|
|
|
BellaOnline Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Women Escaping Abusive Relationships are Celebrated in the Second Anniversary Issue of Mused Magazine
BellaOnline's Literary Magazine Bucks Industry-Wide Declining Subscriber Trends
Celebrating its two year anniversary with the Fall 2009 issue, the Mused literary magazine tackles the topic of women escaping abusive relationships in its Fall issue. In a world where newspapers are facing declining subscriptions and headlines proclaim the death of printed content, Mused thrives by offering a unique perspective into the issues facing today's women. What makes this success quietly remarkable is that the literary magazine is run out of the owner's home in Massachusetts, where she also runs BellaOnline.com, the second largest women's website in the world.
"We hear often from our readers that their lives were changed by what they read - that a poem or story had a profound effect on their life," says Lisa Shea, publisher of Mused. "Far from being an archaic form of communication, poetry and prose have the power to connect with readers at the deepest level. Whereas statistics on domestic violence can become almost mind-numbing (for example, nearly a quarter of all women are raped or assaulted by someone they know) it is often just one woman sharing her journey of bearing but then escaping abuse that spreads awareness and hope to others."
"The same is true for autism, Alzheimers, and other challenges women face. It is one thing to know that 1 out of 150 children are born with a form of autism. It is another to hear, from the mouth of a mother, what it is like to raise an autistic child. Every 72 seconds someone develops Alzheimer's disease, but the disease takes on a deeper meaning when a daughter shares what it is like to watch her mother become drawn into its snare, no longer able to eat for she’s forgotten how to swallow."
Mused is, at its root, the scriptless truth of life, shared by artists with a desire to connect with people from around the world. It features the words of women who are both ordinary and remarkable. In addition to poems, prose, and plays, the magazine features interviews including a summer 2009 interview with Mary Travers done shortly before her passing. In another interview, Karen Allen shared the renewing energy of yoga and knitting. Women around the globe have responded with enthusiasm to Mused's contents.
"Our current acclaim is exactly what I had hoped for when we launched Mused two years ago," Shea says. "We had no money to launch our efforts because BellaOnline donates most of its income to charity. We run no ads in Mused. We created this literary magazine from a pure vision, recruiting volunteers from around the world. Our sole mission was to help promote the voices of women who were forgotten - elderly women who were marginalized by society, women whom by choice or situation were not being heard. Our aim was to bring these voices out into the world. With every new issue I am amazed at the quality and depth of the photographs, drawings, stories, poems, and plays we are able to share with our audience."
Every week brings news of art being denigrated in society. Poetry is lambasted as being irrelevant to today. Schools shut down their art programs as educators feel art is no longer a worthwhile skill to study and learn. The success of Mused puts the lie to these and other messages that devalue communicative arts.
"It is one thing to warn young girls about the risks of date rape," continues Shea. "It is another to have them read, from the hand of an abused woman, what a slippery slope abuse can be. Our stories and poems help us share our experiences and build knowledge in a way that was common a hundred years ago, but which is being lost today as families fracture and communities unravel."
Mused’s readership continues to grow, showcasing real women revealing the very real issues of their lives.
Mused - The BellaOnline Literary Review
About BellaOnline.com
BellaOnline provides an encouraging, supportive publishing community for women. It provides free training, support, and promotion so writers may reach their personal and business goals. BellaOnline aims to provide no-cost, reliable, high-quality, helpful, trustworthy content, in a low-advertisement environment for millions of visitors.
BellaOnline can be found on the web at https://www.bellaonline.com, or contacted via email at Contact BellaOnline.com
BellaOnline Press Release Listing
About BellaOnline |
Terms of Use |
Privacy Policy |
Press Releases |
Advertising |
Contact Info
|
|
|
Note: BellaOnline uses cookies to help provide a consistent user experience. Our advertisers may use cookies to help customize ads. Please contact us with any question about our cookie use.
|
|
|
