ru’mi-nate: to chew the cud; to muse; to meditate; to think again; to ponder

In April I attended a writers conference where I ran into a familiar face. I was in Michigan where I grew up and the face was an old friend from college in California.  It was like being seven years old again and seeing your second grade teacher at the grocery store. Wait, why are you here? You only belong in front of a chalk board!

The wrong context and my inability to not make weird faces when I am confused, probably made Brianna Van Dyke (a fellow Westmont Alum) equally confused.  We quickly got excited after all the, “Wait, why are you here? What are you doing? You’re married to Jonathan?! Nice ring!” exchanges took place.

This week I wanted to feature the literary magazine called Ruminate, created by Brianna and a few other writers. 

She is currently Editor-in-Chief and if she is reading this blog post…probably finding my grammatical errors.  Aesthetically I was so drawn to the magazine simply for it’s coffee table appeal, but after reading my first issue, I can’t wait to get the next. I also attended a lecture that Brianna spoke at during the conference about the importance and value in supporting smaller independent magazines such as Ruminate. It is a non-profit magazine so they need support from people who appreciate the arts. Here are a few links to learn more….

An interview Brianna did explaining the vision for Ruminate: Click Here

Hopes for 2010 and what Ruminate has accomplished: Click Here

Past editions online: (Trust me, not nearly as cool as the “live” version because you miss out on all the cool graphic art.) Click Here

So proud of all my fellow Westmonsters. (Wow, I really just brought that name out.)  Well done Brianna–It was great to reconnect, albeit my awkwardness.