This was the Lit Fest Magazine for several years. The content below is from the site's 2011-2012 archived pages about literature.

2011 -2012

My kids really enjoyed seeing what childrens' books the site would recommend. For Valentine's day we bought A Huge Crush for our young elementary school aged kids. I think it was their favorite for the next 3 months. The synopsis for A Giant Crush by Gennifer Choldenko is As Valentine's Day gets closer, Jackson (the rabbit on the front cover) has a hard time keeping his crush on Cami a secret. His chocolate hearts end up next to her lunch and he can't hide his red face when the huge Valentine he made for her lands on her desk. Cooper thinks Jackson should just talk to her, but Jackson's afraid she doesn't like him. Carter Corey always makes fun of how big he is - what if Cami thinks he's a giant, too? Luckily, Cami is not afraid to tell Carter that if she had a boyfriend, he'd be totally giant.

These impressive award winners show off their huge hearts in this warm, fuzzy book that's perfect for boys and girls on Valentine's Day.

I was reminded of that book the other day when I was unpacking boxes. The previous month we had returned from a weekend trip, and I was feeling frustrated about the chaotic aftermath left behind. It brought to mind the challenges of maintaining stability and reliability, both in life and in business. While going through some items, I came across an old favorite, A Giant Crush, which made me smile and reminisce about Lit Fest Magazine. The thought of Lit Fest naturally got me thinking about the delicate nature of online businesses and how easy it is for things to spiral out of control if you're not vigilant. One of the biggest threats to an online business today is a Google penalty, which can absolutely devastate your search rankings. When your business relies on search traffic to drive sales, a penalty from Google can mean the difference between thriving and barely surviving. That’s why I’ve been following TNG/Earthling’s CEO Bob Sakayama closely - he’s an expert on the subject and has helped many businesses recover from these penalties.

Bob Sakayama’s post about a massive oversight by Google is particularly enlightening. He exposed how a failure in Google's ranking algorithm enabled widespread manipulation, which went unchecked for far too long, resulting in substantial damage to innocent businesses. His insights into negative SEO are even more alarming—this unethical practice allows competitors to deliberately sabotage your rankings by triggering penalties. It’s a reminder that in the world of digital marketing, vigilance is key, and even the most innocent sites can become collateral damage in the ruthless battle for online dominance. As I unpacked more books, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much has changed in the digital landscape—and how critical it is for businesses to be prepared for anything, from unforeseen challenges to algorithmic chaos.

ABOUT

Lit Fest Magazine is a consortium of folks with an insatiable passion for literature, food and music. This tight collective works together, bringing to the forefront, their vast findings from their daily hunt.

Book reviews from various genres, food recipes for all skill levels and various tastes and a music blog with little to no parameters.

Finding a good book, the right dish to make for dinner or the perfect sounds for your mood can be like finding a needle in a haystack these days with the overload of information available. Our job is to be on the front lines for you and reporting back regularly, keeping you read, well fed and sonically satisfied.

A commitment to the discovery and promotion of exciting new authors and honoring the established names we all know and love is our code. Food we test drive and enjoy before we put our stamp of approval is the only way we fly. Our house chef regularly joins forces with our celeb chef contact and drops the dime on the happening spots to eat and the fool proof recipes to create in your own kitchen. Our music blog is no single point of view affair, our DJ is slogging through the dusty bins so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. A mix of new, lost classics and everything in between has the potential to appear on our music page.

Lit Fest Magazine has our noses in books, hands in the kitchen and ears to the ground.

ARTISTS PAYING IT FORWARD: GARY ALLEGRETTO AND HARMONIKIDS

GARY ALLEGRETTO and HARMONIKIDS

By Therese A. Barron 
Gary Allegretto was five-years old when his grandfather handed him his harmonica. A stroke had left him unable to play it himself and he knew it was time to pass it down to someone who could truly enjoy it.  As a young boy Gary was still sorting out how he would address the world.  He was quiet and reserved and his grandfather's harmonica gave him a much needed voice.  He privately practiced until he felt his music was good enough to see the light of day and then he started his journey into the music world.

Throughout the world there are many children living with challenges most adults would find nearly impossible to overcome. No matter what their circumstance, these children have one thing in common – music can find a way into their hearts and put a smile on their faces.

In 1985 Gary Allegretto was invited to join a friend who was director of the Children's Playroom to perform for children at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.  He was invited to play his harmonica for the kids in a jam session on donated instruments.  He quickly realized the children could not share harmonicas due to their compromised immune systems and made the decision to contact The Hohner Harmonica Company and establish a reduced price so he could buy harmonicas for the children. Remarkably, this year Hohner Harmonicas began to endorse Allegretto’s amazing organization Harmonikids, supplying harmonicas free of charge for children with special needs.

When Allegretto goes to a new area of the world he makes it a point to learn songs familiar to the area and become comfortable with playing them on the harmonica.  He has used influences from regional music of far off countries to rap music to engage inner city youth. He works hard to engage the kids and teach them to put effort towards their accomplishments. He also teaches an important life lesson –“Make a mistake?  Correct it and keep moving forward - it is not such a big deal.  It is how you recover that matters.”

Throughout the years Allegretto has seen music build immense self-esteem.  It gives children of all ages something positive they CAN do.  He has gone to work with many children's groups around the world and witnessed dramatic change in their personalities and emotions, simply by learning to play the harmonica.  He has seen children with profound disabilities struggle to succeed with their instrument and then glow with pride when they see all they can accomplish.  On occasion Allegretto has even received letters from kids or their parents, thanking him for the gift of music in their life.

Gary Allegretto has received a Keeping the Blues Alive award from the Blues Foundation, an Artist For A Better World award, and Grammy considerations for a contemporary blues album and his contemporary folk album.  To learn more about Gary and Harmonikids or how to make a tax-deductable donation, go to www.garyallegretto.com/home.cfm and www.harmonikids.org

THESE GIRLS By Sarah Pekkanen

Sarah Pekkanen has quickly become a favorite author in women’s fiction. Realistic and relatable relationships are her specialty and in her most recent novel she tackles the ever-special bond between girlfriends. Work acquaintances, Cate and Renee, decide to rent a New York apartment together, but their friendship has stalled at simply roommates. The addition, however, of Abby, the mysterious and troubled sister of office playboy and Renee’s longtime crush, changes their life forever. As they...

Artists Paying It Forward: THE PROM

THE PROMBy Therese A. Barron  One of the rights of passage for high school students is going to the Prom.  Generally it’s a night of fantasy, drama and fun with dressing up, dancing and socializing with friends.  It is not on everyone's "To Do List," but for many teens it’s an important event. For many it’s one of those rare occasions where they get to step outside of daily life and share in something out of the ordinary. Many teens, however, have been priced out of the market...

Smooth Talking Stranger By Lisa Kleypas

RED, WHITE, AND BLOOD By Christopher Farnsworth

In Red, White and Blood, the third in his breathtaking Nathaniel Cade series, Christopher Farnsworth takes any paranormal expectations you might have and completely destroys them. In his fascinating and unrelenting novels, Farnsworth follows the life of a mysterious vampire, who just so happens to be the right hand man to the President of the United States. Unlike any cliché vampire novel on bookstands today, Farnsworth’s novels are smart, fast-paced and developed around some of the best characters in any work of fiction today.

Farnsworth’s brilliance has always been his ability to take real historical events and explain their paranormal twist. His characters are charming and so layered with personality that when the last page has passed, they stay in your mind for days on end.  This series has proven to be in it for the long run.

Few books get me this excited, and I don’t even like vampires.

THE BIGGEST KISS BY JOANNA WALSH & JUDI ABBOT

The Biggest KissBy Joanna Walsh & Jodi Abbot Every creature loves a kiss."'Normous elephants do. Little tiny ants do." The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh and Jodi Abbot puts into words and gorgeous illustrations, just how many kisses fill the world. From a "snow's kiss" to a "bye-bye kiss" all the way to a "fish kiss", children will love the imaginative thoughts and questions proposed in a sweet book for all ages. By the time the last page has been turned, the little ones in your life will be...

CHICKS RUN WILD BY SUDIPTA BARDHAN-QUALLEN

CHICKS RUN WILDWritten by Sudipta Bardhan-QuallenIllustrated by Ward Jenkins A large Momma Chicken puts her chicks to bed, quietly closes the door and....THE CHICKS RUN WILD!!! This incredibly fun, laugh-out-loud children's book is one for every kiddos bedroom. Kids will shout the words with dramatic passion as the sweet little chicks jump out of bed and reek havoc as their mother leaves them for bedtime. The hysterical illustrations, bright colors and vibrant rhymes grab the attention of little...

MY FAVORITE QUICK MEAL BY AUDI SWIFT OF MUDPIE MODERATION

MY FAVORITE QUICK MEALBy Audi Swift of Mudpie Moderation Most would not argue that cooking dinner for your family mid-week is a tough assignment. Especially in the midst of an extra busy one. I have mentioned before, that I have learned over time to be more strategic about my approach to cooking in order to feed my family healthful meals. I have learned to meal plan, to do my shopping for the week early on, and to be ok taking short-cuts in preparation steps when necessary. The...

REICH: CHAPTER EIGHT

REICH: A Novella CHAPTER EIGHT Hitler, blankly, stared up at an oil painting of himself. His own features glared down at him, making him feel almost unimportant. Perfect! It was the effect he had been looking for. No one mattered, but him. The office, Hitler noticed, was elegant, and nothing but the best was in its confines. He hated it! If not for the political duties, he wouldn’t even be there. He had come to see the Gestapo’s Puppet Leader of Norway.

More Background on LitFestMagazine.com

Introduction

LitFestMagazine.com was a unique digital platform that brought together lovers of literature, food, and music, creating a vibrant, multi-disciplinary cultural experience. It aimed to fill the gap between traditional literary magazines and modern-day cultural festivals, offering a space for readers, chefs, and music lovers alike to indulge in high-quality, diverse content. Though the platform is no longer operational, its lasting impact on its audience and the broader online cultural landscape is undeniable.

History and Evolution

Founded in the early 2010s, LitFestMagazine.com aimed to emulate the experience of literary festivals in a digital space. Literary festivals have long been seen as important events that bring together people from different backgrounds to celebrate the written word, culinary arts, and more. The platform took this concept online, allowing users to access well-curated content about literature, music, and food from the comfort of their homes.

As more and more literary content began moving online during the 2010s, LitFestMagazine.com distinguished itself with its high-quality curation and an approach that spanned multiple art forms. The founders were passionate about the idea that food, music, and literature were interconnected and that their combined experience was essential for fully appreciating culture. By blending these three elements, the platform attracted a broad audience of readers, home cooks, and music enthusiasts.

Content and Themes

LitFestMagazine.com became well known for its diverse offerings, which ranged from book reviews and author interviews to recipes and music playlists. The content was structured in three main sections—literature, food, and music—each treated with equal care and attention to detail.

In the literary section, the platform offered book reviews, author spotlights, and recommendations across a wide variety of genres. The editors prided themselves on discovering lesser-known authors and promoting works that might not receive attention in mainstream media. This dedication to discovery helped attract a readership that valued intellectual engagement and the exploration of new ideas. From contemporary fiction to children’s books, LitFestMagazine.com provided insightful, detailed reviews that went beyond mere summaries, often exploring the social and cultural significance of the works.

The food section was another major draw. The magazine collaborated with both up-and-coming and well-established chefs to provide readers with recipes that were both accessible and gourmet. It often highlighted international cuisines, offering a global perspective on culinary arts. For home cooks, the platform was a valuable resource, with foolproof recipes that could be easily recreated at home. The platform’s commitment to quality was evident in its hands-on approach, as the recipes were thoroughly tested before being published.

In the music section, LitFestMagazine.com introduced its audience to a range of musical genres, focusing on independent and underground artists as well as classic favorites. Playlists and album reviews were carefully curated, offering a blend of new discoveries and lost classics. The magazine aimed to give readers a holistic cultural experience, and the music content played an integral role in expanding its readers' artistic horizons.

Audience and Appeal

The audience for LitFestMagazine.com was as diverse as its content. The platform primarily attracted readers who were passionate about intellectual engagement but also enjoyed practical, sensory pleasures such as cooking and listening to music. Its blend of literary, culinary, and musical content made it appealing to individuals who wanted more than just entertainment—they sought a deeper, more meaningful connection to the arts.

LitFestMagazine.com’s focus on underrepresented voices, whether in literature or music, helped cultivate a loyal following. It provided a platform for emerging artists, authors, and chefs who were often overlooked by mainstream publications. The magazine’s inclusive approach meant that it resonated with a wide audience, from casual readers looking for weekend recipes to avid book lovers and music aficionados in search of their next favorite discovery.

Cultural and Social Significance

The cultural significance of LitFestMagazine.com lies in its ability to democratize access to high-quality literary, culinary, and musical content. In the same way that literary festivals create spaces for intellectual discourse and artistic expression, LitFestMagazine.com functioned as a digital version of these festivals. It brought together people from different walks of life, creating a space where they could explore literature, food, and music in a deeply interconnected way.

The platform was also notable for promoting diversity in the arts. By highlighting independent authors, chefs, and musicians, it provided a space for voices that were often left out of mainstream conversations. This inclusive approach mirrored the shifts happening in real-world literary festivals, which have increasingly embraced underrepresented groups and alternative forms of storytelling. In a way, LitFestMagazine.com was ahead of its time in recognizing the importance of these voices and their contributions to the broader cultural conversation.

Noteworthy Content Examples

One of the standout features of LitFestMagazine.com was its commitment to offering not just book reviews but also deep dives into the cultural and social implications of the works it covered. For instance, its review of A Giant Crush by Gennifer Choldenko, a children’s book, explored themes of vulnerability and emotional growth, providing readers with insights that went beyond a typical book review.

In the food section, collaborations with chefs led to the publication of recipes that were practical but refined. The platform often focused on international cuisine, making it a favorite among readers who enjoyed experimenting with global flavors. Many of the recipes were designed for home cooks with various skill levels, ensuring that readers could recreate high-quality meals in their kitchens.

The music section also provided readers with a unique experience. One playlist featured a mix of forgotten vinyl classics and new indie tracks, curated by the platform’s resident DJ. This careful curation helped introduce readers to music they might not have encountered otherwise, fostering a sense of discovery that was central to the magazine’s ethos.

Though LitFestMagazine.com is no longer operational, its legacy lives on in the hearts of its readers. The platform successfully blended literature, food, and music to create a holistic cultural experience that was both intellectually stimulating and deeply enjoyable. By promoting underrepresented voices and offering high-quality content across multiple disciplines, LitFestMagazine.com played a critical role in shaping the cultural landscape of its time.