A Letter to the Contributors

A few weeks ago I made a chapbook for my friend's birthday. Until then I didn't realize how easy it was to print, bind, and distribute printed material. Of course, this was a very modest project; only a handful were made, but it was still very exciting to see how immediate this kind of DIY process was. I don't remember if there was any delay or if the idea came soon after, but I remember deciding: I'm going to print a magazine. This is how Fuzz Against Junk was conceived.

I made that decision before I knew who I would publish or how I would handle submissions; it just seemed too easy and too good of an idea not to do it. In trying to answer who I would publish, I thought about my time at Naropa. When I first transferred into the writing program last Fall, I didn't know anybody. After spending the last two years in small writing workshops and lit. seminars, I can say I know a lot of incredibly talented writers. One thing I noticed was that very few of them were actively trying to publish. Basically, if you weren't in those classes, you missed out on some of the best writing being done today.

I decided Fuzz Against Junk would publish those writers, the ones you've never heard of that are just as talented as some of the ones you have. I also wanted to illustrate the richness and diversity of Naropa's writing community. My only submission guidelines were that I had to know them personally and like their work; otherwise, they were free to submit whatever they wanted.

I currently have about 20-30 pages of accepted material. As I near the halfway mark on this project, I want to thank those who made the last two years great. I hope you're looking forward to the first issue of Fuzz Against Junk as much as I am.