DownState Story’s 16th Annual Edition Ready for Purchase
By admin | 1st January 2008
Ten new short stories by Illinois writers, illustrated with original art, are featured in the 2007 edition of Downstate Story, Peoria’s only literary magazine. The downstate Illinois writers in this issue are Pepper Bauer of Mapleton; Connie Stepe of East Peoria; Dick Quinn of Macomb; Eric Strand of Bloomington; Bud Bartlett of Springfield; Susan Srikant of Urbana, whose story won an award in Illinois Emerging Writers Competition sponsored by the Illinois Center for the Book at the Illinois State Library; and Robert McKown of Decatur, currently an inmate in the federal prison at Pekin.
Illustrations are by Peoria area artists Ed Levene and Amy Frasca, along with Bill Whitney of Wheaton. Other writers are Kimberley Donald of Kankakee, Lorie Kolak of Chicago and Robert McEvilla of Gurnee.
Published by Downstate Story, Inc., an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, the magazine aims to present original fiction by Illinois writers and writers with ties to the Midwest as a quality alternative to today’s mass-market publishing. It costs $8 and is available at bookstores and gift shops, or can be ordered from the publisher or website.
The publication makes an interesting gift from the region, and is easily mailed.
THE FACTS
1. Limited edition. Probable collector’s item. Original art.
2. Politically correct. Contributors paid for their work. No government funds used. Union printer.
3. Something for everyone. Stories reflect diversity of authors, and include romance, horror, fantasy, mainstream fiction.
4. Promotes quality reading. Content realistic but not X-rated.
5. Promotes Illinois and Midwestern writers and artists.
6. New concept for the arts. Provides outlet for local writers and artists to reach local audiences.
7. Original work. None ever published before.
8. Quality work. Stories and art comparable to work in Harpers, Atlantic , The New Yorker.
9. No poetry.
For more info, call 688-1409.