Online literary magazine to celebrate LGBTQ writers, artists

Gay people and their voices are often ignored, ridiculed or silenced.

But a new quarterly online literary magazine in Birmingham will strive to honor and celebrate those voices.

Screen Door Review, founded by Southside resident Alesha Dawson, will publish poetry, fiction and comics from queer people in the South.

“As a country, we need these voices published to more clearly represent the literary face of the South, but as Southern queer individuals, we need our voices published because we need a home that respects and celebrates our stories instead of hiding them in a closet,” Dawson said.

Dawson will host a launch party for the first issue of Screen Door Review, to be published online in March, at Desert Island Supply Co. (DISCO) in Woodlawn on Friday, March 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Admission is free.

A Kentucky native, Dawson moved to Birmingham with her family in 2004, when she was 16.

She earned a B.A. in English from The University of Montevallo and an M.A. in English from The University of Edinburgh in Scotland and taught classes for several years at Montevallo and UAB.

Dawson started working on Screen Door Review last summer, with help from some volunteers, and took her first submissions in October.

“I feel like I have something to offer here,” Dawson said. “My experiences and my passion come together.”

It seemed to be the “right time” to start a publication dedicated to queer voices, both for her and the city, according to Dawson.

“Birmingham needs something like this,” she said.

The magazine is free and will be published online in March, June, September and December.

Dawson also intends to sell one print edition each December. “It will be a ‘best-of’ anthology,” she said.

She plans to offer a robust website with a blog, podcast and lots of information and resources for the LGBTQ community.

The launch party at DISCO will feature readings from the magazine interspersed with live acoustic music.

There will be work on exhibit from two artists -- painter Jon Woolley and photographer Sarah Dunn -- who are featured in the magazine.

Hannah Conner and Mason Atkins will provide live acoustic music.

There will also be “a huge emphasis on community dialogue and interaction,” Dawson said.

Some local queer activists will speak at the event, according to Dawson.

Screen Door Review will not only allow straight people to sample important queer voices but can serve as “a beacon to the queer community” in the South, Dawson said.

“It can say, ‘There are a lot of us here. You are not alone,’” she said.

Revelator Coffee will cater the party, which will feature wine, coffee, snacks and pastries.

For more information, go to screendoorreview.com or Facebook @ScreenDoorReview.