2008 Woodie Awards
Local magazine seeks to serve local artists
Chris Garza
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Features
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Past a dimly lit dining room was a lighted staircase that led down to the premier of a new local literary magazine in Bakersfield, The Noveltown Review.
The magazine is to be put out on a quarterly basis by the group Noveltown, which is an independent literary press and online blog spot for writers who wish to share their ideas among each other and their readers.
Noveltown came to existence in the spring of 2005 by local author N.L. Belardes, and according to him, he wished to create a place for writers to exhibit hard news and opinion editorials.
Noveltown had always been an idea, but the death of a friend caused him to put these thoughts into action.
"In late 2004, I had an agent, Don Ackland, and he died in a car wreck," said Belardes, "when he died, I kind of decided to take things into my own hands, and I started media bloging and writing hard news."
It started initially as a blog center for writing, but then eventually evolved into the magazine this year. The Noveltown team consists of four main components, Belardes, Melinda Carroll, Melody Saberon and Frank Daniels, but also the various writers who contribute to its make-up.
"We wanted to grow what we were doing," said Belardes, "we are very involved in creating a community."
That is what the release of the magazine was, a night of networking among different local creative forces. A joining of local musicians, artists, authors and filmmakers filled the basement-like bar.
Hectic Films, a local film company was present to lend their support to Noveltown, and they currently created an adaptation of Belardes book, Lords: Part One, into a film.
Jason Sanders, co-creator of Hectic Films said, "there was an actual 'Lords' contest that Noveltown was holding and the film premiered at the Independent Film Festival here in
Bakersfield," said Sanders, "It's amazing what he has done already, but just to see him go a step further is amazing."
Local Artist Marisela Oropeza was also there to offer her support to the magazine.
The magazine is to be put out on a quarterly basis by the group Noveltown, which is an independent literary press and online blog spot for writers who wish to share their ideas among each other and their readers.
Noveltown came to existence in the spring of 2005 by local author N.L. Belardes, and according to him, he wished to create a place for writers to exhibit hard news and opinion editorials.
Noveltown had always been an idea, but the death of a friend caused him to put these thoughts into action.
"In late 2004, I had an agent, Don Ackland, and he died in a car wreck," said Belardes, "when he died, I kind of decided to take things into my own hands, and I started media bloging and writing hard news."
It started initially as a blog center for writing, but then eventually evolved into the magazine this year. The Noveltown team consists of four main components, Belardes, Melinda Carroll, Melody Saberon and Frank Daniels, but also the various writers who contribute to its make-up.
"We wanted to grow what we were doing," said Belardes, "we are very involved in creating a community."
That is what the release of the magazine was, a night of networking among different local creative forces. A joining of local musicians, artists, authors and filmmakers filled the basement-like bar.
Hectic Films, a local film company was present to lend their support to Noveltown, and they currently created an adaptation of Belardes book, Lords: Part One, into a film.
Jason Sanders, co-creator of Hectic Films said, "there was an actual 'Lords' contest that Noveltown was holding and the film premiered at the Independent Film Festival here in
Bakersfield," said Sanders, "It's amazing what he has done already, but just to see him go a step further is amazing."
Local Artist Marisela Oropeza was also there to offer her support to the magazine.
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