The Origins of bordertown

This is from the 2006 edition of bordertown.  It is the staff note that was written by Charlotte Hopper.

When Dr. Brown and I began to discuss putting together this edition of the literary journal, we realized a difficult task lay ahead of us in naming the journal. The idea of finding a name may sound trivial, but really, the name sets the tone and the flavor for what readers will find inside the cover. Many meetings lay between that initial one and the one where the name bordertown was born. During that time, I lived with this task. It permeated every area of my daily life. And suddenly, there it was.

One evening, my family and I decided to watch Seabiscuit. I had seen it before but had forgotten how poetic a film it is. I became engrossed in the dialogue. At one point, the narrator speaks of a time when the country most needed a drink and its inability to get one because of the laws of this country. So they turned to the bordertown. That statement could have done one of two things--threatened my sensitivities or broadened my understanding. Thankfully, it did the second. You see, good poetry and good writing make you think. They open your mind, introduce new ideas, challenge old ideas and breathe life into dormant faculties. Literary works should serve to strengthen long-held convictions and to change outdated ones.

bordertown is meant to feel regional and look regional. It is where we are, what we are and who we are.

Thank you for the submissions.

The staff of bordertown thanks everyone who submitted works.  We have more than enough works to produce what we feel will be a quality magazine.  During the upcoming weeks, we will be selecting the pieces for the magazine and laying it out.  Final selections will be made sometime in late December or early January.  Check back for updates on what the staff is up to or to see if your work is selected.