Five Fishes Journal

We got in touch with the two co-editors over at Leaf Garden Press to discuss the way the website as well as the people who run it function. Melanie Browne and Robert Henry, the two co-editors, also write in addition to running the literary journal. They each have had a substantial amount of work published and their website continues to flourish. No pun intended.

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Five Fishes: Being a writer and an editor at the same time can be a pretty heavy load. What are the differences in pleasure that you get in having your own work published versus publishing the work of others?

Melanie Browne: I have a sense of pride in the stories and poems we publish. I think it’s a lot of fun to see their work come to life online. We try to pass on compliments we get on the work  along  to the writers. They earned it. We let them know.

As far as my own work, I have to work pretty hard. I get a lot of rejections also, along with some acceptances, and submitting can be a time-consuming process as well.

Robert Henry: Publishing the work of others seems like it matters a lot more than having my own work published. I’m not sure if this is because I don’t really write about anything, or because it’s a lot easier to be objective about other people’s art. The biggest difference is that I tend to still enjoy their work by the time we’ve published it in Leaf Garden. I think the actual process of writing is much more important than getting published, but once something is finished, what else is there to do with it besides eventually ship it off to someone’s inbox or set it on fire? (I do both.)

F.F.: Is there any sense of competition there?

M.B.: Not really. There are so many talented writers in the world. I enjoy writing  and I know others do too, for the same or different reasons.

F.F.: When and how did you start up your own literary journal?

R.H.: It was towards the end of 2008 when I became interested in publishing (again.) At the same time I remember watching this movie about a social experiment. This experiment was a record label that allowed the artists to have complete control over their music. I really liked that, and I thought I could apply it to literature. A friend and I designed a hand-bound collection, but he flaked on this project before distribution.

So, I started looking for someone to help me try again. I guess I’m obsessed with books but prone to false starts. A few months later, I remember e-mailing Melanie (a stranger at the time) a poem in response to one of her poems. We’ve been friends since, and then everything kind of started to fall into place with Leaf Garden.

F.F.: How does the co-editing process work? I mean, how do you two split up and share the responsibilities and duties that come along with the job?

M.B.: We both read and accept and reject. Robert is younger than I am, so he might be up at 2 am reading submissions. We work as one mind, which is unusual. We agree on almost everything. Occasionally he likes something I’m neutral on, or vice-versa, but we trust each other’s judgement.

R.H.:

We’re not very organized about splitting up the work. In general, we both handle submissions, often discussing them. Sometimes we “go rogue” and accept and reject on our own. We rarely disagree on things, though. This freedom as co-editors allows the journal to remain more eclectic, which is really important for me. Even if Melanie accepts work I’m not too keen on, it has my support. I know she has good tastes.

I handle all the technical junk like the website and the designing of the issues and books. Essentially, I’m the maintenance guy on top of being a co-editor.

F.F.: Do either of you ever want to fire the other? Be honest now.

R.H.: Hah. No. As much as I like publishing people’s work, the friendship with Melanie Browne is honestly the best part about co-editing the journal. If there’s a point where she needs to stop being co-editor, I’ll probably never find another co-editor that I get along with so well.

M.B.: Yes, or vice-versa, we get into tiffs now and again. I wouldn’t call them arguments, just misunderstandings. It can be a challenge to communicate everything online.

F.F.: What advice would you give to other writers about time management?

M.B.: Writing is hard work, and even if it isn’t how you earn a living, you are essentially working two jobs if you are a writer. Sometimes you just have to be lazy too. Watch VH1.

F.F.: If Robert Frost and William Carlos Williams both (somehow) submitted work to your journal and you were only able to publish one of the two, who would you choose?

M.B.: I guess  William Carlos Williams because I like chickens and wheelbarrows.

R.H.: I’d reject both. I don’t put up with ultimatums. So if you talk to them, tell them I said, “Nyeh.”

F.F.: Lastly, what inspired you to start writing in the first place?

M.B.: I originally kept a blog on Myspace, as a way to express myself. Then I was introduced to some poet friends, and I gave poetry a try.

R.H.: I wanted to start a revolution. Actually, I don’t know. There was no defining moment where I said, “Oh, I’m going to be a writer.” I never felt like I had an important purpose or story to tell. I just started writing very young. I was/am the type of kid that just sang/sings random words, and it seemed like these things should be on paper. I think instead of imaginary friends, I had pieces of paper. I remember the first time I read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen when people ask me this question. It was the first book I read that really blew my mind with some of its implications about being a human being. I think this book led to my first attempts at writing fiction. I was an impressionable ten-year-old boy, but I’m still in love with that book. It used to seem important to leave behind some kind of legacy. Maybe that’s it?

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Five Fishes wants to gratefully thank both Melanie Browne and Robert Henry for doing this interview. I really enjoyed asking these two fine folks about their passions, and I admit that I giggled at some of their responses. A good insight into the lives of both editors and writers, right? Right. Be sure to check out Leaf Garden Press when you get the chance, too.

- C.J.