About

What is an outsider?

Consider the “outsider” of “outsider writers” a general term describing a person who willingly participates in writing communities outside what would be considering mainstream. The independent and micro-presses, the bloggers, and the scribblers united by the source of their motivations: passion. An outsider does not compromise themselves for anything. Sad, in a way, that the passionate are on the outside.

Check out this beautiful post by our own Pat King for a more in-depth look.

Any history?

The group started in December 2008 after a former group, the Guild of Outsider Writers dissolved.  The Guild was founded by Pat King, Marissa Ranello, Victor Schwartzman, Leopold McGinnis and J.D. Finch in February 2007. The Guild’s inner circle included some of the best outsider writers in the small press.  Karl Koweski, Brian Fugett, Kathy Polenberg, Michael Grover, Charles P. Ries, Melissa Hansen, and John G. Hall were among the list of later recruits to the movement. The current incarnation was founded by Pat King, David Blaine, Aleathia Drehmer, Caleb J. Ross, Tim Hall, Lynn Alexander and Victor Schwartzman . There are currently over 700 members of the community collective, and the social network continues to grow with over 2,500 Facebook contacts. The group evolved further, and in 2008 began publishing short run chapbooks of poetry and prose, beginning with Justin Hyde’s Down Where the Hummingbird Goes to Die (as part of the Jack Micheline Memorial Poetry Contest). In 2009, the efforts were ramped up, publishing two more chapbooks, with plans to continue.	(The Past)
	(The Less Past)
	(The Current)

Current OWC  Editors/Contributors:

Pat King: Chief Bad Mojo of Collective Operations.  Writer and editor.  Bug eater.  Feet ‘o bad smells.  The Redneck Kafka.
David Blaine: General contact and janitor, David is a practicing poet.  He lives and works in rural Michigan with his family and cat.
Caleb J Ross: Expert Amateur. On a good day he posts reviews, interviews and other general content. On a bad day, he gets drunk and deletes it all.
Tim Hall: Toucher of Naked Opinions. He was given a 5% chance of survival at birth and has been beating the odds ever since. He lives in a house in America.
Mel Bosworth: scavenger of lit snippets the virtual world over.
Nik Korpon: thought producer and full-time part-timer
Victor Schwarzman: Editor of Agit Prop 101 and overseer of reviews.
Joseph M. Gant: Vagabond poet, and contributor a la carte.
Pela Via: imbiber and poster of fiction
Lena Vanelslander: poet herself and poster of others’ work
Federica Nightingale: poet also and equally guilty poster of others’
Cheryl A Townsend: Photographer of all you can’t see, poet of spent juices and lover of all that grows naturally. She rocks the Calls for Submission.
Scot Young: Gonzo interviews and reviews.
Paul Toth: Presence gracer and word smith.
Jaria Cecil Sowl: Professor of Post-Reality Studies.
Madrea Marie: Publicity Director.