Checking In/Checking Out & Airplanereading.org

Recently, Christopher Schaberg and Mark Yakich released Checking In/Checking Out, a two-sided book dedicated to “airplane reading.” In a continuous effort to expand airplane reading, the co-authors launched a corollary website: airplanereading.org. With the intent of collecting stories about air travel and making such stories available to the public, all stories submitted are “archived indefinitely.” The website encourages submissions of unpublished nonfiction (1000 words or fewer) related to air travel.

The categories labeling the anecdotes on the website range from Atlanta to Cell Phones and Death to Enhanced Pat-Downs. The stories are, for the most part, humorous, though not all of them are about specific experiences; rather, some are more collective such as “One Flight Stands” by Lauren Frederick. Others are pastiches, like Harold Jaffe’s “Docufictions.” And still others are serious re-tellings and explorations of how airplane travel came to affect the authors.

The spectrum of subject matter is so varied, so nuanced, that often the motif that links them to together—air travel or planes—is but a shadow. And yet, this variation is what perhaps will manifest Schaberg and Yakich’s vision, that will garner for airplane reading a vehicle to “rejuvenate the experience of flight.”

Airplanereading.org is always accepting submissions of air travel related nonfiction, and posts daily. On the right side of the web page, the link to submit is clearly marked, “Everyone has a story to tell…Submit yours here.”

 

History in the Making

With the debut of our Reading Series yesterday, February 25th, the Superstition Review time line is moving along with amazing speed.

As the publication of our first issue grows nearer everyday, we here at the magazine decided that having an Inaugural Issue interview of the staff and founders of Superstition Review is a must. As we plan on being around for quite some time, we want to capture the moment of Superstition Review’s inception. More simply put, we want something that future interns, readers, and writers of the magazine can look back on and see just how much the magazine has grown since its beginning.

Also, because Superstition Review is a completely online magazine, it is a good example of where many literary magazines will be in 20 years: on the Web. While tangible magazines aren’t disappearing anytime soon, there will be an increase of traditional magazines gracing the World Wide Web, and whole new movement of literary magazines that will start on the Web, just like us.

The benefit of an online magazine is that people anywhere in the world can read or submit their work to Superstition Review. Knowledge and creativity are present in every culture, and we want to foster and encourage those traits wherever they may be.

We hope that by offering an in-depth look at how Superstition Review was created, others will see that it is possible to create a successful magazine for the community of artists and writers in a way that is accessible to all.

As always, check out our homepage for more information, or e-mail us with any questions.