KINDRED MAG WAS hatched from the co-founders’ Monday night writing group. We met for years at a twenty-four hour diner over bad bottomless coffee, pie, and timed writing sprints. Our styles and genres were disparate, but we believed in each others’ voices and valued each other’s insight. We called ourselves the Kindreds. Eventually we decided to create a place where our work could be held together, and in May 2015, Kindred Mag was born.
For nearly six years, Kindred Mag has been a place of beauty, richness, and depth. In a world that is hurting and at times seems to have gone mad, Kindred has been a touchstone of personal narratives that imbue us with resonance and empathy. We have been honored to hold the work of seasoned writers and artists, and to offer undiscovered creatives a platform. And Kindred has always been non-commercial—no ads, no paywalls, and no stipends to our contributors. Truly, a labor of love for all involved.
It has been a gift and an honor to produce this uncommon and meaningful project. But we find now that our lives are pulling us away from Kindred, and the time has come to retire her. As with any ending, there is sadness. But it also feels like yielding to a natural rhythm; this organic thing is coming to the end of its life, and we will bear witness, just as we have borne witness to its years of flourishing.
Moving forward, we plan to keep Kindred available online with its trove of archives. We have also invited some of our frequent contributors to create something for this final farewell issue.
Thank you for helping to make Kindred the rich, deep, and beautiful place that it has become. We could never have been this without your presence. We are grateful for every offering and appreciate the risk and effort that went into each one of them. We are grateful for our community of readers and their engagement with the work here.
If Kindred has meant something to you, please go to this post and share in the comments your favorite articles and their impact on you. We would love to come together as a community in this way as we say farewell.
May you find safe harbors where stories can be told and held.
All our love,
The Kindreds
Claire, Joey, Marissa, Rachel, and Stephanie, Marissa
21 March 2021
Kindred 