Tag: #VisualArt

painting of a woman riding on the wing of a plane by Pam McMillan

When Art Follows You Home

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One of the unexpected joys of editing a literary magazine is discovering artists whose work stays with you long after you’ve finished the issue.

That happened to me recently with a painting by Pam McMillan that appeared in Instant Noodles Literary Magazine. I admired the piece so much that I reached out to Pam and purchased it.

Pam began drawing as a student and later studied watercolor with artists Hank Meier, James Toogood, and Sarah Yeoman. Her artistic interests also include acrylic painting, pastels, and photography. Drawing inspiration from both her travels and her imagination, she creates work that is colorful, inviting, and full of personality. Along the way, she has earned numerous awards at the Delaware State Fair, belongs to several local art leagues, and teaches watercolor painting.

What struck me most about this particular painting was its sense of movement and joy. Some artwork simply makes you stop scrolling and look a little longer. This was one of those pieces.

One of the things I love about literary magazines is that they introduce us not only to new writers, but also to talented artists we might never have discovered otherwise. Every issue is filled with opportunities for unexpected connections.

This time, one of those connections followed me home.

Do you collect art? What moves you to buy a piece?

What Is miniMAG, and Why Old Scratch Press Is Stepping Into Its Pages?

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If you’ve never encountered miniMAG before, it’s a literary space built around immediacy, intensity, and voice.

Known for publishing short, powerful work, miniMAG has created a home for writing that lands quickly and lingers. It’s a platform that embraces experimentation, emerging voices, and pieces that don’t always fit neatly into traditional categories. The emphasis has often been on brevity, but more importantly, on impact.

Which is exactly why it’s such an exciting space for Old Scratch Press to step into.

For this upcoming issue, we’re not curating the work. We are the work.

Old Scratch Press is taking over the issue as contributing writers and artists, bringing a collection that reflects the range of what we do. That includes longer pieces alongside shorter ones, visual work alongside written, and voices that move between forms rather than staying confined to one.

This isn’t about fitting into a format. It’s about expanding it.

You’ll find work that holds tension, work that experiments, work that stretches. You’ll find pieces that are immediate and pieces that take their time. And yes, you’ll find writing that pushes beyond the expectation of what “mini” might suggest, and art as well. Many of us make with words and with other mediums too.

At Old Scratch Press, we care deeply about voice, about risk, and about creating space for work that feels alive on the page. This issue of miniMAG gives us the opportunity to bring that energy into a platform already known for bold, concentrated storytelling, and to widen the lens just a bit while we’re there.

We’re proud to be part of it.

Stay tuned for the release date.