It’s good to have a playground. Which is why, way back in 2012, we started Punchnel’s, an online literary effort where we publish other people’s (and sometimes our own people’s) essays, opinions, humor, fiction, and poetry.
A couple of years ago at Punchnel’s, we ran Mythic Indy, a series of new fairytales about Indianapolis, and now we’re working to turn those stories into a book that you can buy and hold in your very own hands.
We’re doing it because we love books and also because we love writing and want to help kids everywhere love it, too. So all proceeds from the book will go straight to Second Story, an Indianapolis nonprofit that offers free workshops to help kids—even kids who hate writing—become great at it. The workshops are kind of like a playground for writing skills, and a secret path to greater success in school and life.
That’s the real deal. Unlike the legends that make up the Mythic Indy anthology.
Mythic Indy was the brainchild of one of our favorite local writers, Corey Michael Dalton, who is also a Second Story board member. He’s the man who made the series happen by asking dozens of smart, funny, imaginative writers to create their own histories of the city.
Those stories cracked us up, freaked us out, and even made us feel a little squishy inside. Which of course is the beauty of writing—something thousands of kids have learned since Second Story launched in 2008.
We launched an Indiegogo campaign, so jump over if you’re interested and support the project. You get a very boss book, and the kids get a playground.