the online magazine for the creative writer in us all

It all began with a conversation with an old friend of mine...

I've been involved in some form of writing (songs, poetry, copywriting, as examples) for over 20 years now. However, some of the things I've written have mostly stayed in my writing file here at home due to, well, the insecurities that come with putting your life, feelings, etc. on paper. Not as easy to hide, see? Unless you never pull out the file to show anyone, which is how I've pretty much handled my songs and poetry.

In 2000, however, during a particularly difficult time, I wrote a poem about where I was at during that time. (In fact, that poem, "Where I'm At", is my own contribution to our first issue.) I felt like I wanted to do something more with it, but didn't know what. I shared it with a coworker/friend, who said a lot of nice things about it and encouraged me to submit it to someone.
So, my search began for magazines—print and electronic—where my poem would be a natural fit. Finally, I found one that I felt embodied what I was wanting to do with my poem. After sharing my findings with my friend, she strongly encouraged me to submit it to them. I did, breath held.

Luckily, I started breathing soon after that, because it was three weeks before I received an acknowledgment of its receipt. Unfortunately, with that notice was the news that this particular magazine was folding without hope of another issue being printed.

I was obviously discouraged. I really felt like this magazine was the one to be the first to publish one of my poems, this piece of my life's history that I was crazy enough to try to share with the world. (Not that I think I'm a terrific writer, but I was choosy about where it was to be published.)

The next morning, I went to work and shared my discouragement with my friend. She looked at me with her trademark "matter-of-fact" look and said, "Well, I guess we'll need to start our own, then, won't we?"

That day seems like it's been a forever ago. And now, here we are...

"The Coffee Press Journal".