FOREWORD
When we decided to create Conclave: A Journal of Character, we knew that our focus would be on character-driven writing and photography, so we sought out a name for our literary magazine that would reflect the assembly of all those characters, as well as the artists and writers who dream them up. We chose conclave because it means a gathering, a private chamber, a room that may be locked. It has the Latin roots of com (meaning “with” or “together”) and clavis (meaning “key”).
During my first year as editor, I was delighted to receive more than one thousand submissions from a high caliber of writers and photographers. After assembling an advisory board of distinguished professionals, we challenged ourselves to find the best character-focused work out there. We received many strong pieces that did not fit our vision, but we kept working to find those that did. Slowly they came across my desk: stories about transformation, loss, healing; work that centered around relationships; work that assaulted my emotions and left me feeling raw; work that haunted me long after I put it down. Then came the photographs: provocative black and white images that captured what Henri Cartier-Bresson deemed, “the decisive moment.”
As we reviewed and narrowed the pool, the editors discussed what made the pieces character-focused. There was no rubric or list of points. Beyond obvious assessment of craftsmanship, so much of this process is subjective. How can one quantify the literature that compels us to read it?
William Faulkner once said, “It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.”
In a good character-driven story, the reader should be swept up into the lives of the characters, willing to trot alongside them as they tell their stories. In an excellent character-driven story, the reader is compelled to follow the characters anywhere, outside his or her comfort zone, into alien territory, or into new emotional depths. We willingly suspend all disbelief to immerse ourselves in their reality. These unforgettable characters are timeless. They reveal something about human nature that is archetypical and personal at the same time.
In the end, we selected the work of 36 writers and 15 photographers. Some are well-seasoned, while others have never been published. Their styles are varied, but each presents an unforgettable character or transformative moment that gives the readers reason to pause.
Literature, like other media, continues to evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. Writers and photographers experiment and take risks. Some try to anticipate their audience’s preferences, while others go against tradition to take art and literature to the next level. With so much information readily available through the internet, via satellite and mobile technology, has the expression of literature changed? How do these changes shape the expectations of readers?
In a 2008 speech for the ASSU Speakers Bureau, Sir Salman Rushdie said, “Literature used to bring the news to people. People would read about things they weren’t aware of, and, if they were, it would heighten their awareness.”
If we are no longer reading for information or new experiences, how has the function of books changed? And what of photography? With so many photographs from around the world available online, what sets a photograph apart from the rest?
“Great art tries to open the universe a little more,” Rushdie went on to say. “Great art increases, by some small amount, what it’s possible to know, do, say and, therefore, to be.”
In the inaugural issue of Conclave, the submissions vary in style and theme, but they share a sense of epiphany: a decisive moment when something changes. Sometimes that moment is small and personal, other times it is loud and raw. Whether story, play, poem, or photo, the piece explores the complexity of human nature. Even when character comes in the form of a place or animal, the characteristics assigned to it are human. Inanimate objects reveal something about humanity, because we interpret them through a human perspective.
The word conclave suggests something hidden, something special. Unlike the famous conclave behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel, this Conclave is meant to be shared. We want our conclave of characters to step outside of their locked rooms to get the attention of readers around the world.
Many media are vying for your attention, and I’m grateful that you have taken the time to open Conclave. I invite you to read the stories and essays, ponder the poems, explore the dramatic excerpts, and appreciate the photographs. They will introduce you to a fine cast of memorable characters. Trot alongside them, follow them into unfamiliar territory, and watch as your universe opens a little more.
Welcome to Conclave: A Journal of Character.
Valya Dudycz Lupescu
Founding Editor
(Appeared in Conclave Issue 1: 2008)