Cameron Mays: Printed and published
- May 5
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
Former Vindicator contributor goes from student writer to published author.
Written by Andrew Delly
Those who have been reading The Vindicator for a few years may remember the writings of Cameron Mays. Mays is a Cleveland State University (CSU) alumnus who graduated in May 2023. He studied film and media arts during his time at CSU and slowly came to find his love for writing through organizations such as The Vindicator. His contributions to the magazine often consisted of comedic videos and writings that examined various places and institutions around the Cleveland area.
Following his graduation, Mays continued writing, starting a small zine that he personally mailed to his readers entitled Lakeshore Limited. It consisted of collections of essays, similar to his Vindicator articles, largely about life in Cleveland. Mays said his goal with the essays was to create some sort of portrait of the place he is from and cherishes.
Some of these essays include “Waste Management on Madison Avenue Between West 65th and West 117th,” an essay that explores “open air recycling” as seen on the streets of Cleveland, as well as “Fun Sized Etiquette,” which offers some dos and don'ts for visiting the Lakewood Mini Park, a park that likely has a smaller square footage than most dorms on campus.
Mays’ intention was to write comedic essays about Cleveland without just laughing at it. He pointed out that most other comedies centered around our city strictly make fun of it, only pointing out flaws, and making no suggestions of improvement. In this way, Mays writes from a place of optimism. His essays aren’t designed to make you laugh at the city, they’re meant to inspire a love of it (with a little satirical fun along the way).
Lakeshore Limited went on for five issues, each printed and mailed personally by Mays until September 2024, when he moved to New York City to pursue writing, and, eventually, worked towards publishing his zines.
“Everything I wrote was very direct to being in Cleveland, and I left Cleveland” Mays said.
This led Mays to reconnect with an old high school friend and publisher, Alex Benedict, who is connected with several local writers, each working on small independent projects like Mays’ chapbook – his current project. A chapbook is a small book or pamphlet that consists of poems or stories.
“Cameron asked me, and I was like, ‘Why didn’t you ask earlier?’” Benedict said.
The chapbook is currently set to release in July. The two of them are currently working to get the chapbook released to several bookstores locally and abroad – possibly getting it out as far as Europe. The book itself contains all of the essays and articles from Mays’ previous zines with some added poetry and other short writings.
Both Mays and Benedict have other plans beyond this chapbook. Benedict is currently in the process of publishing the work of other local authors and creatives. One of his projects is a collection of interviews made into a comic being written by Dave Ziggy Deitke, a local Cleveland musician, and member of the band, C-level. Mays is planning to assemble another collection, this time consisting of interviews with New Yorkers who are from Cleveland. This will be another reflection from Mays, this time examining others who have a story similar to himself.
Mays has a simple wish for the book: for people to read it, whether they hate it, love it or something in between. Benedict has a similar sentiment. As an independent publisher, his dream is to see the book in someone’s hands. Both of them want the book to bring a greater appreciation for Cleveland, both from those who live there, and those who have never been there.
Mays offered some advice to those who go to CSU.
“Don’t have any inhibitions about writing for The Vindicator,” Mays said.
He noted the struggle he had building an audience with his zine, and praised The Vindicator for its built-in audience, giving new writers an immediate base.
Benedict had two simple pieces of advice: print your stuff and read a lot.
Both of their stories are inspiring ones for readers and writers of this magazine. It’s not often that a student so soon out of college is able to get a book published, especially in stores across the world. Be sure to check out Mays’ book when it hits the shelves this summer.
Below are images of Cameron Mays during his printing endeavors. Credit: Domonic Perkins
