A Bird in the Hand, a great new zine distro based in Sydney, has given Pod People a wonderful review. It helps to confirm what a great job everyone has done in putting this issue together – our designer Chris and our writers, illustrators and photographers. Thanks guys!
You can read the review here.
Jordi Kerr
Media release dated: Monday 17 November 2008
The second installment of popular commuter zine Story To… has arrived and is centered on the theme Pod People. This issue has more pages, allowing a more ambitious grouping of literary and design talent.
Designed by Christopher Gray, Pod People has a selection of words and images by young creators from all over Australia including: Crystal Andrews, James C Spinks, Simon Smithson, Estelle Tang, Kathryn Ledson, Angela Meyer, Sean Greenhill, Sudeep Lingamneni, Jordi Kerr, Kellyanne Gentle and Richard Ibrahim.
“The theme, Pod People, was a reaction to the fact that so many people who travel on public transport bury themselves in their music. We wanted to show them the train station life they are oblivious to,” says Kate Nicholson, co-creator and editor.
“We are happy we chose an open call for submissions for this issue and lucky that we got such a large number of quality artwork emailed in to us. This has made for a very interesting collection of short fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, illustration and photography,” says Beth Keating, co-creator and editor.
Story To… was founded in July this year and is now onto its second issue. It aims to give Melbourne’s public transport travellers an intelligent and free literary alternative whilst providing publishing opportunities to emerging artists.
Story To… Issue Two: Pod People is available free from selected zine distros or as a free download from this blog.
Just a quick one to say that an article on Pod People has been published in UK online journal, Fallyrag. Thanks guys! Check it out here. And make sure you have a look at the other articles too.
Story To… Issue Two: Pod People is due out on Monday 17 November and will be available as a free downloadable PDF from this site. Very limited print copies will be available for free at the following shops and distros:
Australia
Sticky Institute (Melbourne)
Hand Held Gallery (Melbourne)
A Bird in the Hand (Sydney)
Overseas
Cherry Bomb Comics (New Zealand)
We are hoping to get copies into many more cities around the world. Issue Three and above will be global!
We have some flyers available for distribution which point readers to our website. If you’d love to help us get the word out about Story To… then email us with your postal address and we’ll send you a bunch to hand out.
Submissions for Issue Three will open shortly. We’re looking for writing (short fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, scripts, song lyrics) and images (photography, illustration, collage) related to transport and movement. The theme will be announced when we open for submissions in December.
While our ridiculously talented designer, Chris, is working hard on the layout for ‘Pod People’, Issue Two of Story To…, we thought it about time we got on to announcing those whose words and art work will be gracing the pages. So, in no particular order…
Words
Crystal Andrews
James C Spinks
Simon Smithson
Estelle Tang
Kathryn Ledson
Angela Meyer
Sean Greenhill
Images
Sudeep Lingamneni
Jordi Kerr
Kellyanne Gentle
Richard Ibrahim
Check back here soon to download your very own copy of ‘Pod People’ – free!
Well, if you haven’t already got your submission for Issue Two in to us then you have missed out. Yes, the deadline has closed and the shop is shut. For the moment at least. Now Beth and I are going to spend the weekend wading through all the great articles, stories and images we received over the last month. Boy, are we looking forward to that. No, really, we are. Then our trusty designer Chris will get straight on to the design and layout and all that jazz. Then… the launch party – a chance to celebrate the hard work that everyone has put into this issue. What fun!
If you haven’t already, sign up to the Story To… group on Facebook. It’s an easy way for us to get in touch with you whenever we have ultra-cool info we just can’t help sharing.
We just inched our way over 100 members! Help us get even more.
Filed under Networking, News
Story To… contributor Jordi Kerr discovered her passion for the written word in Grade 2 and has been putting pen to paper ever since.
ST: How long have you been writing and/or creating artwork for and why?
JK: Since I was a lil’ tacker – once I stopped the daily career changes between policewoman and baby-sitter. It was one fateful day in Grade 2, during a creative writing class, that I decided I was going to be an authoress when I grew up. At the time I didn’t realise that Grade 2 was full of such important life-lessons; only the week before we’d had a class on making jelly. The reason I’ve continued writing is a mixture of stubbornness and enjoyment – I feel more alive when I’m playing with words.
ST: The theme of Story To…, trains, is quite broad. How did you decide on your subject matter?
JK: I actually got my first inspiration from a story in mX (ha ha ha!). It started out as a story of objectophilia towards the grand old lady that is North Melbourne station, but the style made it evolve into something else again.
ST: We are currently planning the next edition of Story To… What would you like to see in there?
JK: More pages! More contributors. More mirabilary works by Miss Gentle. Just more all around!
ST: What’s the best website you’ve visited in the last week?
JK: Gotye: because I’ve fallen in love with Hearts A Mess. The other songs aren’t bad either. 🙂
ST: Assuming the Australian government has a file on everyone in this country, what do you think they have on file about you?
JK: Probably that I’m wanted for HECS debt, with a footnote about being a potential troublemaker of the low-threat variety. (I inherited a conscience that objects to unnecessary violence and unnecessarily violent weapons). And if they didn’t before then I guess they do now.
Story To... contributor, Jordi Kerr
Filed under Networking, News, They Speak
Story To… contributor Richard Ibrahim has had some of his work selected as part of a group photographic show, Picture This 08, at Brunswick Street Gallery.
Opening night is Friday 12 September, from 6pm, and the exhibition runs until 25 September.
We’ll be there so you should go too!
Designer and Story To… contributor Kelly-Anne Gentle’s fear of Parliament Station drove her to put together the inspired image for the back cover of Issue One.
ST: How long have you been writing and/or creating artwork for and why?
KG: I have been drawing and painting since I can remember. Its so cliché to say that but it really is true. My first memory of school is sticking cotton wool on a busted-up lamb I’d drawn.
ST: The theme of Story to…, trains, is quite broad. How did you decide on your subject matter?
KG: I thought I’d have a bit of fun with it. I’m a little bit frightened of Parliament station, I don’t go there very often, so I thought it might be good to have some monsters down there – real monsters, not just those people who I move away from so they don’t sit next to me on the train.
ST: We will soon be planning the next edition of Story To… What would you like to see in there?
KG: Just more of the same awesome content! 🙂
ST: What’s the best website you’ve visited in the last week?
KG: I just recently met the amazing Ivy Vine, so I am discovering Ivyology.
ST: Assuming the Australian government has a file on everyone in this country, what do you think they have on file about you?
KG: That would be telling!
Kelly-Anne Gentle - a self portrait
Visit Kelly-Anne here.
Filed under Networking, News, They Speak
Story To... 