Birth of a Maven

Article Tools

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

"Mavin is not a support group," Kelley says. "We've all done that. It's about celebrating who we are, plain and simple. We get so many e-mails and letters each day from people who are so passionate in their response [that we] almost take it for granted. Then, every once in a while, you actually realize what a profound impact it is already having. It's amazing."

It's especially amazing when you consider that Mavin is all of two issues old. Kelley has paid for the 7,000-circulation, four-color, nationally distributed magazine through a combination of ad sales, subscription revenues, and gifts from friends and relatives. He's also dumped about $10,000 of his own savings, money he earned mostly from part-time jobs, into the endeavor. A third issue is due out in the fall, and he hopes the gathering buzz will soon start to pay off--in increased ad revenues and newsstand sales. If not, Mavin's future may be in question.

We're at a crossroads, Kelley says. "The market is there. The niche needs to be filled. I'd hate to miss [that opportunity]."

Going for broke may mean forgoing college a little while longer. Kelley originally planned to take a one-year leave to start the magazine and then return to Wesleyan and work on Mavin part-time from Connecticut. But it's become an all-consuming passion, and Kelley's not sure just when he'll go back to the academic life.

"Maybe because I want to go back to school isn't a good enough reason to stop," he says. "There are a lot of people who say they really need this magazine, and I feel like I have a responsibility to them. Besides, I've found out that putting Mavin together is a full-time job. I'm not sure I could go to school and produce a magazine at the same time. So I still have to weigh my options."

"Mavin world headquarters" is what Kelley likes to call his tidy one-bedroom apartment in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood. He used to be crammed into a nearby first-floor studio, complete with a fold-down Murphy bed. But after three attempted break-ins, he packed up and moved to his current address, where he can spread out his computer, printer, and scanner--and still have a place to sleep. The walls are decorated with large, shadowy paintings by Kelley's 24-year-old sister, Joanna Lee Kelley, and the sound track is generally hip-hop or jazz. It's a relaxed place, and Kelley makes his visitors feel at home, serving up refreshments (cookies and spring water in plastic squirt bottles) and rapid-fire conversation.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print