We started the Thieving Magpie seven years ago with very little in the way of experience or a plan. Our only real goal was a selfish one: tired of getting mercilessly and repeatedly rejected by established legacy literary journals, we figured we would start our own magazine and publish our own work. The internet, still a new frontier, made it easy to jump into the expanding pool. We would pretend to be a legit magazine, publish our poems and stories, then consider ourselves published writers and poets. Not just easy – dotcom easy!
But something happened on the way to a self-serving endeavor. Actual poets, storytellers, photographers, painters – real artists – crawled out from behind their desks, gurneys, offices, classrooms and neighborhood pubs to send us genuine gems. Being who we are – the Thieving Magpie – our instincts for lining our nest of mayhem with such sparkling art was irresistible. Every day our inbox was filled with eager artists sending us their work, seeking inclusion in our next issue. And with every season each new issue grew more robust, more vibrant, more genuine. With no time to think of our own personal glories, we dove in, talons sharpened, to create and nurture this budding community, this international hodgepodge of artists, this Parliament of Magpies. Artists entrusting us with their passions and creations was humbling, and a real honor, even for the mischievous Magpie.
Seven years goes by fast, doesn’t it? It’s a lucky number and, since the die has been cast, there is no going back. And since there’s no going back, we will shake those dice in our hot little claws and let it ride!
Our 8th year promises to be as adventurous and mischievous as ever as we dip our beak into new publishing ventures and explore print and book world. You’ll never know if you don’t roll the dice. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, this 7th Anniversary Issue 28 promises to be our best yet, with writers from all over the world and the country telling some hard stories and singing some hopeful songs (https://thievingmagpie.org/category/current-parliament/). We are a country and world in flux and conflict. Artists not only reflect that conflict they seek hopeful paths to peace. So please take some time to read and reflect this holiday season. And take a look at our artist bios to learn who these wonderful artists are (https://thievingmagpie.org/category/current-parliament/about-the-artists/).
Reminder: we are now a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Feel free to send your tax-deductible donations by clicking on https://thievingmagpie.org/donations/ or texting “TTMAGPIE” to 44321.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!