When most people think of a literary journal, they don’t picture local beers and live music, or the premiere of a short film or a pop-up gallery of local goods from makers across northern Michigan. And to be fair, maybe the creators of The Boardman Review didn’t exactly see it coming either when they launched their colloquial project in 2017.
Brothers Chris and Nick Loud hatched up the journal as a way of reconnecting with the region and meeting interesting people doing engaging or curious things. Now they are about to hit a publishing milestone some six years later with their 25th edition of the quarterly journal. Each issue combines vibrant visuals with a variety of personal stories across the spectrum of culture, the outdoors, and the making of things.
As the journal collected fans, the Loud brothers expanded the idea to include launch parties that brought each issue to life with readings, performances, and social interaction sparked from the content and the people behind it. Held in new locations each time, the events are free and open to the public and never the same twice.
The result of these events has been the creation of a cultural community and a unique networking experience that has led to many collaborations and connections over the years. It’s exactly what the creators had hoped for.
The public is invited to The Little Fleet in Traverse City on Sunday December 3rd from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for a line-up of contributors from musicians to live artmakers, to excerpts from stories featured in the issue about snowshoe pride, winter surfing in Lake Superior, and the peace of making ceramics and pottery.
For updates on The Boardman Review, follow on Instagram or Facebook. To browse past issues of the journal and content from their many collaborations, visit their website.
