Hello all who may come across this journal, and welcome to any new friends! My name is Ava Sharahy, but you already probably know me - founder of this magazine, writer, national treasure. I would say "jokes aside", but what's wrong with a little self-indulgence? And in any case, one may see this magazine as just that: another check to cross off the bucket list, the all-knowing authority over those who submit. However, despite my inflated ego, this is genuinely far from the truth. Even before I got serious about my writing, I have always wanted to start a collective to share art that deserved a platform, all centering around the strange and the surreal, stemming from the name of the journal itself.
Near my hometown, there was a road that led downwards. However, if you stopped driving and turned off your car, it would automatically drive upwards, backwards up the hill. Even though most people would give a vague answer regarding "physics" (whatever that is) as an explanation, I was fascinated from the first time my dad or sister drove by the hill to scare me, to the ghost stories I read surrounding them. Gravity roads were my real life gateway to the fictional world of horror, and consuming everything from Goosebumps to slasher films inspired me to not only write my own horror, but to discover and share like-minded works of art.
However, as of now, it's just me and another editor running this magazine. Not only does this limit the number of perspectives I want on the editorial board, but it would be extremely taxing to edit and run an entire website and magazine with only the both of us. Because of this, I'm also sending out an open call for potential editors of the magazine. So far, we need:
- A co-writing editor, who will help me review fiction and poetry.
- An arts editor, who will be in charge of reviewing our art submissions with our other visual arts editor.
- 1-2 film and music editors, who will be reviewing any short films and music that we get. - - 1-2 reviews editor, who will be looking over submitted reviews.
Experience in running a website helps, and all the editors will also be collaborating on running social media and marketing for the journal, and well as coming up with new and innovative ideas to keep the publication as fresh as possible.
For those itching to join on this passion project, Zoom or in-person interviews will be conducted from Saturday (April 3rd) to Friday (April 9th). If you are interested in interviewing, send us an email telling us the position(s) you're applying for, dates and times you're available to interview from the 3rd to the 9th, and whether you would prefer an in-person or a Zoom interview (NOTE: in-person interviews can only be conducted with residents of Bronxville, New York).
Thank you all for reading! We hope to see you interview, submit, or at the very least, read along with a soon-to-be captivated audience.
- Ava Sharahy