Still in its nascent stages of existence, Hydra Magazine was formed during the last few months of 2009 by a masthead of bicoastal writers who fancy observing and investigating that strange, multi-headed beast called “culture.” A broad range of topics are hashed out – ranging from the future of literary hypermedia to Robert Crumb’s Illustrated Book of Genesis to Gottfried Maurer’s literary capacities to Virginia Woolf’s teeth – in essays that attempt to reinvent the form and accentuate each author’s unique experience in navigating the topic at hand. These writers make no promises to provide extended clarity; rather, their expressed aim is to provide a particular understanding through their own active participation in their subjects. Interest in this new publication is steadily growing and is evident by the healthy number of comment postings from both fans and polite dissenters. All of which has opened up this cacophonous conversation even further, creating a community for lovers of artistic endeavors both popular and esoteric. The perspective at Hydra is refreshing, insightful, and something akin to listening to your hip, witty, and slightly older college roommate poke-fun at or raise a glass to the things that have grabbed her attention at the moment.
by Ashley Tomeck
an MFA candidate at CalArts with an unearthly penchant for snow and a writer of short fiction that often incorporates elements of the fantastic and bizarre
