Seeking words, images, sense of place for new journal

“There’s a profound disconnection and dislocation in our society today,†said Brett Figlewski of Sharon. “I think a lot of our problems are rooted in a lack of identity and place.â€

Figlewski is the driving force behind a group of local writers and artists who have come together with the common idea of starting a publication that is by locals for locals.

“Writing and art are the ways people reflect on their place and community,†said Figlewski.

He is adamant that this type of journal will help draw together the minds of the Northwest Corner’s creative assets. He and the other group members also made it clear that it was important that the journal come out in print form, rather than on the Internet.  

“We want it to be tangible, grounded. We want it to be something readers can hold in their hands,†said photographer John D.C. Masters, who will be the arts editor for the journal.

The group was assembled after a meeting of the 14th Colony Artists group, whose name is based on the idea that the area where New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts comes together was once a no-man’s land — a colony of its own.

Many local residents believe this attitude extends to the present, and the community remains united, even though it is divided into three states.

Figlewski presented the idea for the journal to the 14th Colony Artists, and many joined on (although they make it clear that the project is not technically affiliated with the 14th Colony).

The journal will be called Page, and is inspired by the New England transcendentalists and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s journal, The Dial. Figlewski credits visual artist and “dormant writer†Pam White as the project’s spiritual foundation.

Page is about as grassroots as they come. The group keeps its seed money  in a Mason jar that Figlewski carries to their meetings.

At each meeting, members add to the jar whatever they can afford. Ultimately, their goal is to produce the journal with absolutely no funds raised through advertising.

Submissions for the journal will be accepted from anyone in the local area. Each issue will have a different theme, and the first will be “place.†The group encourages submissions to stretch and play with the theme idea.

“When we say ‘place,’ we mean it as a philosophical concept. We don’t want the journal to be like a travel guide,†said Figlewski.

The first issue is slated to hit area shops, galleries and libraries by February, and the deadline for submissions is (very loosely) Dec. 15. There will be a suggested donation of $10 for an issue, and the money will go directly back to the journal.

Figlewski hopes an arts and literature publication will thrive in this area. “There are a lot of creative, artistic and reflective people who live in this area. It’s fertile ground for something like this,†he said.

To submit art or writing to Page, send an e-mail to pageartsjournal@gmail.com or mail it along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Page, 310 Amenia Union Road, Sharon, CT 06069.

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