I want this magazine to offer thoughtful, nuanced perspectives on what’s happening in the world, to be of service to the local community, and to stay with three things:

• For what I see my generation, Millennials, as being about: A “Spring” generation.
• For springs, which are the source of rivers. For that first flash of inspiration and the purity of the first rush of emotions. For depth and insight.

 

About me

Hello! My name is Monica Chen.

I want to keep the spirit of honesty and fun of storytelling in this magazine, to have it illuminate what’s going on in the world as well as cherish the artistry of storytelling. When you tell a good story, you can see how it affects people. It is important for people to have the world they see reflected back at them. It makes people feel understood, seen, part of a larger whole.

Professionally, I got my start at The Smithfield Herald, and worked my way up to The Herald-Sun of Durham, the Triangle Business Journal, and freelanced for The News & Observer. In 2009, while at The Herald-Sun, I won a N.C. Press Association award for an enterprise series on Research Triangle Park. These past couple of years, while pondering what I should do in journalism, I worked odd jobs, read and researched everything I was curious about, and studied herbal medicine with a local wildcrafter.

I double-majored in Journalism and International Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I was also editor of the humor magazine, BoUNCe, and built its first official website in 2003.