Introduction to Issue 17

Welcome readers to the latest issue of our irregular magazine, which appears whenever it is ready to go, and not a moment before that.  Appearances now to be, roughly, twice a year, early Spring and Late Fall.  If something exciting happens, there maybe be special issues in between; as the spirits move and the submissions dictates.  As always, a magazine is only as good as the work the contributor’s send for inclusion.  So I am placing the responsibility firmly on you, readers and writers, to keep the good words flowing.

As always, I reserve the right to publish work that may not fall within established guidelines and comfort zones.  Editors make rules, but that also means, editors can break them. I have always the kind of person who does not handle authority well, so why should I change now? (even if the authority is myself!) This would account for special features, unsolicited Art, and other items included within the issue. 

I have written separate introduction to features of Yael Maimon’s Art: “A Ticket to Wonderland”, and The Elegy features.  A word about Al Winans “essay” on being 80. Al did not send this piece as a submission, but as general statement, to his e-mail list, detailing what marking the occasion of being 80 meant to him. His brief summary of his life and times as poet, publisher, small press advocate, and photographer, seemed to me a great brief history of where the small press movement began, how it flourished, and where it is headed now. As well as a nice self-tribute to Al. I asked Al for permission to print it here. All hail Al and the small press community!   

I remain your humble editor and the this issue would not exist nor look the way it does, were it not for the hard work and able efforts of Jennifer Lagier our web mistress, and Gene McCormick, our resident artist.