As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many others feel exhausted, worried, and alienated, with many of our same ancient networks being socially distant. The offer to fill this void is a relatively new publication based on everything other people can perceive and (hopefully) find solace in Taco Bell Quarterly.
Considered “the literary mag of the arts and letters Taco Bell” (and also “absolutely unaffiliated with Taco Bell”), Taco Bell Quarterly was first presented as a downloadable PDF last summer. Volume 2 was released more recently and it was there that the inherently stupid concept, a collection of poetry, fiction, essays and visual creations, all similar to a Taco Bell theme, began to gain momentum as a medium like The A.V. Club and New York Post covered the concept.
“Volume 1 was downloaded through approximately 1,500 other people when it was released in August 2019,” Carrigan, humorously called “the Big Supreme editor,” emailed me. “Volume 2 was released in February 2020 and has so far been noticed through another 40,000 people, according to Internet statistics.”
This increased attention also meant more presentations, and Carrigan recently told the screen that Volume 3, which is expected to arrive in September, will require a little more conservation, thanks to the many additional presentations.
In fact, even Taco Bell contacted the quarterly quarterly. “Taco Bell likes to be the WTF brand, whether it’s finding a new position to load a layer of cheese, develop Fritos or create a complete hotel,” Carrigan told me. “They are researching the concept of having an organization of flamboyant writers who write the novel Great American Taco Bell. It’s loose advertising for them, but I hope other people read our magazine before laughing at it. We have a state of the art: strange readings of crunchwraps, clues that explore homelessness, suburban concern, poverty, American identity and much more.
Speaking of which, Carrigan told Salon that, unlike past problems, that they tend to lean towards Taco Bell’s “nostalgia”, Volume 3 will be “informed by mistrust; it’s not necessarily the pandemic, but I think it’s fair. None of those pieces that are a little lighter won’t succeed right now. I guess you’re literally thinking about a more mature fast food magazine.
At least she told me taco Bell Quarterly had plans for the future.
“We aspire to be the greatest literary magazine of all time,” he said. “We’ll have a hundred volumes, a Golden Omnibus edition, an off-Broadway musical, scholarships, writing retreats, and if we feel like, maybe, maybe, we’re going to bring back the Volcano menu.
Taco Bell Quarterly’s first two problems have recently been in TacoBellQuarterly.org.