BRATTLEBORO — A new literary magazine that will challenge “popular (mis)perceptions of rural communities by supporting the visibility and creative aspirations of rural LGBTQ and POC writers and artists” will mark its launch with a party on Saturday, Oct. 19 with Touché, a tournament-style game show.
“I wanted to celebrate our contributors and invite the community into our work through play, in a way that could welcome folks who might not otherwise go to a 'literary' event,” said Desmond Peeples, creator and editor of Mount Island, which debuts online on Oct. 31.
“So we created this Frankenstein's monster of a game show, stitching classic word games and writing exercises together and lacing the rounds through with poetry and prose from our new issue,” they added.
Judges Francis Cannon, GennaRose Nethercott, and Donald Mutebi will be joined by four contestants.
Peeples will be joined by Shanta Lee Gander, managing editor, as master of ceremonies.
Sale of limited edition poetry broadsides will benefit Mount Island's fundraising efforts. Excerpts from the upcoming issue, including one from a poem to be published as a broadside - “Selections from Inferior Normal” by Tyler Orion - can be read for free at mountisland.com.