poetry, reviews and comics.\nArea authors \nTwo area authors are successful enough to be writing full-time. Both Stuart Sayger and Douglass Wissing received their bachelor degrees at Indiana University. Sayger is an independent comic book writer working from his home in Indianapolis, and Wissing is an independent non-fiction writer basing his operations out of his home in Bloomington.\nSayger has been writing comic books for years after earning his degree in journalism. His black and white comic debut, "Girl Crazy," was a one shot issue done completely by him; he created, wrote, penciled and inked it. "Girl Crazy" was published in September 2000 by the COMIC GIANT and reached the shelves of local comic book shop Vintage Phoenix. Currently, Sayger is working on a horror comic series, "Shiver in the Dark." Again, he does this comic solo, and this time, he is also the colorist. Sayger has had to work hard to get the series published and distributed by Diamond Comics Distributors, which takes the comic all over North America, to Europe and as far away as Australia. \n"My comic books come out sporadically, but summer is the comic book convention season, and I want to have my books ready for them," says Sayger, who is set to release Issue Three of "Shiver in the Dark" at Vintage Phoenix this July for $2.95. \n"This series is a traditional story about the forces of evil out to get this young girl who just got to college. Instead of killing her, they work to recruit her into their legion," says Sayger. "It is nightmarish horror with a lot of intangible aspects to it." \nSayger plans to come to Vintage Phoenix to sign his comic books this August.\nUnlike Sayger, who finds himself in comics, Wissing is a successful writer who just completed his third full-length book, "Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton." It has had success, \nselling out quickly, says Amanda Bibb-Crane, an employee of Book Corner. Wissing has a booksigning lecture called "Indiana and Tibet: A Century of Connection" scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. in the Monroe County Library on East Kirkwood. \n"I consider myself a nonfiction writer and a world traveler," says Wissing. "I like to concentrate on the interplay between humans and their environment."\nFor his third book, he uses his bachelor degrees in history and political science to tell the "history" of Dr. Shelton's pioneering adventures in Tibet, which where based on his Scotch-Irish roots in America. After living on the Scotland-England border and being treated like the Irish, who were on a foreign isle, the Scotch-Irish were relegated to low-class status in British society. This standing caused them to be sent to pioneer the rugged western expanses of the new American colonies. They were forced to fight "the injuns," as Shelton experienced frontier violence similar to that of Daniel Boone's era, according to Wissing. Dr. Shelton represents a long line of westerners traveling to a strange land and dealing with exotic people.\nWissing started writing during his business career writing advertisements for his company. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to take a risk after his son graduated from IU. In 1994, he traveled the world and then started writing full time from Bloomington. Wissing's first two books were more informational such as "Guidebook to Indiana: Traveling the Ohio River Scenic Route" and "Scenic Drives Indiana."\nYou can visit his Web site at www.douglaswissing.com.\nPoetry on the mic\nNot only do local authors express themselves through the written word, they also read their works aloud and entertain others in live acts during open mic nights and poetry slams. Open mics are non-competitive events, giving poets an evening of relaxed poetic speech. \nUncle Fester's, 430 E. Kirkwood Ave. (323-1159), hosts free open mics on most Mondays starting at 10:30 p.m. The Runcible Spoon, 412 E. 6 St. (334-3997), also hosts free open mics on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. \nPoetry slams, on the other hand, are a competitive version of open mics. During the regular academic year, the IU Union Board occasionally hosts poetry slams at the Indiana Memorial Union on the weekends as a free form of entertainment for students. \nNot only during the summer semester, but all year long, the Matrix poetry slams at Gallery West Espresso, 702 West 5 St., several blocks west of campus, can be enjoyed by all. \nMatrix is a not-for-profit organization which provides many outlets for creativity in Bloomington, including open mic poetry reading and open receptions at visual art galleries. You can find out more at www.matrixmag.com.\nDuring the most recent poetry slam this past Friday, Gallery West Manager Lacy Davis, had only positive comments about the experience.\n"The show is awesome. It's usually standing room only," says Davis. "They keep you on your toes!"\nPeople generally start signing up at around 7:30 p.m. for the slam, and there are several rounds during which all of the contestants get to recite or act out one poem with a three minute time limit. The winner is chosen after the final round and receives a cash reward based on the entry fees of $1 from all the contestants. \nAccording to Davis, most of the writers create their poetry on the spot, but some write it down and memorize it. Much of what is said is controversial, so the show is not for children. \nA consistent poetry slammer is T.J. Bloomfield, a baker at Gallery West.\n"His stuff is off the wall!" says Davis.\nBloomfield does impromptu poetry and recites his written work about many issues including domestic violence. Some of his poems have been published, including "The Epic of the Psychedelic Warrior," which often gets rave reviews from the crowds he entertains. As a competitor and observer, he enjoys the entire poetry slam experience.\n"(Slams) are fast-paced and really interesting," says Bloomfield. \nAll in all, Bloomington is a diverse college town with educational opportunities and lots of loud, boisterous fun on and off campus. As an IU student and Bloomington resident, you would be amiss to ignore the local writing scene. Adding to the independent music and theater communities, those that follow the printed and spoken word add an artistic niche to the town. Reading or writing with these authors in their element may fill a void that cannot be fulfilled by Wednesday night binge drinking or "The exciting conclusion of 'American Idol!"