Overview
In 16th-century England, John Donne had the freshest flow around. The boy could wield a quill (see above). Plus, by the time he turned 17, he had obtained degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge. Yet, as Wikipedia sadly records, "despite his great education and poetic talents, Donne lived in poverty for several years."
Half a millenium on, and it seems that the fate of brilliant literary creators has not radically changed. Take Melbourne-based curiosity journal Ampersand, for example. Despite blowing minds worldwide through issues 1-5 (even rating a small mention in Huffington Post's '11 Amazing Magazine You've Never Heard Of'), their sixth instalment almost didn't make it out alive.
Dead broke just before print date, the publication had to solicit funds from readers to get Issue #6 off the ground. And, oh boy, did the readers deliver (or over deliver, we should say). As a result, we are pleased to announce that the latest Donne-inspired edition of Ampersand, 'One Little Room', will be hitting all good bookstores this morning. And you can grab your copy for a mere $15. Rejoice.
Furthermore, the Ampersand team will be celebrating issue #6 with a launch party. Hosted by Redfern's 107 Projects, the night will feature live readings from contributors Darren Hanlon, Jesse Cox, Lucy Lehmann, Nick Coyle, Alice Gage and Charlie Garber, as well as free beverages from Batlow Cider.