Liam McNally: Managing Editor

How did you get involved in Tulpa?

I created it with Lisandra Linde. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a truly exciting arts environment and I feel that working on this project in Adelaide’s art scene is a truly worthwhile thing. Adelaide is full of exciting and passion-driven projects and they don’t necessarily get enough attention.

I’ve long had a desire to work in a magazine like this. I’m able to help form something that holds to ethics I consider very valuable and that is exactly what I wanted to achieve.

 

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa?

I’m currently studying Creative Writing at university and getting involved with Radio Adelaide. These allow me to involve myself in what I consider most important – the arts community. Other than that, my life is largely just looking for a chance to get paid work in a very competitive and challenging environment.

I spend most of my free time working on a manuscript that I’ve rewritten several thousand times more than any reasonable person ever would.

 

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

The Fringe. By a mile, the Fringe. Writing pieces about performers’ heartfelt work and getting feedback from them directly is like nothing else. You have to be careful, considerate, and compassionate. You have to be prepared to follow a narrative or character wherever it goes and the reward of seeing that unfold and bringing it to the attention of other people is a remarkably rewarding experience.

 

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

I have no idea. That worries me but I’ve found so far that exploring and investigating the options available usually offers something. Adelaide is a much more exciting place than people give it credit for and the opportunities available are plenty, if a little hidden. Hopefully at some point, I’ll one day leave Adelaide (much as I love it) to explore opportunities and environments farther afield. Though I don’t expect that to happen for a very long time.

 

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Taeghan Buggy: Writer/Editor

 

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

My involvement really started with knowing Lisandra and Liam (Tulpa’s founders) through the Flinders’ Speakeasy Creative Readings club. When Lisandra mentioned that she and Liam were looking to start an arts magazine and wanted people, I jumped on board as a writer and editor. It was a case of right time, right place, right people.

 

What do you do?

I’m a writer and an editor for the magazine, though I’m more of a writer than an editor if I’m honest. I’ve contributed some things for #fictionfriday and Tulpa’s opinion articles. With the advent of Adelaide’s Fringe Festival, I’m also reviewing some fringe shows for Tulpa that I’m really looking forward to.

 

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

I’m facing my creative writing honours this year so I’m expecting a lot of reading, writing, and researching (yay). But I’m also a poet and a performer in addition to my writing, so I read at a few poetry slams and open mic nights around Adelaide city. I’m also a writer for the New Wave Audio Theatre podcast, which is an awesome collaborative project that’s gearing up for a second season.

 

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

I’d have to say that it was amazing to be able to see the beginnings of an arts magazine that’s so focused and supportive of emerging writers. Being involved in something that puts out creative works and articles that might not otherwise be published is truly gratifying. The fact that the magazine is a real collaborative effort only adds to this. I’m very excited to see how Tulpa grows, and that I can be a part of the process? Well, that’s exceptionally cool.

 

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

In the near future? Graduating uni. After that? Hopefully, travel and writing, maybe even travel-writing. Backpacking Mongolia on the back of a yak (or at least the back of something) is my 2019 goal at the moment. And after-after that? Who really knows. I want to get involved in more script and screen writing, as one of my other loves is theatre and acting. But if I’m honest, life takes so many different directions and I have so many different interests that I’m willing to see what strange places it leads. I’m #keen.

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You can find Taeghan on Twitter.

New Wave Audio Theatre: https://www.facebook.com/newwaveaudiotheatre/

Cameron Lowe: Editor/Writer

 

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

I was a sub-editor at Empire Times in 2017 and got the opportunity to get to know both Liam and Lisandra well as they were editors at the time. I had heard from one of them that they were going to be starting up their own magazine after their editorships, so I liked the idea of it.

When I saw what Liam and Lis were doing in the flesh I decided right from there to help join in helping with them in Tulpa.

 

What do you do?

So far I’ve only contributed fiction and a feature about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Due to being one of the 2018 editors at Empire Times, my availability to edit received pieces has been limited so far. Down the track though I will be discussing more about pop culture, video games, and fiction.

 

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

As mentioned before, I’m one of the 2018 editors at Empire Times, the student magazine of Flinders University. Alongside this, I’m also doing my third year in the Bachelor of Communication and Professional Writing at Flinders. This is my second degree after I attained a Bachelor of Creative Arts: Creative Writing in 2018.

I often like to spend most of my time reading, writing, gaming, and attempting to catch up on TV shows and films. My favourites include for each: reading (Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson), writing (speculative fiction), gaming (The Legend of Zelda series), TV (Doctor Who, The Simpsons), films (classic horror and sci-fi).

I like to travel too every now and then to different countries, primarily in Asia so far. What I love to do is go to other countries, seek out their museums, book and video game stores, and try all these new foods and beer.

 

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

I guess it’s just a great feeling to be a part of a magazine during its beginning times. To be part of a team and aiding in creating and contributing to a place that’s still new, it’s a wonderful feeling.

 

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

How much water is there on Mars? By that, I mean I honestly don’t know at all. I would love to spend my life writing fiction (both novel and short story) and discussing pop culture, but it unfortunately won’t help pay off my university debts, or allow me to really travel anywhere at this moment. Depending on how Empire Times goes this year, I guess it’s really to see what opportunities come up.

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You can find Cameron on Twitter at @cloweshadowking

He also does a monthly discussion on the books he’s read on his blog, entitled ‘Lair of the Shadow King’, which you can find here. https://lairoftheshadowking.wordpress.com/

Lisandra Linde: Managing Editor

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

Tulpa Magazine really started as this idea Liam McNally and I were tossing up back when we worked in student media. We both wanted to create a platform for writers that had a strong focus on ethical media and writer development- something that we felt was sorely lacking in student media. We didn’t want to go for anything corporate or marketing-focused but rather something really content based, something that lifted up both writer and publication.

So I’ve been a part of Tulpa since before Tulpa even existed. Liam and I got a lot of support from the arts community here in Adelaide and that really helped us to develop our magazine, get the website up and then really see what came next. We were extremely fortunate to have Kayla Gaskell join us as a third managing editor in March 2018.

We’ve been flying semi-blind, still figuring things out as we go but I feel like that’s what makes the whole experience so rewarding. The writers, the editors, the readers- everyone has really been a part of shaping Tulpa and I think that makes us a little different, a bit more down to earth than a lot of other arts and literary magazines in Australia.

What do you do?

I manage all fiction submissions at Tulpa Magazine. I allocate pieces to our editing team, talk to our contributors and put the final pieces together online. I also run most of our social media, design additional images and advertisements and make sure the website runs smoothly. I’ve conducted a few interviews and I do reviews from time to time, which has been a really rewarding experience. I love meeting authors and artists in Adelaide and I think that’s one of the biggest perks of the job.

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What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

I’m an honours student at Flinders University so a lot of my time outside of Tulpa is spent working on my thesis. I’m also a fantasy writer so, in true writer spirit, I have several unfinished and unedited manuscripts floating around. I’m something of a spoken-word fanatic and you can usually find me at local gigs in Adelaide like Speakeasy, Quart Short Literary Readings, The Hearth and anything else that pops up on the local radar. I’ve performed quite a bit and I’m the 2018 Vice President for Speakeasy. I also do a bit of work for Quart Short Literary Readings.

 

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

For me it has to be working with our contributors. A lot of our fiction comes from emerging writers who have never had their work published before. It’s rewarding to be able to work with them to edit and polish their work and then see it go up on the website. Being able to support writers as they start on their writing journey is incredibly rewarding. I love seeing them share their work and feel proud of themselves. I remember how isolating and emotionally draining it was to start out and struggling to find someone willing to read my work and actually tell me it had potential, that it was something worthwhile.

A lot of bigger publications simply don’t have the time or the resources to give new writers feedback and encouragement- and being able to do that at Tulpa is something that I really love. I hope that as we grow and expand that we don’t lose that writer-editor bond that we have right now. I’ve had a lot of ‘Dear-Submitter-First-Name’ style rejections in my life, the kind of faceless, unfeeling responses that really get you down. At least at Tulpa we can say with confidence that we have time for every contributor and are always happy to give feedback, even if we don’t publish a writer’s work this time round.

 

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

That’s hard to say. I want to get my PhD and hopefully teach creative writing and English at a university but that’s still a few years away. I guess I would love to publish more, meet more writers and really engage with the writing community. To be honest, things look pretty grim for Arts workers in Australia right now but I’m hoping that we see some change soon. It would be a pity for us to lose such an incredible community of artists, writers and editors because of a government that devalues and defunds the Arts. Here’s to hoping all of us have a bright future ahead of us- one where we can push the boundaries of art and culture.

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You can find Lisandra on Twitter and Instagram. 

For more information about her publications and qualifications you can visit her website.

Simone Corletto: Editor/Contributor (Nonfiction)

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

I worked with Liam during my stint editing Empire Times in 2016 and really enjoyed working with him, and with Lisandra as part of Speakeasy Flinders, where I am vice-president. When they asked me to be a part of their new magazine I jumped at the chance to work once again with such brilliant creative minds. There’s nothing cooler than working with your friends, especially when your friends are actually talented and motivated enough to start their own publication.

What do you do?

I write articles on politics, social issues, pop culture and the arts, as well as occasionally edit fiction pieces. My specialty topics are advice on how to make it in the arts industry and sexism in the publishing industry.

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

I’m a writer working on polishing up my first novel, a YA Sci Fi Romance about teenage superheros, whilst also picking up gigs in the festival scene. I recently started at Adelaide Festival where I will be assisting all our visiting and local authors for Adelaide Writers Week.

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

The most rewarding part of working with Tulpa is seeing my work publishing in such a clean and striking website. Everyone here is so committed to good journalism and great design that it’s a pleasure to share my work with them with the wider world.

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

I’d love to kick off my career working full time in writers and arts festivals and conferences, helping to illuminate authors to a wider audience and really champion the arts as a worthy pillar of our society.

I’m also working on establishing my own writing career, creating novels that will speak to young (and the not so young) people and bring them characters that will stay with them throughout their lives.

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You can find Simone on Twitter and Instagram.

Leeza von Alpen: Editor

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

Before Tulpa, I had volunteered for another magazine called Empire Times while I was undertaking my Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts at Flinders University; this is where I had the fortunate opportunity of meeting Lisandra and Liam. When they proposed the concept of Tulpa Magazine, and began seeking other fellow editors to expand their team, I was both excited and eager to become a part of this project. Having worked with them previously, I knew they had the experience, creativity and tenacity to launch and manage such a project, and looked forward to contributing towards it. Already, I feel that Tulpa has started to become shaped into a fine arts and literary magazine.

What do you do?

I myself manage any fiction pieces available (ideally, before any of our other talented editors can snatch it up!) that Lisandra or Liam offer to us. Occasionally, I contribute to the magazine if there’s available space.

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

I’m a recently graduated middle and secondary high school teacher who specialises in English, History and Women’s Studies. Outside of Tulpa, I work part-time, visit the gym, and write my young adult novels and poetry. As any avid reader will tell you, I have a copious amount of unread books overflowing from my shelves that require undivided attention that I cannot always give them, but, where possible, I enjoy sitting down with my milkless tea and reading for hours on end. Occasionally, I’ll perform at local readings in Adelaide, but my projects keep me quite busy. I’m also an amateur star watcher (that’s the term for an unqualified, self-taught individual who maps constellations and watches the night sky).

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

I can only choose one thing? Seriously? What part of working for Tulpa isn’t rewarding? Well, if I had to choose only one part of working for the magazine that’s rewarding, it would have to be working with the team and being engaged with the sheer creativity that we interact with. We have an excellent team here at Tulpa; all experienced, friendly and energetic. It’s a fun experience to have a group of diverse people work together because we share a common interest; our love for art and writing. Together, we help budding and experienced contributors alike polish their pieces and find recognition and worth in their projects. It’s a beautiful thing, really.

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

Ideally, I’ll secure a contract with a school and start teaching my own classes. Also, I aspire to finally finish a novel (instead of starting another three more and adding more to my uncompleted pile of manuscripts); I’m currently working on three main projects: my young adult novel, While We’re Here, and my fantasy series, Drahdia; and a collection of short poems. I’m also looking into potentially starting up a writing website and blog with novel reviews and writing advice, and maybe a Podcast along the same lines. Stay tuned!

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You can find Leeza on Twitter and Instagram.

Twitter | @Leeza_Jayde

https://twitter.com/Leeza_Jayde

Instagram | leezajaydepoetry

https://www.instagram.com/leezajaydepoetry/

Leeza’s E-Folio for her teaching career can be accessed here:

https://leezavonalpen.wixsite.com/leezajaydeedu

Kayla Gaskell: Managing Editor

 

How did you get involved with Tulpa Magazine?

When I first heard about Tulpa I was intrigued—an arts magazine not only based in SA but also focusing on South Australian artists and writers? Knowing that Liam and Lisandra had created it encouraged me to be involved. Having worked with both editors previously I know that Tulpa Magazine has the potential to grow and flourish. When the opportunity arose for a third managing editor to join the team I put my hand up, and, somehow managed to get in. Watching its development so far has been amazing and having this opportunity to shape its future is a privilege.

I think that it is important for Adelaide to have more arts projects running because we have such a large and vibrant arts community which isn’t always acknowledged. We might not be Melbourne or Sydney but that shouldn’t stop us from being Adelaide and cherishing our community and culture. Tulpa is all about supporting local artists and I am behind this aim entirely.

 

What do you do?

As a writer my main focus has been reviewing and criticism for both prose and theatre. I have been involved in reviewing long before I came to Tulpa and enjoy going to shows and events and providing my own take on the fantastic talent around Adelaide. Moving forward as an editor with Tulpa I will be managing a new section of the magazine where we will be discussing all things books—focusing, of course, on local authors.

 

What’s your life like outside of Tulpa Magazine?

Outside of Tulpa I am both boring and busy. I spend half my life working a generic retail job which a.) pays me, and b.) allows me time to switch my brain off all things writing. The other half is a mixture of writing, reading, and babysitting my nine nieces and nephews. Just last year I completed my BCA honours in Creative Writing at Flinders University where I focused on hope within dystopian stories. I’m now in the beginning stages of writing a historic fiction piece set in 1916 Australia because I am entirely fascinated by the implications of the Great War for those at home. I also love watching slam poetry and have been known to fly interstate just to see Button Poetry poets on their world tours.

 

What has been the most rewarding part of working for Tulpa Magazine?

The most rewarding part of working for Tulpa has been watching it grow from an idea into an active project. I am looking forward to the day we receive funding which means not only will we PAY THE ARTISTS, but the plan for a print magazine will be set in motion. There are of course other aspects which I really enjoy such as the events we organise to review and the wonderful feeling of getting to read someone else’s work pre-publication and providing (hopefully) helpful feedback.

 

What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where are you headed after Tulpa?

In the future I assume I’ll be writing and reviewing, hopefully for places that pay me and, ideally, fly me all over the world. A girl can dream right? Regardless, I’ll still be writing, I’ll still be reviewing. I would love to be working in the arts, potentially even with the Fringe festival so that I can continue to support local artists as well as work with more established ones.

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