Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK LCM February 2018 Anniversary Issue | Page 3
A Note from
the Editor
A month later, on my birthday, the first issue of
NK Literary Café Magazine hit the internet. The
response by readers, publishers, and authors
alike was reassuring and heart-warming. The late
nights, the doubts, the missed hours of sleep, the
nudges for rewrites or revisions, were all worth it.
The magazine has had 7,091 viewers in the year
since it launched, and the numbers continue to
climb. What’s more, is readers compare its quality
to upscale magazines they’ve read for years. A
compliment? Sho’ Nuff!
On a personal level, I have learned a great deal
from the process, but more importantly from my
fellow authors as I read each piece before it goes
between the covers. Also, learning to keep an
open mind has been paramount. One time, I threw
out the theme of transformation and received an
article that curled my hair. That article (you know
the one—by Janine A. Ingram), almost didn’t
make it into the magazine. I thought it was too
controversial. So, I took a step back and thought,
“Well, I did ask for an article on transformation,
right? This is HER experience, who am I to say
different. The people who read this magazine are
grown ass folk. They can handle it.” And you did.
That article has been the most talked about since
the magazine’s inception, and also brought forth
a memory of a tragic experience that had been
buried deep in my subconscious. More healing
work to be done.
NK LCM has provided a platform to New York
Times, National Bestselling, Debut, and aspiring
authors alike. Every writer, reviewer, graphic
artist, gives freely of their time to make this
work—it is not a paid gig, this is a labor of
love. This magazine serves as a way to connect
authors with readers in a way that lets them
“hear” the author’s voice in something other than
a sales pitch of “buy my book.” The writers share
personal experiences that have impacted their
lives and their writing. They share instances that
have caused exponential growth in hopes that it
will help the reader, too.
The cover of this Anniversary issue which is about
love and Black History, is a blend of past and
present griots who lit the storytelling torch and
those who are keeping the fires burning bright.
In the footsteps of successful magazines founded
by John H. Johnson and Susan Taylor, I can only
hope that NK LCM continues to shine in its own
right.
Naleighna Kai
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
J. L. Woodson
Woodson Creative Studios
Art Director
NKLC Magazine | 3