“Storytellers, by the very act of telling, communicate a radical learning that changes lives and the world”
—Chris Cavanaugh
The Basics:
belles-lettres (bel le’tr’, -trə) pl.n.[Fr, lit., beautiful letters, fine literature] literature as one of the fine arts; imaginative writings as distinguished from technical and scientific writings, esp. when characterized by a polished, highly literary style
belletrist (bel le’trist) n. a close circle of friends who share a common interest or background
Belletrist Coterie is an independent literature, arts, and culture magazine dedicated to spotlighting the spirit and ebullience of storytelling in its many forms. Our inaugural issue was released online and in print in 2012. The magazine began with a reverence for the story as an almost spiritual artifact. With its power to bind and edify, to distinguish, to upheave, to transform and guide history, and to shape the clay of the human myth in its universal tongue, the narrative represents the ongoing glossolalia of our earthly experience. As such, Belletrist Coterie is as much about looking to the ancient traditions as it is about contemporizing them. Contributors:
Our initial call for submissions was met with a torrent of original work from around the world, and our acquisitions desk has since become a vault ever-swelling with the bold, delightful, and strange. Somewhere between sifting fastidiously through the depths of this vault and cultivating an online following, we succeeded in wooing some big names and personal heroes who were eager to help us spark a true storytelling revival. Thanks to their support and enthusiasm, we have an eclectic roster of major writers, musicians, and artists lined up for Issue One. As we continue to collaborate with the world’s most passionate storytellers and story-lovers, the idea of “the coterie” strengthens and grows. The coterie now is an elegant but motley crew of venerable raconteurs, quixotic wayfarers, salty sea-pirates, reclusive linguists, travelling gypsies, shanty-singers, obsessive logophiles, and those they inspire. Won’t you join us? Our Staff:
Kimberly Lojewski, Editor-in-chief
Alice Powlen, Executive Editor
Shastri Akella, Editor
Joshua Beckerman, Editor
Violetta Beckerman, Editor
Richard Clark, Associate Editor
A new, innovative arts & culture magazine spotlighting the spirit and ebullience of storytelling in a writer or lover of belles-lettres
