About
Thank you for visiting Crown & Pen! We are an independent e-zine based in Austin, Texas that is dedicated to showcasing writing and visual artwork that deals with the unsettling, provoking, and enthralling aspects of life in the 21st century. Founded in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have since grown into a platform for authors and artists of all walks of life to share their words and worlds. We aim to promote writing and artwork that examines themes that are often uncomfortable, but that carry the greatest potential for truth and transformation.
Why Crown & Pen?
You have probably heard the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword." (Truth.) We would also argue that the pen is mightier than the crown. We wanted our name to reflect the historical moment we are currently living through as a people:
We all have a story to tell as we collectively write this chapter of human history. We want to hear yours.
Why Crown & Pen?
You have probably heard the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword." (Truth.) We would also argue that the pen is mightier than the crown. We wanted our name to reflect the historical moment we are currently living through as a people:
- We began as a zine to showcase work inspired by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shaken the violent and oppressive social and political structures that have long overstayed their welcome. While the aftershocks of the pandemic will continue for years to come, and none of us can know all of the long-term changes it will ultimately bring, it has undoubtedly caused us to rethink how we structure our society and our personal lives. COVID-19 has laid bare the faultlines in our current social system, and has reminded us of the importance of building, maintaining, and caring for community – especially those who exist on the margins.
- Human beings have always used art and storytelling as a way to pass down information, make sense of the world around us, and fight against tyranny and oppression. The time we're upon now is no different – and thanks to the Internet, our stories are more interconnected than ever before.
- "Corona" means crown. It may seem cheesy, but when we started this zine, our motto was that our ability to come together as a collective and share stories, art, and strength with one another is more powerful than any virus could ever be. While our scope has broadened since then, our mission has not changed. There are many challenges facing humanity in the 21st century – a global pandemic, climate change, political unrest, the rise of fringe fascist and white supremacist idealogues to positions of power, and mass movements around the world that are demanding racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice (and are over being polite about it), to name a few – and it is easy to feel hopeless and helpless in the face of so much strife and uncertainty. It is also easy to forget that humanity has faced untold crises before, and that for all of our flaws, we are capable of rising above the odds and accomplishing truly amazing things when we come together and work in community.
We all have a story to tell as we collectively write this chapter of human history. We want to hear yours.
Meet the Team
Ashton-Taylor Ackerson, Co-Founder & Co-Editor (She/Her)
Ashton-Taylor Ackerson is a writer from Austin, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. Her work has been published in Crown & Pen, ARC Journal, The Raven Review, Red Skies Anthology, Ice Lolly Review, and Pink Plastic House. When she’s not writing, Ashton-Taylor is always on the lookout for the best food, wine, and beer to be had in Austin. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @ashtonalopoli
Ashton-Taylor Ackerson is a writer from Austin, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and a minor in creative writing. Her work has been published in Crown & Pen, ARC Journal, The Raven Review, Red Skies Anthology, Ice Lolly Review, and Pink Plastic House. When she’s not writing, Ashton-Taylor is always on the lookout for the best food, wine, and beer to be had in Austin. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @ashtonalopoli
Nori Rose Hubert, Co-Founder & Co-Editor (She/Her)
A lifelong, multigernational Texan, Nori Rose Hubert is a queer writer with witchy ways who lives with bipolar disorder. She is a published short story author, poet, essayist, and author of the forthcoming novel The Dreaming Hour. Her work has appeared in The Rio Review, Feminine Inquiry, Musings of a #LonelyFeminist, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, Hothouse, Corvid Queen, Coffee Table Coven, Mookychick, The Elephant Ladder, The Freque, wind-up mice journal, and the feminist e-anthology The Medusa Project. She holds an AA in Creative Writing from Austin Community College and a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked as a columnist for HealthyPlace Mental Health, a youth creative writing coach, and has taught a virtual writing class on faerie tales for adults as part of the Alchemy Writing Workshop. She is also a recurring cast member at The Bard Coven, a virtual theatre troupe of queer and disabled actors. When not writing, she can be found spending too much time in bookstores, collecting tattoos, baking with flowers, hexing the patriarchy, stitching subversive cross-stitch patterns, playing with her small menagerie of pets, and tending to her growing collection of succulents. Connect with her @norirosewrites on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Medium, or visit her website norirosewrites.com.
A lifelong, multigernational Texan, Nori Rose Hubert is a queer writer with witchy ways who lives with bipolar disorder. She is a published short story author, poet, essayist, and author of the forthcoming novel The Dreaming Hour. Her work has appeared in The Rio Review, Feminine Inquiry, Musings of a #LonelyFeminist, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, Hothouse, Corvid Queen, Coffee Table Coven, Mookychick, The Elephant Ladder, The Freque, wind-up mice journal, and the feminist e-anthology The Medusa Project. She holds an AA in Creative Writing from Austin Community College and a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked as a columnist for HealthyPlace Mental Health, a youth creative writing coach, and has taught a virtual writing class on faerie tales for adults as part of the Alchemy Writing Workshop. She is also a recurring cast member at The Bard Coven, a virtual theatre troupe of queer and disabled actors. When not writing, she can be found spending too much time in bookstores, collecting tattoos, baking with flowers, hexing the patriarchy, stitching subversive cross-stitch patterns, playing with her small menagerie of pets, and tending to her growing collection of succulents. Connect with her @norirosewrites on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Medium, or visit her website norirosewrites.com.
Travis Hampton, Head Artist & Art Editor (He/Him)
Travis Hampton is a Texas born artist working in a variety of mediums, with a focus on illustration. He has shown at the Inn at Salado and Texas State Galleries at Texas State University. Find him on Instagram @travistyart.
Travis Hampton is a Texas born artist working in a variety of mediums, with a focus on illustration. He has shown at the Inn at Salado and Texas State Galleries at Texas State University. Find him on Instagram @travistyart.
