Conclave: A Journal of Character to Launch at The Book Cellar in Chicago

New Characters Arrive on the Literary Scene

CHICAGO, Illinois – On Saturday, October 18, 2008, Wolfsword Press will launch its literary magazine, Conclave: A Journal of Character, with a party from 7-9 pm at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Square. The character-focused journal showcases the work of 36 writers and 15 photographers from around the world.

“Conclave is a different kind of literary magazine because of its character focus,” says founding editor Valya Dudycz Lupescu. “It has a less academic texture than many literary magazines put out by university presses. The black and white photography and bold cover art evoke a more accessible and artistic sensibility.”

Dudycz Lupescu, who divides her time between Chicago and Frankfurt, Germany, met most of her editorial team during their participation in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The Amazon online forum became a conclave for writers looking to find camaraderie and support during the competition.

After the contest ended, Dudycz Lupescu and her husband, Mark, founded ABNABooks.com, an online showcase and networking site for writers. Recognizing the high quality of talent in their ranks, the couple also created a small nonprofit publishing company, Wolfsword Press to publish Conclave, as well as future fiction, nonfiction, and poetry titles.

Dudycz Lupescu assembled an international advisory board that includes Nahid Rachlin, Maureen Seaton, Roy Kesey, Altaf Qadri, and 12 other renowned writers and photographers. The editorial staff then set out to find strong character-driven poetry, fiction, nonfiction, dramatic excerpts, flash fiction, and photography.

“The writing in Conclave is compelling,” said Dudycz Lupescu. “Kathy Coudle King’s dramatic piece, ‘A Couple of Boobs’ is a bittersweet and believable snippet of a mother-daughter relationship; award-winning author of Darkroom: A Family Exposure, Jill Christman’s ‘Burned’ is poignant and elegant; and Richard Rutherford’s ‘Mongo Hits the Mark’ is an unsettling naturalistic glimpse into fear and aggression.”

In addition to the launch, Conclave is participating in this year’s Around the Coyote Festival held in Chicago. Several of Conclave’s pieces were recorded by writers or performers and will be played in the festival hall to complement the visual arts being displayed over the October 18th weekend. Conclave Journal is also one of many locally based books and magazines to be featured in the new Publishers Gallery located in the Chicago Cultural Center.

“Conclave has generated an exciting discussion among our editors and contributors on what character really is,” said Scott Markwell, managing editor of Conclave and a Chicago-based writer, educator, and performer. “We've asked ourselves what character looks like and why it's important. Fundamentally, we believe character is core to good story-telling, rather than simply relying on the novelty of a narrative.”

The premiere issue of Conclave: A Journal of Character will be available on Amazon.com, as well as on the Conclave Journal website. The inaugural issue includes the work of Denise Duhamel, Michael S. Glaser, Mark Neely, Gérard Lavalette, Thomas Weschta, Sebastián Utreras Lizana, and many others. In addition to the Chicago Launch for Conclave, there are plans for a San Francisco Launch, and possibly a New York Launch as well.

Conclave will open for online submissions in April for its 2009 issue. Authors wishing to submit their work can visit the Conclave: a Journal of Character website at http://www.conclavejournal.com for submission guidelines.

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About Conclave: A Journal of Character:
Conclave is an annual print journal that focuses on character-driven writing in contemporary literary fiction and character-focused black and white photography. Conclave is published by Wolfsword Press, a nonprofit independent publisher based in Chicago.

All great characters had to start somewhere

Update on Conclave Journal

Exciting things in the works for October!

Conclave Journal should be ready for purchase online at Amazon.com and on the Conclave Journal website by the middle of October! You can already pre-order if you like.

We received nearly 1000 submissions of writing and photography, and they have been narrowed down to the writings of 36 contributors and the photographs of 15 photographers for our premier issue.

You're invited to celebrate the premiere issue of Conclave: A Journal of Character
at the Book Cellar, 4736-38 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, on October 18 from 7-9 p.m.

Come for the launch party. Eat, drink, listen to some readings, and enjoy the company of some interesting characters.

In addition to the Chicago Launch Party on October 18th (see the website for more information), Conclave is going to be a part of the AROUND THE COYOTE Fall Arts Festival.

ATC Festival is a multi-media arts festival featuring visual art, theater, dance, film, music, video and poetry.

This from the Literary Curator: “For this year's festival, the literary curation will feature recordings of readings / performances that will be played between theatre / music acts -- everyone in the hall will be able to hear them, though they will function as a series of disembodied voices: of characters without a play, if you will. They will be both foreground and background in terms of sound -- so it's a way of introducing the readings to the audience as something they are surrounded by but maybe can't quite identify. It won't be as though there's a seated audience, though there is a small-seated section, but on the other hand: instead of an audience of 20-30, everyone touring the visual art (usually 200+) will hear what is being played.”

They are allowing us roughly 1 and 1/2 hour of recorded poetry and prose from our inaugural issue of Conclave to be read by writers and by performers! They are also looking at a way to have a place where the journal can be sold at the festival!

There's another exciting development in the works, Chicago is getting a "Lit Lounge" at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Wolfsword Press and Conclave Journal are also going to a part of the newly-created Chicago Lit Lounge. It will be in the Randolph ground-floor lobby, on either side of the marble staircase, and it will contain books and periodicals by Chicago-area publishers and authors.

They tell me that the lounge will be a place where visitors can learn about publishing ventures that are happening in Chicago--and explore some of the publications that are being produced in the city. Each publisher will have its own space, so browsers can get a sense of its identity. Visitors won't be able to remove books or periodicals from the area; they will be allowed to browse or to read them there. They also plan to highlight six Chicago publishers per month in the Cultural Center store. Also, a computer will be built into the Lounge, so people can look at Chicago's literary websites and blogs, and order books that are displayed from publishers' websites or Amazon.

I hope to see some of you in October!

Announcing Conclave: A Journal of Character

Conclave: A Journal of Character is accepting submissions for its debut print issue, Fall 2008. We will accept submission from April 1-July 1, 2008. Prepare your fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dramatic excerpts, or photographs for submission and visit: www.conclavejournal.com

Conclave is an annual print journal that focuses on character-driven writing in contemporary literary fiction. Conclave seeks writing that centers around well-crafted and authentic characters: like Leopold Bloom, Huckleberry Finn, Anna Karenina, Hamlet, Miss Havisham, Hannibal Lecter, Hester Prynne, and others. Whether you love them or hate them, these characters are unforgettable and infuse their stories with life beyond the page. Those are the kinds of characters that we’d like to have populate the pages of Conclave: A Journal of Character.

We look forward to reading your work!

Valya Dudycz Lupescu, Editor
www.conclavejournal.com