Arid lands and empty roads, colored with the blandness of an adobe scheme, are images often conjured by the mention of desert sprawl.
But one ambitious mind seeks to eliminate the stigma behind Arizona’s reputation through the art of writing.
Founded by 23-year-old downtowner Daniel Mills, Sprawlr is an upcoming online magazine supporting literary works about the state of Arizona. Built as a nonprofit, Sprawlr has a mission to create an identity for Arizonans beyond the “cowboy-esque” stereotype, Mills said.
“Arizona is a diverse place, no matter what people believe,” Mills said. “And we need to have an outlet that reflects that diversity.”
Sprawlr photographer Megan McLeod emphasized Sprawlr’s goal of changing perceptions about Arizona. Some of these misconceptions include a false sense of belief that few opportunities exist in the state, as well as a controversial political history with Senate Bill 1070, the state’s controversial immigration law that was partly upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012.
“We need to have a more positive outlook to where we can go,” McLeod said. “I think there needs to be more emphasis on our potential, because we can do so much more than what we’re doing.”
But the stereotype of Arizona is not the only perspective Mills hopes to challenge with Sprawlr. He hopes to introduce a publication that increases the critique on development in the outskirts of cities.
“We should not see ourselves as stuck in any kind of mode for how we develop in Arizona, and (learn) not to take anything for granted and not to just blindly accept the way things are here,” Mills said.
As an Arizona State University alumnus, Daniel Mills already knew that he wanted to create a change with his english literature major, and later on, with his environmental humanities certificate.
“I wanted to get involved with something. I wanted to impact my community. I wanted to feel like I was having a positive influence on where I stood,” Mills said. “I’m a big believer in: If you want to change the world, you want to make your difference, look outside your front door. No matter where you walk, there’s always something to get involved in, there’s always something you can do to help.”
In discovering the power of nonfiction works, partially through involvement in ASU’s State Press publication, Mills found a passion for writing stories that could alter perspectives. Recently, this passion grew into the birth of Sprawlr.
Although Mills wasn’t always aiming to start his own publication, he said, “After a while, I just realized that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do writing for anybody else or working for anybody else.”
Mills’ girlfriend, Kristina Moore, said she believes in the significance of Sprawlr for the community. Speaking as a musician with an understanding of the uniqueness of the arts community, she found it necessary for all individuals to have a voice, so everyone could feel connected to their locality.
“This is where we live; it’s the place that we reside in,” Moore stated. “If you don’t feel attached to where you walk every day, and where you eat and sleep, that’s a problem. Sense of place is an important thing.”
Currently, the online magazine is dedicated to the publication of high quality, long-form nonfiction pieces that highlight the Grand Canyon State in 2000 words or more.
“I encourage people to be a little more daring with what they write,” Mills said. “Focus on longer stories, focus on things that haven’t been done as much — stories that aren’t recycled and that aren’t so obvious.”
Mills is also working on a smaller side series for the publication, in which he will personally be writing. In the future, Mills hopes to be able to print physical editions of Sprawlr and make a physical impact on the community, as well.
“I think it would be great to use Sprawlr as a launch pad for more art projects in the city,” the founder said.
Contact the reporter at emily.liu@asu.edu
