Not so Big and Ugly
So I got bored the other day and started searching for online magazines. I found quite a few, but one jumped out at me more than the others. It could be because the website is bright green and pink. It’s ‘The Big Ugly Review’, which seems to have something for just about everyone. The completely online magazine is put out twice a year, every issue having a theme. It’s really easy to go from the current issue to the past ones, plus you aren’t distracted by annoying advertisements.
The Big Ugly Review publishes not only fiction, nonfiction and poetry, but also film and music. Short films can be submitted and viewed on the site, which I thought was pretty cool. The themed idea was nice, as it links all the genres together. I liked how it brought lots of different communities to one site.
I looked at ‘The Contest’ issue of the magazine. I began perusing the fiction section, reading stories by authors I hadn’t heard of before. Since this was the contest issue, the pieces didn’t connect to one another, but they were still well written. One story I liked was ‘Road Trip’ by Nina Schuyler. The story showed the struggle between desires, those of the parents and child while on a road trip. The mom is convinced they don’t have enough water for the trip through the desert, becoming paranoid when they stop to get more, only to find there isn’t any in any gas station they find. The dad is set on attending his 92nd birthday, and the child won’t stop crying. It was an interesting look at how different people deal with 13 hour drives, which I remember from old family vacations. And if you don’t like long fiction, they have some flash fiction you can check out.
Anyway, I didn’t think the name fit the magazine, though it does stick in your head. I liked having lots of options to look at. I even signed up for the mailing list, so when a new issue comes out, I’ll get an e-mail. I’m always looking for new ways to fill up my time. Anyone know some other magazines like this one?
1 comment:
Julia,
I also like the Big Ugly Review! I appreciate how accessible it is, having no advertisements, a simple format, etc. I also agree with your title—that the review is not so big or so ugly, hah. I do see a little bit of why they can pass for using such a title, however. The review is big in that they review so many different genres. It is ugly in that, well, it is pink and green for example. I don’t think they are trying to be pleasing to the eye in a usual way. Actually, though, I really like the color scheme and format because I think it keeps it casual and funny. The bright colors keep it light-hearted, too, which pairs well with the sort of material they have—material that is not deathly serious and also that is of a high enough quality that it can be displayed on a pink and green, elementary looking page, and hold its own.
What I most enjoyed about this magazine is how it includes music and film in addition to the more typical poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. The films were thought provoking, too. They presented scenes that are interesting to the viewer and at once push deeper issues. For example, “Conversation”, http://www.biguglyreview.com/film/lev.html , is a video of a stick-figure couple going to the video store to pick out a rental and we hear their argument/conversation recounted by the narrator. It is an entertaining conversation in itself, but it also points out deeper social implications beneath. It is not shallow entertainment, but is art, and therefore, fits quite well with these other arts! Anyways, what I really wanted to say here is that I think it’s wonderful that this magazine is including films and music. This really utilizes the positive aspects of doing internet publishing—the creativity! You can include types of media that are impossible in print publications, and so much more. I feel like the inclusion of all five of these types of work here is moving things in a good direction!
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