Originally published August 2017. This note reflects the founding impulse behind Twyckenham Notes.
Growing up in South Bend in the early 2000s, the prevailing attitude of the town’s youth wasn’t lost on me: I wanted to leave as soon as I could. The common refrain was, “There is nothing to do here.” And I think, to a degree, we were right.
South Bend is a town with its own history of ups and downs. Located on the south bend of the St. Joseph River, our city enjoyed a generous period of growth spurred by the rise of Studebaker. When the plants closed in 1963, the manufacturing jobs left. South Bend collapsed; the population shrank. The South Bend I grew up in still carried that weight.
In recent years, the city has begun to reinvent itself. Cafes host music and events. Breweries open their doors. Singer-songwriters and bands play weekly. Poetry and literary readings—local and visiting—have become commonplace. A converted industrial building houses an art gallery, a bar, a café, and a steady calendar of performances.
South Bend has developed an undercurrent of culture. I founded Twyckenham Notes in response to what I saw here: a reemergence, the building of a new identity. I wanted to add something to the mix—to be part of the transformation. I hope you’ll submit your work, and if not, I hope you’ll stay long enough to see what comes next.
—Austin Veldman
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Twyckenham Notes 