I have been looking for interesting websites/magazines/blogs to try to get published on or inspired by. On such a googling attempt, I stumbled across my current obsession- http://paperdarts.org/. This website is stunning. The design is clean, modern, and hip. If you know me very well, you know that aesthetics are important to me. Design, art, and fashion.  I think it is all interconnected and equally valuable.

Writing also pairs well with these things. The site features fiction, poetry, nonfiction, culture, and art.  All of the writing they use feels contemporary and fresh. The pieces are concise, beautifully bizzare, and often amusing. It is an extremely well cultivated site.

The art is sometimes presented on its own. Sometime it is used to illustrate the writing. I formerly subscribed to Juxtapoz magazine, which features contemporary and underground artists. The art on Paper Darts is reminiscent of the work in Juxtapoz.

While perusing the site, I noticed that the staff is located in Minneapolis. I was not looking for local magazines. And yet, the best designed/written website I have seen in some time is based here. Damn. I do love this city.

While looking at the contributors section, I followed a link to a blog. The blog is http://thetangential.com/. It too is fabulous. The tagline for the site is: Don’t be boring. Don’t suck. This site does neither one of these things. It is a commentary on all kinds of culture- relationships, TV, Google glasses, writing, Bloody Marys, etc. It is snarky. It is funny. And it is aimed at roughly my age bracket. (“Our Dream Cast for a Live-Action Version of ‘Doug’”) And again, the writers are all based in Minneapolis.

I came to a few conclusions from these discoveries. They are a bunch of talented writers/designers that live in Minneapolis. (I mean I knew that, but this really slapped me in the face with it.) These people are doing great, great things. I need to do more/some/any great things. I need to befriend these people. I certainly could use more writer friends.

Inspired by these conclusions, I have decided to drag myself to a writer’s group at my local library. I have no idea what to expect. I don’t think any of these particular writers will be there. But who knows? Maybe I will meet someone that likes to drink wine, walk their dog around this beautiful neighborhood, and writes amazing poetry/nonfiction/fiction.