Mommy, Where Do eZines Come From?

TM: We are the editors of Gris Gris Lagniappe (GGL), the partner website of Gris Gris Rouge. We run Gris Gris Rouge's content, daily online-exclusive articles, and we host a community-modifiable events calendar for the greater Baton Rouge area. And you're still in our bathroom.

AC: Thank God! I thought this was the closet, and I was like, "How weird that they have a toilet in their closet." So, how did GGL get started?

TM: It started with a conversation. We were talking to a group of 12 recent graduates from LSU's Masters of Fine Arts Creative Writing Program, discussing the difficulty they were having finding gainful employment and publishing venues; making a living as a writer seemed impossible. They had all been told since the first day of their advanced degree program that a writer must do something else to support themselves - teach, become a literary agent, go back and get a law degree. The idea of all these fine writers becoming lawyers broke our heart.

MM: I stopped listening at the mention of law, and started wondering if there was a showing of Jude Law's new movie, Breaking and Entering, within the next hour. After visiting three different websites, I had finally found a review of the movie, the time and place it was playing, and a recommendation for a good restaurant nearby. At that point, I was spent and didn't feel like going anymore.

TM: First she wants to go to the movies. Then she's tired and frustrated. And I thought, "If all that information had just been in one place,"

AC: But, isn't that how BR Lagniappe got started?

TM: Originally, we were BR Lagniappe, an online magazine. The website was intended to be a central web location for all things Baton Rougian, combining the best aspects of www.batonrouge.com, www.225batonrouge.com, and www.2theadvocate.com, while avoiding some of their flaws. We hired some of the aforementioned writers, along with some local photojournalists, and launched the magazine in January.

MM: We expected that our first month would see 10,000 hits. We were wrong: We received 22,737.

TM: Near the end of our first month, we decided to throw a launch party celebrating our recent success. The seven hour event at Phil Brady's bar included free food and featured seven bands: Elsha, K-Flux, The Anna Byars Band, Dr. Dining Room, Kristen Foster, and Peggy Trenta. We even got a surprise performance from Barisol Guns at the end of the night.

AC: I remember part of that night. Wasn't there some half-naked woman dancing on the bar?

MM: That was you, Ainm. And you were there all night. You were supposed to be selling t-shirts. After your performance, though, we decided to set up an online store instead.

TM: Needless to say, the event drew a heavy crowd; however, a chance meeting with the one woman who was not there for the party turned out to be the most significant of the evening.

AC: You mean Rachel?

TM: Yes, Rachel Keblitis, managing editor of Gris Gris Rouge was simply dropping off some copies of the magazine as I was stepping outside. She said, "Read our magazine." I said, "Read our eZine," and the questions began: Who are you? What is your focus? What is your distribution? What is your target audience?

AC: Yeah, what she said. What gives?

MM: As it turned out, BR Lagniappe and Gris Gris Rouge had too much in common (in terms of those goals, focus, and target audience) to not at least talk about working together.

TM: Within the week, we met with Rachel, and R.U. Eddy Allman, editor of GGR, and discussed a partnership. We agreed that, with our web presence and their print presence, we could team up to be a powerful force for promoting the arts, culture, and community of Baton Rouge.

AC: Is that when you changed your name?

TM: Yes, that's how Gris Gris Lagniappe came to be. We moved the content and features of BR Lagniappe to www.grisgrislagniappe.com, and we began the process of integrating Gris Gris Rouge's content into the new website.

AC: So, what does the future hold?

TM: The future looks bright for the partnership of GGR and GGL. GGL has already seen a 40% increase in daily readership. The online store (accessible through the website) will begin carrying GGR paraphernalia as well. We have also begun planning a joint Arts and Music Festival (to be held at Phil Brady's on April 14), which will be an all-day festival highlighting local artists, musicians, and writers.

AC: Do you need me to sell t-shirts again?

TM: ...

MM: ...