New Lit on the Block :: The Bad Version
The Bad Version is a new print, digital and online quarterly of fiction, poetry, and “essays of the young and curious.”
The Editors of The Bad Version are Sanders I. Bernstein, Pat Chesnut, Mark Chiusano, Christian Flow, Daniel Howell, Teddy Martin, Kevin Seitz, James Somers, Daniel Wenger, and Esther Yi, with Art Director Trevor Martin and Staff Illustrator Sally Scopa.
Editor Teddy Martin explains the unique approach behind this new venture: “Launched in November 2011, The Bad Version is a new take on the literary-cultural magazine. Its name comes from the collaborative art of screenwriting, where the first attempt at a scene, that wild idea that gets the process going, is called a ‘bad version.’ Likewise, this magazine is dedicated to beginnings: to pieces that are taking risks, trying to broach new ideas, experimenting with new forms, starting new conversations. With each piece — fiction, poetry, or essay — followed by a short response that offers an alternate perspective on the subject at hand, The Bad Version’s novel structure immediately immerses the reader in an active dialogue, which continues on the publication’s website.”
Inside The Bad Version, readers can expect to find “thought-provoking essays on a range of topics pertaining to young life in America today; engaging short stories by up-and-coming young writers; and heart-stopping poetry — along with responses, by editors, contributors, and readers, to these pieces.” Visitors to the publication’s will find ongoing response threads to pieces, as well as a blog, which features “original content and innovative thinking.”
As for the future of The Bad Version, Martin says, “Since publication is all about conversation and expanding what a literary magazine can be, we have always thought of our project as encompassing much more than simply publishing our quarterly journal. In the next year, we plan to expand our community and hold regular collaborative artistic events in the NYC area, where artists and non-artists can come together and share ideas, respond to each other, and generally make things better. We are also committed to education, and will be rolling out our educational initiative in the fall, in the NYC area – furthering our goal of getting people excited about the lifelong practice of writing and sharing ideas with each other.”
The Bad Version accepts submissions of poetry and fiction, and looks for essay proposals for non-fiction content. All submissions are accepted by email. See the website for further details.
