The inspiration behind the Gothic Funk Press Salon Series in Flint is simple: get local writers and others in the literary community in the city talking with each other.
“Part of I think what we need to do is build infrastructure,” said Connor Coyne, a Flint resident, author, and co-founder of Gothic Funk Press, an independent publisher. “Build opportunities for writers who maybe wouldn’t encounter each other in their neighborhoods or in their friend group to meet each other and cross-promote and learn from each other and kind of send their work out into the world.”
Gothic Funk Salons initially launched in 2020 as virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coyne describes the events as “sort of a curated reading series,” usually organized around a theme. Since 2024, the Salons are held roughly quarterly as in-person events at Queens’ Provisions in Carriage Town.
In the past, themes have included romance writing, activism and civic responsibility, horror, poetry, and more. The events feature guest readers and authors from a wide range of backgrounds and styles.
“They’re basically curated literary events,” Coyne said.
The next Salon is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, at Queens’ Provisions (421 Garland Street). Panelists represent independent local news outlets in Flint, with a focus on community journalism. The panel includes Xzavier Simon, editor of Flintside; Kate Stockrahm, editor of East Village Magazine; Tia Scott, formerly of Flintside and currently representing Flint Beat; and Patrick Hayes, publisher of Flint. Daily. Nic Custer, who has worked with East Village, Buckham Gallery, and the Greater Flint Creative Alliance, will moderate the discussion.
The idea for the topic came from observing the local news landscape in Flint and beyond, as corporate media outlets across the country, particularly those covering smaller communities, have shrunk their editorial staffs, reduced or eliminated print products, and made other cuts that have harmed residents seeking credible information about their communities.
“On the one hand, from my perspective, I would be frustrated at the lack of comprehensive coverage (in Flint), the sort you can have when you’ve got beat reporters at a daily news publication,” Coyne said. “And at the same time, there are these sort of Herculean efforts by these local, independent outlets to kind of close the gap. I am consistently impressed by how many of these outlets there are and how much they are able to cover given limited resources, volunteer staff, money, facilities, technology, what have you. So for me this was a very practical one. I’m hoping that the participating organizations will receive donations and possibly some volunteers through this event, or at the very least, improve their circulation by bringing in new readers. It’s (local journalism) a really critical role in any functioning community.”
The event is free, but there is a $10 recommended donation to Gothic Funk Press, which includes entry into a raffle.
Beyond organizing the quarterly Salons, Coyne also has other ways he tries to bring together local writers. He facilitates writing workshops at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, including for teens, and also teaches writing courses at the Flint Institute of Arts Museum Art School. He also curates monthly lists of literary-related events, book signings, classes, and other related items and sends them out regularly to email subscribers. People interested in being added to his email list can reach out to connor@gothicfunkpress.com. The Gothic Funk Press website and Facebook page are also good resources for local writers.
“I think it’s a really interesting time for the literary community in Flint,” Coyne said. “We certainly have literary chops, whether you’re talking about Kelsey Ronan or Ben Hamper or Jonah Mixon-Webster or Semaj Brown. There are lots of writers from Flint. But what I think has happened in the last 20 years in Flint is a lot of what we would see as being institutional anchors, typically through university English programs and stuff, a lot of those institutions in Flint have shifted the focus away from the humanities. On the one hand that can be frustrating because you’re doing a lot of really just basic stuff (to organize people), just sending out emails, calling venues and asking if they’ll host something or, inviting people to get in touch with each other. But it’s also kind of exciting because when a writing community is tied to an institution, they also inherit all of the baggage that goes along with that institution versus when you’re kind of building it on your own or you’re building it with partners who are really enthusiastic about that work, you can grow in a much more spontaneous and imaginative way. So I think that there are flashes of real excitement about what we’re doing.”
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