S.S. Merganser:
A Bird of Earth and Stars
Manifesto
- S.S. - This literary magazine is a ship.
- Merganser - As a waterfowl, the merganser doesn’t quite belong anywhere; it exists in the water (where it hunts), in the air (where it flies), and on the ground (where it nests), in each place part-time.
- A Bird - Radical empathy, hope, the thing with feathers.
- of Earth - Art runs on authenticity and accessibility. It's down to Earth.
- and Stars - And is also an escape to a world beyond.
Site Guide
- Home - Where the journey begins. Find new artists, new worlds, and new stories.
- About - Read our "manifesto." You’re doing that now.
- Submit - Submit short fiction and poetry for publication. Fly the ship.
- Join the Crew - Sign up to favorite stories, subscribe to our newsletter, and submit to the magazine.
The Founders
Jake Ott
Editor, Founder
I was born and raised in Abbott, Texas, the hometown of Willie Nelson, which has a population of about 350 on a good day. Growing up in such a small place, I became obsessed with cities and people. I live in Boston now, which is kind of a big city. I enjoy all kinds of stories and storytelling. I surround myself with high character people who push me forward. Books. Basketball. Dungeons and Dragons. Country music. Anime. I like lots of things.
In 2004, I was the sole John Kerry voter in my Kindergarten class mock election, which I'm pretty sure earned my parents a call from a teacher (for some reason I'll never understand but I'll always be motivated by). I like the idea of telling stories to prove people wrong. I’ve always stood for and will continue to stand for honesty, equity, authenticity, optimism, and the voices of others. Merganser Magazine is a way for me to push those values forward while playing around on my computer.
John T. Schumacher
Chief Operating Officer, Founder
Being the child of IBMers means I was raised up and down the East Coast, but I stayed put the longest in North Carolina, home of America’s most infamous pirates. My grandmother, a proud Texan, introduced me to my family history, folklore, and Southern Outlaw stories. She swore, as many Southerners do, we descended from Billy the Kid himself. I’ve spent my life drawn to how people make meaning out of even the littlest things, and how we use that meaning-making to find purpose and clarity in chaos.
I studied clinical psychology, but have worked all sorts of jobs: Researching autism, caring for disabled children, unloading trucks, and doing constituent casework for local government. I enjoy anything that means I get to work with people. Each one taught me something different about how people tell their stories and how much those stories matter. I co-founded Merganser because I think of how blessed I’ve been to travel both around the coast and into so many interesting fantasy worlds, and I want to share that with more people.
I live in the Hudson Valley now, and enjoy seeing and meeting all the different kinds of people who travel across it to get to New York City. I enjoy local history, antiquing, mythology, and bird figurines.