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.

Published by Valya

Valya Dudycz Lupescu has been making magic with food and words for more than 20 years, incorporating folklore from her Ukrainian heritage with practices that honor the Earth. She’s a writer, content developer, instructor, and mother of three teenagers. Valya is the author of MOTHER CHRISTMAS, THE SILENCE OF TREES, and the founding editor of CONCLAVE: A Journal of Character. Along with Stephen H. Segal, she is the co-author of FORKING GOOD: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place and GEEK PARENTING: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent, and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family (Quirk Books), and co-founder of the Wyrd Words storytelling laboratory. Valya earned her MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her poetry and prose have been published in anthologies and magazines that include, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Kenyon Review, Culture, Gargoyle Magazine, Gone Lawn, Strange Horizons, Mythic Delirium. You can find her on Twitter @valya and on Mastodon.social @valya

4 thoughts on “Conclave: A Journal of Character to Launch at The Book Cellar in Chicago”

  1. hollyheartfree says:

    I’m SO exzcited for you. Wish I could be there with you but know that my heart and energy are directed toward you as you take a really important personal and career step.

    Blessings of inspiration and story-telling to you!

  2. red_tess says:

    Many congratulations to you on this endeavor – what an amazing project! I am really excited about your impending success (and all that you are sharing with these other artists, too!)…

  3. traveler64 says:

    Pre-ordered mine through your site!

    And congratulations. This is a great endeavor and I wish you all the success. As for your non-profit publishing business… is there a place I can send you a private message? ***bats eyelashes*** Ok, I’ll be serious here.

    I can hardly wait to read Conclave. Besides… I love the name. 🙂

    I wish I lived anywhere near Chicago… so that I can go to the party. This is the kind of entreprise and success that gets me going.

  4. alana_scyleia says:

    That is wonderful! Good to see it, it looks very sharp.

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