Amber C. (Pence) Moon is the founding treasurer and logo designer of the YSU Student Literary Arts Association.

How and why did Jenny Mag come into existence? What role did you play in it? What motivated you to be a part of creating an online literary magazine for and out of Youngstown?

Legend has it that Jenny was conceived in the men’s room, on the broken sink, at the old Lemon Grove, or was it that park bench where Eddie met Debbie? Who knows; Jenny was born in Youngstown, a city littered with churches and basements. I spent eight years there picking through her decay and collecting her stories. Jenny is a personification of all the strange and beautiful places within the Rust Belt. She is the narrator peering into that secret room where grandpa stirs Prohibition mash—or bleeding in ribbons of ink on the stage of a dog-eared notebook. If a creative group of English majors didn’t conjure her up ten years ago, then she would have emerged rebellious and wet from Mill Creek Park, or worse, folded and stuffed into an Easter pierogi. I’d also like to believe that I was more of Jenny’s Doula versus an official Vice President or former Treasurer of the Student Literary Arts Association. I did some other creative things, too, but I couldn’t have done much without a pretty awesome crew of people who could make magic happen. Follow Youngstown’s stories, and you’ll find Jenny; at least that’s where I found her ten years ago. We carried a torch, lit the blast furnace, and the rest is the stuff of legends.

What was the original mission you envisioned for Jenny? What was it like to begin producing the magazine and introducing it through public celebrations over those first few years? Were there challenges? How did the public receive it?

The original vision for Jenny was to recognize and amplify the Rust Belt genre outside of academic and traditional publications. Jenny began as an idea passed around during late-night classes and SLA meetings. When trying to come up with a name for her, we sourced Bruce Springsteen songs (Always Bruce) and researched the local history, focusing on a real character/muse versus a blah official title for the LitMag. Thus, the Jeannette Blast Furnace became Jenny, a molten embodiment of an industry named after a child – a perfect name and symbol for a Youngstown LitMag. Jenny’s original crew, Chris Barzak, Lettera, me, Dave, Whitmer, Sara, Matt, Couri, etc. (I know I am leaving some folks out), did what they had to do to get Jenny airborne. Sure, there may have been a lot of beer consumed, late-night roundtables, and overall ridiculousness, but it was fun. Jenny made the most traction by connecting with the creative community in the city. We recruited submissions through word of mouth, social media, and networking. The first year was a wild success followed by subsequent successes – Jenny could hold her own if we kept her connected.

How do you feel literary magazines have changed (or not) over the last decade, since you introduced this one?

I had not noticed much change in the literary space since Jenny’s launch ten years ago, but my tastes have changed since then. I tend to reach for an easy-access magazine like The New Yorker, or more contributory sites like Medium. Once you leave the University and move on to working and having a family, you lose easy access to what’s happening in the creative writing space. Luckily for me, I work with a team of artists, musicians, and creatives, and we swap stories or songs and enjoy each other’s work. It’s not the same as the focused attention received at YSU, but it’s enough to feel connected with other creatives like myself.

What makes Jenny stand out among other literary magazines for you?

I am completely biased, of course. Jenny captures a unique voice at multiple intersections of identity and geography, race and class – You will not find this anywhere else, trust me.

When did you know that Jenny Magazine was picking up speed and becoming a cornerstone of Youngstown’s literary culture?

I never really knew that Jenny was picking up speed, but reading her pages year after year reassured me that everything was okay. Jenny will resonate for as long as there are people who collect her tales.

What is your favorite memory from your time creating and establishing Jenny?

Ah, memories are meant to be shared over a cold IPA. My favorite memory is designing and creating the logo for Jenny – the “zone” headspace and all. The silhouette of a quiet steel mill in Youngstown is iconic. But, my most favorite memories are within the circle of friends I had at YSU. There are so many stories…which goes back to that IPA. I’ll tell them to you over one sometime.

Tell us about your Youngstown. The Youngstown from ten years ago, when a crew of undergraduate students decided to make a literary magazine and present it to the community here? What was Youngstown and life at YSU like then? What does it appear to be now, whether you are still nearby or whether you have drifted further afield.

My Youngstown. The Youngstown from ten years ago was a significant chapter in my life, and while I have moved South to Atlanta, it will always remain a cherished one.

I moved to Ytown in 2003, fresh from SE Ohio. The Rust Belt ran through my hometown, and I was familiar with her nuances, but it was different in NE Ohio…there, it seemed more stagnant and hopeful. I was an English major at YSU, a member of the Artists of the Rust Belt, active in the community, and had a design studio in downtown Lowellville. There was a creative renaissance happening in the city, real change emerged, and Jenny was a part of that momentum. Oh, I could tell you stories, but I will save them for now. There’s not enough time or paper to take you through the past. Youngstown is part of my story, an important one, and I still carry a torch for her.