Six Questions for Sarah Baker, et. al., Editors, Small Po[r]tions

Editors: Sarah Baker, Breka Blakeslee, Laura Burgher, Lynarra Featherly, Aimee Harrison & Travis Sharp

(Ceased publication)

Small Po[r]tions publishes short[er] work (to 1,000 words) and multi/intermedia art. Each issue has a print component with a focus on book arts and an online component featuring selections from the print issue along with media work.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Small Portions: We were not totally delusional; or perhaps, just the right amount of delusional. The rich world of small presses looked like it had space for what we had to offer, and whether the demand was actually there or not, we knew there was an opening for our tastes. The amazing community we are a part of exists because other people like us have been brave enough to take up their delusions from time to time. We wanted to be a part of this world. We were students writing and writing and wanting to try something different—to try our hand at creation, DIY publishing, stitching and designing. And most importantly, to find a decentered way to be part of this field, and learn how to spend time loving and presenting another's work as editors and publishers.


 SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?


SP: 

1. Sonic attention to language embedded in (mis)used forms
2. A balance between new and nuanced
3. A first line that leads to the end without allowing us to look away

We are interested in ways of grappling with language and themes that are underrepresented in other journals. We love the places where language is skewed, queered, embodied, and made strange.


 SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?


SP: An overly authorial voice telling a direct story with more attention to narrative or plot than language. Although, of course, this type of question is hard to answer completely honestly, as choice in anything we like happens more by instinct.


SQF: Does Small Po[r]tions specialize in a particular genre?


SP: Officially, we do not. We hoped from the start that we could include prose, poetry and new media in equal measure. We do still prefer works that exist in a middle space and are hoping to include more prose and multimedia works in upcoming issues.


SQF: If Small Po[r]tions had a theme song, what would it be and why?


SP: All the Small Things by Blink 182. Could it really be anything else?


SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

SP: “How do we handle working between online and print issues?”

Our printing capabilities are limited to small-sized black Risograph prints, so many of our distinctions between online and print publications are made based on size and color constraints. However, we feel that print publications still offer distinct graphic, editorial, and material possibilities, whereas online publications are what most people actually see. While they offer different possibilities, they are both part of the cohesive whole of the journal and are used in a particular way to showcase the work to its highest potential.

Thank you all. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

NEXT POST: 2/20—Six Questions for Maryam Piracha, Editor-in-Chief, The Missing Slate