Magical Realism's   Interactive Community

MISSION STATEMENT from the director Join Now! THANK YOU for visiting MRCentral.net! These efforts would be in vain were it not for the tens of thousands of people around the world who have visited the earlier pages of Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism. The staff, for six years, was gratified to meet what was obviously a critical need globally for students, writers, educators and publishing professionals invested in the preservation of world literature and free expression, especially as it pertains to literary magical realism. Margin was produced, then, through the efforts of a motley volunteer crew: two stay-home mothers, a retired hypnotherapist/community college instructor, a graduate student in Virginia, a PhD candidate in New York and an independent scholar and writer in Toronto. And let's not forget our nomadic book reviewer, the high-school student who helped type in work that couldn't be scanned, and the other friends and cohorts who've lent their free time to assist in promotions. We suspended Margin in October 2006, not because we thought we had failed, but rather because we felt it had succeeded. We realized that: 1. We had accomplished what we'd set out to do. 2. Developments in technology suggested it was time to take our efforts to a new level. My staffers went on to graduate, start businesses, get jobs and build families. I remain to direct MRCentral into its new territory. My mission with MRCentral does not differ terribly from the mission we had previously envisioned for Margin. I still do this because I believe in "art for art's sake." But my efforts extend beyond that, primarily because I know, first hand, how much the members of MRCentral wish to interact with one another. Between all of us resides a huge body of knowledge and appreciation for literary magical realism that ought to be expressed for the greater sake of the world. What better way to merge this into one global community where folks can share and share alike and, in doing so, bask in the pleasure of interacting with like-minded individuals? With technology at our fingertips, we now have the means. So I bring you this new interactive community, its mission based upon the basic tenets first sought out by the staffers at Margin: • I know from your feedback that I'm offering something of value to people all over the world • I recognize that the Internet is the best and only truly accessible place for developing a global community of writers • I want to do something that makes a difference • I understand the importance of developing for good karma • I wish to satisfy my own creative, intuitive and curious nature • I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that operating MRCentral affords me • I act out of an urgent need to preserve this very special literary form Thank you for your interest in this ultimately global, collaborative effort. Please contact me if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. I'm here to serve you. Tamara Kaye Sellman Director MRCENTRAL.NET