Liner Notes: July 2012

“The waiting is the hardest part….”

That’s a line from a song of the same name by my all time favorite band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. And waiting to release this issue has been hard.

This month we’ve turned Hippocampus Magazine into a mixtape of creative nonfiction. Our first theme issue is dedicated to rock ‘n’ roll. The nine tracks, er, essays, listed below, explore friendship, family, relationships, obsessions, illness, all to the tune of favorite–or not so favorite–artists and bands, old and new.

The essayists taking stage in this issue were inspired by musicians and singer/songwriters such as David Crosby, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Aerosmith (OK. Steven Tyler), the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Sarah McLachlan–and genres like Motown, punk and even kids’ music.

As I worked on this issue I reflected back to my own childhood–raised by a DJ and a singer/songwriter (with an act called Cuddle Up & Tony T.), I spent my a good chunk of my childhood traveling around the Northeast in a big, green van to campgrounds, festivals, honeymoon resorts and other Pocono tourist traps.

As you read these stories, may you fondly recall your own memories, milestones and road trips.

Read the full issue now.

This special issue could not have been possible without the assistance of the Hippocampus reading panel and copy editors. Special shout out to Ally Bishop, reviews editor, for coordinating music-themed nonfiction reviews for this issue, and also to Lori M. Myers, interviews editor, for landing a Q&A with such a distinguished rock ‘n’ roll publisher/journalist.

Feel free to share these stories with others; there are social sharing buttons on each story. Also, there’s a special hashtag for this issue: #hipporocks. Finally, we hope that you will share your feedback and even your own memories in the comment section of a story or two.

Rock on,

Donna Talarico

Founder/Publisher

P.S. Our next special issue will be in November 2012, when we’ll publish the six winning stories in the Remember in November Contest for Creative Nonfiction, with a grand prize of $150 and $400 in total prizes.