Interview with Misunderstanding Magazine

Tell us a little bit about your small press, such as its original history?

Jim: Misunderstandings Magazine was conceived in January 2005 at a little coffee shop, Diablos, which is on the downtown U of T campus. Ian and I were still both graduate students at the time, and probably editing each other's poems and talking poetry markets. The idea came up that we should start our own magazine. / Ian: Our aim right from the beginning was to find local writers who deserved to be published; not to publish ourselves. So we worked out the initial logistics: how often to publish? how to advertise? what kind of cost would be involved? /Jim: Our first obstacle was layout and design. I was lucky enough to recruit Vicki Sloot, a friend who was finishing a degree in advertising at OCAD to meet our graphic design needs. We also found a cover artist, Julie Lottering, who would eventually turn the look of the magazine into a brand. / Ian: We now have a team of over ten people, which really takes the onus off of the original editorial board. Joseph Yau, another U of T grad does all our web work. So the magazine evolved into the meeting of different styles, like a band: Jim and I play poetry editors; Vicki hammers out our bass line; Julie provides the flashy covers; and Joseph is steady on the web.

What does being part of the small press community mean to you?

Jim: I'm a big believer in small press. For me, it's where literature starts. There are so many hungry writers on the small press platform, desperately trying to prove themselves. I think that desperation and creativity often go hand in hand. / Ian: The word community is important too. I remember the first launch, a bunch of us ended up hanging out on a restaurant patio. Since that time, MM has become its own community of sorts. / Jim: We try to publish an unpublished writer in each issue. / Ian: And Jim's been very good about attempting to create a buzz throughout the Toronto writing and publishing community. / Jim: Ian's been good at hiding. / Ian: We need a bit of both.

What inspired you to start your own small press?

Jim: Ian and I were just beginning to publish in 2005, so we spent a lot of time looking for good places to submit work. We felt that there were probably other writers like us who just didn't have immediate access to big publications based on name recognition. Our search revealed some good models: Jennifer LoveGrove's Dig was an inspiration, as well as magazines like Kiss Machine and Rampike, and the influence of Stuart Ross on the small press community in Toronto./ Ian: We also wanted to understand how literary magazines work from the inside. From the outside, the decisions often seem arbitrary. Why the long response times and lack of a personal touch? We wanted to promise a transparent process; quick response times, personal replies, acknowledgement of submissions. It was our way to show a basic respect to writers that we felt was missing in larger markets.

What projects are you currently working on?

Ian: We're currently putting together our 9th issue for a late spring release. It will feature a conversation between bill bissett and Sandra Alland, as well some fantastic art by derek beaulieu. / Jim: We're also discussing a collaboration with Devon Gallant's Cactus Press, and are hoping to release a line of chapbooks this fall that feature some of the up and coming Misunderstandings contributors. It's an expansion we feel that we can make given the amount of support that we've found in the small press community.

Where can small press fans find your press next?

Jim: Stop by our website for updates and information on how to submit or subscribe. / Ian: Issue 8 is currently available in local indie bookstores around the city such as This Aint the Rosedale Library, Pages and various Book Cities. / Jim: We try to keep the magazine affordable--$3 at the moment. And it's still a DIY venture, where each copy is assembled by hand.