An Issue Like No Other

Against a black backdrop, a hand lifts a curtain to reveal a glimpse of Newtown, with the flagpole at center. The haunting image will grace the cover of the next issue of The Newtowner, Newtown's literary magazine. It's a special tribute issue dedicated to Newtown, with the hopes of healing after the Dec. 14 shooting.

"Really, it's a labour of love," says editor Georgia Monaghan. "Our first goal was do no harm. Ultimately, we wanted to provide comfort, hope, a catharsis where necessary. We want the issue as a whole to be uplifting, to point a way forward -- to celebrate this town for what it really is, not just one incident. And to have as many Newtown voices throughout as possible."

With six issues in two years, the publication has established itself as a voice for poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and art in Newtown. Shortly after the shooting, The Newtowner's core members -- Monaghan, fiction editors Aimee Pokwatka and Wendy Wipprecht, poetry editor Brenda McKinley and designer Tracy Hubbard -- began talking about how their next issue should address a changed Newtown. It wasn't an easy conversation. Monaghan remembers the questions the team asked.

"What will our next issue look like?" she says. "Will we pretend it never happened? Will we just have a section dedicated to 12/14? When we finally came up with the decision, a lot of it came from what we'd heard from the community."

The staff put out a call to the community for extra help early in the process. Soon their normal staff of eight to 10 swelled to between 40 to 50 contributors.

"We want it to be a community effort," Monaghan says. "We were overwhelmed by the number of people that came forward -- photographers, designers, copy editors, illustrators. When they heard about it, they were like, 'How can I be part of it?'"

Newtown voices are strong in the issue. David Wheeler, father of Benjamin Wheeler, is contributing an essay, as are Sandy Hook Elementary School parent Sophfronia Scott, First Selectman Pat Llodra and Sandy Hook Elementary School staff. (For a full list of contributors, see the Newtowner's website.) But some iconic names have also contributed, including young adult novelists Lois Lowry (The Giver) and Katherine Paterson (A Bridge to Terabithia.)

The staff began working in February and are putting the finishing touches on the issue now -- Monaghan says they've worked more on this issue than the previous six issues combined. They've launched an IndieGoGo campaign to cover the costs of the issue -- staffers hope to reach as many people as possible.

"Our heart's desire is to provide complimentary copies to every person in Newtown," says Monaghan. "If not that, everyone in Sandy Hook. If not that, everyone at Sandy Hook Elementary School. If not that, every family member or first responder."

For more about the Newtowner, visit their website or Facebook page.