Celebrating its launch with events in both Ogden and Salt Lake City, a new literary magazine promises a fresh voice, blending tradition with a modern sensibility. Co-founded by poets Rachel White and Ken Waldman, The Nomad takes its name from Waldman’s life as a wandering writer and musician, as well as from the Beat Generation magazine Nomad, published from 1959 to 1962. The magazine seeks to create a space that “both embraces and transcends geography,” capturing the spirit of literary exploration and connection.
The idea for The Nomad was sparked during a serendipitous meeting in Boulder, Utah, where Waldman handed White a card featuring his unpublished poem, “New Orleans Villanelle.” This encounter led to the realization that many literary treasures remain hidden, either not fitting the trends of the moment or waiting for the right audience. Inspired by this, White and Waldman embarked on a journey to discover and showcase such works, creating a community of readers and writers captivated by the power of words.
The magazine’s editorial approach is inclusive and conversational. “We wanted to create a space beyond fashion where readers can connect with heartfelt work from many types of writers,” says White, a Utah poet who studied with Jacqueline Osherow at the University of Utah. “To that end, The Nomad features short explanations from each author that give context to their piece.” Many pages of the online format also include a recording of the author reading their work.
In its first issue, The Nomad features 38 pieces from 19 authors, blending poetry, fiction, memoir and essays from both nationally-known and emerging writers. White and Waldman reached out to authors they had encountered over the years, inviting them to contribute a published piece and an unpublished one. “Many authors were thrilled to republish something from years ago that had made a splash and then disappeared from view, along with something they loved that never found its perfect fit,” says White.
The Nomad’s debut issue offers a rich variety of works that highlight the magazine’s dedication to exploring different genres and themes. Appropriate both to the inspiration behind the title of the magazine and its editorial aims, Amy Gerstler contributed a poem about Elise Cowen, a Beat poet who died young and left Gerstler hungry for more once she discovered her “intriguing body of work.” Ogden poet Patrick Ramsay says his prose poem about turning 30—which includes the line “I know I know, that growing older grows on you, but youth is a temporary meadow with soft scruff, and I guess this is the long way of saying I’m afraid of losing something I didn’t know was worth anything”—”came out fully formed, like a platypus frog or a nervous confession.” One of Joe Sacksteder’s contributions is an essay about a drop-in hockey game in Park City where Justin Bieber showed up one Tuesday night. Oregon writer Naomi Ulsted fills out a fictional “Host Application for the Alien Exchange Program.”
They have made the entire first issue available online at the-nomad.org so readers can see what it’s all about. In the future, they will make selected pieces available for free online, with the rest accessible to subscribers, who will also receive a copy of the annual print edition in October. Looking ahead, The Nomad invites submissions for its 2025 issue, themed “breakthroughs,” which can be literal, spiritual, or symbolic. While the magazine is currently a labor of love, the founders plan to establish it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing for tax-deductible donations. Subscriptions are available for $25 annually. Their first print edition, which will be about 250 pages, will be ready for the Utah Book Festival in October.
The Nomad: Launch and Reading, Happy Magpie Book & Quill, Ogden, Aug. 25, 6-8 pm.
The Nomad: Launch and Reading, Salt Lake Public Library: Sweet Branch, Salt Lake City, Aug. 26, 6 pm.
The founder of Artists of Utah and editor of its online magazine, 15 Bytes, Shawn Rossiter has undergraduate degrees in English, French and Italian Literature and studied Comparative Literature in graduate school before pursuing a career in art.
Categories: Literary Arts
