By Mel Winter
A good friend of mine sent me the link to
this story.
'Coffee slides me into the working day before my procrastinatory urges can kick in: grind beans, brew coffee, pour, sip, open laptop... and I'm working before I've had a chance to protest'
Oh how right he is. A day beginning without coffee means a day that hasn't yet begun in my humble opinion. Anyone who has come into contact with me before my first cup will know to direct me to the coffee making equipment or put a delicious double shot cortado in my hands before they ask me any questions. The lyrics of a certain
Shortstraw song playing on radio at the moment spring to mind...
He makes some good points on the link between levels of creativity and caffeine and then in the midst of my mind wanderings and imaginings about a coffee-less world, this arrived on my doorstep:
And I was like, these guys have definitely been drinking a lot of coffee, the good stuff.
Introducing
Prufrock.
So says associate editor, Nick Mulgrew: "
We wanted a new space for new and emerging South African writers to flourish, and to bring together and celebrate the best things about literary magazines: the touch and feel of them, their attention to detail in their design and type, and a certain quirkiness and charm. We wanted something at once friendly and bespoke, progressive but not pretentious."
There is definitely the delightful feeling of yesteryear in this publication. Being a print publication ourselves we appreciate the medium of print and this is a special kind of print. Its accessible magazine format makes it easy to pick up and read a story while grabbing a coffee break. The paper stock transports you to a different time and gives you the distinct impression that you're reading something worthwhile. I'll let you make the call whether the content lives up to the worthy look and feel, but I give it my vote. I'm already licking my lips for Volume 2. Heck, it makes me want to flex my fiction muscles, who knows I might even submit something. I'm definitely telling all my closet-writer friends about it. Congratulations to the team who put this together, it's a refreshing and thought-provoking endeavour.
Available at:
The Book Lounge, Cape Town
Clarke's Books, Cape Town
Kalk Bay Books, Kalk Bay
Rattlesnake Books, Muizenberg
Ebony Design, Franschhoek
The Factory Cafe, Durban
Ike's Books & Collectables, Durban
Wolves Cafe, Johannesburg
Love Books, Johannesburg
Warm & Glad Cafe, Johannesburg
