EDIFY: Icarus Grey

Icarus Grey (they/them) is a Jewish and Sami poet currently based in the Midwest. You can find their work in Empyrean Literary Magazine, The Afterpast Review, and pieces forthcoming with Pinky Thinker Press, Public Poetry, Transients Mag, and Hyacinth Review. They have a very fat orange cat, a love of their local theatre, and dream of one day learning to play the banjo.

Your magazine must have one of the most eye-catching names I’ve seen thus far. How did the idea of founding a literary magazine catch your eye, and what’s the story behind the Periwinkle Pelican?

Thank you! I wish I could say I have some sort of profound story behind why I chose the name I did, but I really don’t. When I was trying to brainstorm names, I started with a list of things I liked, and pelicans have always been one of my favorite animals. I wanted something unique, so I settled on something to do with pelicans. I chose to go with Periwinkle Pelican because I liked the way both words sounded together. (I’m a big fan of using consonance in my work. That extends to naming things.)

As for how I got involved in the whole lit mag thing…I’ve been writing my whole life and when I properly started to put my work out into the world this past April, I stumbled onto the lit mag/indie publication community via Twitter, entirely by accident. I decided eventually that I wanted to be a part of it, and so here we are. Everyone has been so lovely.

Other than your name and staff, of course, is there something specific that distinguishes the Pelican from other literary magazines?

I’d like to think we’re slightly unhinged (in a good way, of course). Nick and I don’t necessarily try to limit the work we end up publishing, but at the end of the day I’d say a good chunk of the work we put out there is very evocative, whimsical even. We’re just silly little dudes enjoying all the wonderful silly little works entrusted to us.

Keeping this in mind, can you think of any ways in which the name of your magazine highlights certain aspects of your core mission? How would you describe that core mission?

You flatter me in insinuating that I thought ahead enough to connect our name to what we’re trying to do. If I’d have to boil things down to one single goal or mission here, I would say it’s definitely the desire to provide community. The community when I first started pursuing publication was welcoming and wonderful to me, and if we can be that to a new, emerging or poet, then I’d say mission accomplished.

Organization is certainly one of the most important aspects of the editorial process. How does that work for you? What’s the Pelican’s mechanical process for judging submissions?

Google Drive/Forms has been super important to keep organized. Using one form to centralize where our submissions live has worked really well so far, I think. I also have several different spreadsheets (I love a good color-coded spreadsheet). As far as the mechanics behind submissions, we prioritize marginalized voices in order to honor diversity in the literary sphere, so marginalized authors are given quicker response times when submitting with us (to the best of our abilities, at least—life has been nuts the past few weeks). We also try not to limit our contributors too much, but at the absolute least as long as a piece falls into one of our general categories that’s the biggest thing.

What do you look for in a submission to your journal? Have there been any memorable pieces that you were sure you needed to accept the moment you read them?

Lately, we’ve been really loving short form poetry like haiku or senryū, as well as work with expansive and intense imagery regardless of its length. I love a good piece that leaves me saying “holy fuck” by the end. There’s an incredible poem we put out at the end of August, we don’t ask the right questions by Kushal Poddar and it is incredibly stunning. Seriously guys, go read it right now.

How has your position as editor influenced your own writing? It’s common that many editors find great inspiration in the high volume of work they read in submissions. Do you find this to be the case with you?

If anything, I’d say it’s made me much more intentional and mindful with my own work. My work editing takes a bit more of my free time since I started the Pelican, and so the bits of time I devote to my own work are that much more impactful. I find myself sitting with the emotions behind my work for longer periods now, instead of just quickly writing and dismissing them right away.

Speaking of inspiration, what works and authors have most greatly influenced you on a personal level? Is there one writer with whom you most strongly identify?

I’ve always really loved Edgar Allen Poe’s work, as well as Sylvia Plath, Jaime Tworkowski, and Analog De Leon. Jaime Tworkowski has a book titled If You Feel Too Much: Thoughts on Things Lost and Found and Hoped For that changed my life. Jaime’s writing resonated deeply with me and feels very poignant and very human.

Finally, tell me something interesting about yourself that has nothing to do with the literary sphere.

I’m heavily involved in my local community theatre! I love being on stage and storytelling and music and art.

Questions by Lachlan Chu.