ABOUT THE JOURNAL

The Big Brick Review is an online publication devoted to support of the narrative non-fiction genre by serving as a venue for established writers and a springboard for emerging writers. Founded in 2014 by Gregory Gerard, the journal features personal accounts that build on the narrative of our lives, finding new insight to old struggles...old insight to new struggles...and all shades-of-gray in between. 

See Submission Guidelines for more information. 

All photos for The Big Brick Review are original photography by Gregory Gerard.

ABOUT THE NAME

 

The Big Brick Review takes its name from the childhood home of its founder. In 1973, Gerard's parents purchased and renovated a 4,000 square-foot brick house nestled against 200 acres of farmland, forest, and creeks. Located in rural Western NY, the house, constructed in the 1840s of red-oxide clay-and-sand bricks, had been painted white sometime in the early 20th century.

 

 

 

During the renovation process, Gerard's parents chose a sand-blasting method to remove the exterior paint and restore the original color. The result was a sharply defined red brick house set atop one of the glacial drumlins common to the area. Acquaintances thought the house had been razed and rebuilt, and asked about this new 'big brick house on the hill.'
The name stuck.


As a boy, Gerard spent many unscripted hours exploring the property in and around Big Brick, dreaming of the lives that had passed through the house in its 130-year existence, imagining the struggles and successes that had mingled with the brick and mortar.


With the launch of The Big Brick Review, he hopes to expand beyond the imaginings of a Western NY farmhouse, building on and preserving the narrative of our lives, one brick at a time.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Gregory Gerard teaches writing part-time at Writers & Books, Rochester’s contemporary literary center, and has been a guest instructor at the University of Rochester's Scholars Creative Writing Program. His memoir, In Jupiter's Shadow, (2009, Infinity Publishing) chronicles a religious boy's struggle with forbidden attraction.

Having been first published by Tiny Lights, A Journal of Personal Narrative, Gerard was saddened to hear that Tiny Lights was retiring as an active journal in 2014 after nearly 20 years of service to the narrative nonfiction genre. Imagining a world without this encouraging venue for emerging and established writers, Gerard felt inspired to create The Big Brick Review.

May the torch of our personal stories never be extinguished.

 


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