I’m T.R. Benedict and I’m really excited to start editing and blogging for Broad! I heard about the magazine from a friend and had a piece published in the Spring 2012 issue. I later applied for the assistant editor position because Broad!’s mission resonates with me: to raise consciousness of unequal representation in the literary world while publishing all kinds of creative work by women. Stories are powerful in all forms, and I think that we should be critical of whose stories are being heard and how that shapes our attitudes. I think the way that literature is categorized- genre classifications based on gender, ethnicity, or sexuality, for example- are telling as well, and worth discussion. To create platforms for all kinds of writers without creating restrictive or tokenizing categories may be a challenge, but it’s one worth undertaking.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I tend toward poetry, creative non-fiction, and the occasional flash fiction, but I’m interested in work of all genres (and work that defies genre!) I try to read widely; my latest literary obsessions include Joan Didion and Richard Siken. I also enjoy making art, and I look forward to seeing what kind of visual submissions we receive.
In addition to literary and feminist issues, I hope to explore media, art, queer topics, and more in my blog posts here. This is my first real blogging experience, so input is appreciated. And of course, keep the submissions coming!
Broad! 