Newsletter

Vol 7,  Issue 2 - April 2004

Masthead

CONTENTS

•       The Editor's Pen

•       Of Literary Note

•       Column by Janet Miller

•       Book Reviews

•       Markets and Contests

•       The Buzz

•       What We are Up To

•       Contact Info

FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN
by Barbara Quinn and Meredith Morgenstern

Dear Readers:

We're busy as usual at The Rose & Thorn. We hope you're enjoying our Spring issue with all it has to offer.  The feedback on the issue has been terrific.

We're so glad you like it!

Meanwhile, we're hard at work on our Summer 2004 issues.

Yes, issues, plural.

Besides our regular Summer issue that will be posted online, we've got a special staff issue planned for release in June. The staff issue will cost $3 and be available for download. I hope that many of you decide to invest in our staff issue which will showcase the incredibly talented writers of The Rose & Thorn. There will also be a surprise for the readers of the issue.

As a special inducement to you, anyone who takes out an ad in our regular June newsletter will be given a FREE ad in the staff issue. Ads for the regular newsletter start at $20. If you have a product to sell, a book to tout, an announcement to make, why not take out an ad?

Submissions are open in all categories so do send along your best. We'd love it if you told other writers about the zine. Do feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.

Keep reading and writing and see you in June!

Barbara

Dear Readers,

Ah, springtime in New York.  Daylight stretches into evening, the ice rink at Rockefeller Center gets dismantled for an outdoor café, Central Park becomes a lush green giant - and for three months the city drowns under never-ending rain.  Being the hay fevered-weather wuss that I am, spring for me means a lot of time indoors.  As spring descends, I find myself yet again disinclined to venture out of the dry and allergen-free environment of my apartment. 

Spring means I get a lot of writing done. 

Summer is too hot and humid to write; autumn is too beautiful to stay indoors.  The winter Holiday season, followed by my birthday, pushes writing to the bottom of my priority list.  But when the mere thought of going outside causes my eyes to water and my skin to itch, it is time to hit the keyboard.  In spring the outside world is no place for a girl like me, all sneezy and bleak.  Most of the writing that I will do for the entire year - including my piece for the upcoming R&T Summer Staff Issue - happens in a few short spring months.

May the April showers help bring forth the creative blossoms in all of you, dear readers.  Happy spring!

Meredith (achoo!)

YOUR AD CAN BE HERE!!

Do you have a writing service, contest, publication or product you'd like to tell our sophisticated and talented readers about? Why not take an ad out in The Rose & Thorn? Our ads are most reasonable and start at $20.

Advertise with The Rose & Thorn

If YOU have writing/editing experience, or that particular gift of web/coding experience, and if you have a few hours to spare, The Rose & Thorn is in need of YOUR help!  If you'd like to become one of our volunteer staffers drop me a line at BAQuinn@aol.com telling me a little about your background. We're an award winning site, but we're also a group of talented writers who support each other, and who enjoy helping to showcase new and established voices.  We hope to hear from YOU!

Petals Magazine is broken into various sections to cater to women of every age and every situation in life. Each portion of Petals includes fiction, poetry, and articles about the related topic.

For those of you who enjoy writing and using words to define yourself, see "Inspirations." Every issue will include a writing prompt. The next issue will announce the winners of the previous contest and address a new prompt.

Feel free to send your submissions via email. If sending multiple submissions, please send in separate emails. I prefer attached Word documents.  Petals Magazine currently does not pay for accepted materials. Petals Magazine owns no rights to your work, but we prefer that it is not published elsewhere on the web while appearing in publication here. Any questions, email Sara.

URL:  http://amyjamie.com/petals/

GL:  http://amyjamie.com/petals/submissions/

WRITER CLOSETED
by Wil Hough

When questioned about my writing, I often answer, "It's in the toilet." The usual response is a knowing smile and nod, my comment confirming the general preconception.  An opinion matched only by the common ignorance of that which drives the writer. I've learned not to care much about either view...sort of.

It was written, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own house and among those he once thought he could rely upon for support." This holds true for the seldom published as well; therefore, as I am sure you have all discovered, friends and families try not to encourage our frivolity. As a matter of fact, they make it damn hard to get anything done at all.

Why, the moment I sneak to my keyboard, I'm on  borrowed time. Within minutes a voice is likely to order me to cease and desist. "You in there AGAIN?! The MOMENT I turn my back, you head for that stupid computer!  Can't you devote all your disposable time to me?"

"But, honey, you were sleeping."

"I don't care! I woke up and you were GONE! I need to know you're here in bed with me."

Guess I should be happy to feel wanted, but can't you imagine the conversations?

"How's your Steve doing?"

"Oh, he bowls, you know. Then they all go out drinking afterwards. Isn't that just like a man? How's Frank?"

"Idiot golfs every morning at 6 A.M. Mike still shooting hoops three times a week?"

"Uhuh, at least when he isn't off fishing. By the way, I hear Betty caught Earl with some little cutie the other afternoon."

"No!!!"

"Yes! What about your Bill, Helen?"

"Oh, God, he wants to be a writer!"

"No!"

"Yes, and every chance he gets, he heads straight for that silly Mac. He's like an addict. Doesn't drink beer in front of the game like a real man. And God only knows what secrets he's revealing."

"No!"

"Yes! Why the other day? Caught him trying to talk 'on line.' Told me it was some writers' club. Just IMAGINE what THEY must be about!"

"Oh, you poor thing! I've heard about those disgusting chat rooms. You ever need some support, just give a call."  BR-O-THER.

So, if she's on the phone, in the powder room, watching "Reality Television", sleeping, whatever, I'm gone with the Muse. Writers are weird; we look forward to sleepless nights. "But, honey, you were snoring. I just couldn't sleep."

Occasionally, though, it all comes together. Fingers fly a symphony in words. Dialog explodes around me as I sit and take dictation. Then, when I'm finally spent, I can fool myself, fantasize "The Dream." I have created something of value, the next Hemingway. I fall back to sleep, yet to suffer my unedited drivel.

Most of us are creative enough to write. The true test lies in overcoming the demands of life (what with plowing the fields, hunting for grub, chopping firewood, and all those annoying Indians to deal with). The added lure of sleep and companionship is just too much for most to overcome.  And, don't forget, there's still all that rewriting...OY! Only a dedicated sociopath is sufficiently driven to create time where none seems available.

So, I've hit upon a system. I "think" my writing into five minute bites of time, leap to the keyboard, pound it out ("In a moment, dear, just tying my laces. Be right down.").  At the first spare moment, I hit 'print,' and spend LOTS of time in the toilet (I have one in the dark recesses of the lower catacombs where no delicate creatures dare venture) editing out the cr...

There begins the refining process of elimination. oops, sorry, I'll leave you to imagine all the metaphorical sh...

Still, there remains the question: has this technique produced anything of note?

Sointenly - hemorrhoids!

A Round-Heeled Woman
by Jane Juska

Reviewed by Barbara Quinn

Jane Juska's A Round-Heeled Woman (My Late Life Adventures in Sex and Romance) is a wild romp that is bound to leave you chuckling. This is a true story of an English teacher, who on the cusp of her sixty-seventh birthday, decides it's time to go out and have some adventures. Round-heeled is an old-fashioned term for a promiscuous woman.  Juska takes out the following ad in a literary review: "Before I turn 67 - next March- I would like to have a lot  of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first Trollope, works for me." Yep, the ad works. The men she beds range in age from 82 to 33 and have varying knowledge of her favorite author. Looking for love and affection is a theme that all ages can relate to, and the book does a fine job in shedding light on the difficulties and complications of relationships. The story delves into Juska's past quite a bit and is an enjoyable light read, funny and touching.

Buy "Round-Heeled Woman" at Amazon.com:

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Translated from the Italian by William Weaver

Reviewed by Karen Reiser

At fist glance, Umberto Eco's first novel may seem like an unlikely bestseller, but this historical thriller is beautifully written and well plotted. The novel opens in the year 1327, and the main character William of Baskerville, a Franciscan monk and former inquisitor, and his assistant Adso of Melk (the narrator) come to investigate possible heresy in an anonymous Italian monastery. The abbot asks William to investigate the mysterious death of a young monk. William's original assignment is automatically overshadowed by a series of bizarre murders. The deaths seem to be linked to the abbey's library, and access to the library is forbidden to all except the librarian and his assistant, leaving William and Adso going to great lengths to discover the secrets of the library and the murders.

Eco weaves an intricate plot that is steeped in medieval philosophy, theology and politics. Issues including the poverty of Christ, the wealth of the Church and the power of the Pope are very much a presence in the novel. Although passages of theological debate and philosophical discussion seem to slow it down at times, this book is an interesting read for history buffs and an exciting thriller for mystery lovers.

Buy The Name of the Rose at Amazon.com

BARNWOOD PRESS

The members of The Barnwood Press Cooperative aim to provide a selection of new poems that readers will be happy to find on their screens.

At the same time, we aim to pay enough for the right to publish a strong new poem, to make an appropriate gesture, at least, of appreciation, and of recognition that poets deserve to receive much more money than is usually offered to them. In turn, we ask our readers to join us in that gesture by occasionally making a tax-deductible contribution to Barnwood.  (Box 146, Selma IN 47383). Currently we are paying $25 / poem.

Paper submissions only (with sase): to Barnwood, PO Box 146, Selma IN 47383.

Barnwood's editorial taste is eclectic, looking to current poets to show what can be done effectively in the art.

URL: http://www.bsu.edu/classes/koontz/barnwood/index.html

GL:  http://www.bsu.edu/classes/koontz/barnwood/mag/mag.html

Inspirational stories of personal experiences with and testimonials of religious faith. Possible themes: the power of prayer; evidence of God's holy grace; miracles; divine intervention; enlightening "messages" and "calls to action" from God; affirmation of religious teachings/scriptures in daily life; finding or reclaiming or embracing one's faith; communion among brethren; good works of God's servants. Traditional formal religions only (i.e. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism)

Offered for unpublished work "to find, reward, and publicize new speculative fiction writers so they may more easily attain professonal writing careers." Open to new and amateur writers who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, more than 1 novelette, or more than 3 short stories. Eligible entries are short stories or novelettes (under 17,000 words) of science fiction or fantasy. Guidelines for SASE, online, or via e-mail.

Awards quarterly 1st Place: $1,000; 2nd Place: $750; and 3rd Place: $500. Annual Grand Prize: $4,000.

Next deadline is June 30.

No entry fee; entrants retain all rights to their stories; judging by professional writers only.

Sacred Water, third in a series of edited anthologies, and Sacred Fire, fourth in a series of edited anthologies, are now accepting submissions.  Stories should be written in first person, based on actual events, and be specific about what happened as a result of your encounter with water or fire. Show the impact on your life. 500-1500 words.  Original poetry will also be accepted, length and style variable. Previously published material will be considered.  Bio will be included. Contributors will receive one copy of the completed book.

URL:  http://www.sacredfeathers.com/

Currently open to submissions of dark fiction, poetry, and potential cover illustrations.

Wicked Hollow isn't exclusively a horror magazine. Not by what the horror industry is embracing these days. This is a magazine of dark literature, poetry, and art. If that makes it a literary magazine, or a Gothic magazine, or slipstream, it's of no consequence. Send me your fence-riders, your stories the literary markets won't touch as horror and horror markets won't touch as too literary. I thrive on historical settings (especially European). Don't, on the other hand, think you stand a good chance with post-apocalyptic pieces, stories dealing with the internet or corporate life, Mythos, sci-fi terror, any of your typical beasts/creatures (vampires, werewolves, etc.), or for that matter any creature or beast that seems to exist merely to destroy without mentality or purpose.

Wicked Hollow pays $5 upon acceptance for fiction and $2 upon acceptance for poetry. You may also receive two extra contributor copies in lieu of payment for fiction, or one extra contributor copy in lieu of payment for poems.  Submissions are accepted via e-mail or postal, whichever is most convenient for you.

Searchable markets database for writers.

MEET THE R & T STAFF (new column!)

Meet.
WIL HOUGH
Poetry Editor and Newsletter Coordinator
hereticcoyote@aol.com

Why a Heretic

Twice-married, Impressionist/Post-expressionist wall artist, father of six, grandpa of many believed-in Easter Bunnies, Santa, and the American Right for way too long while little sister distributed Flower Power during the Summer of Love. I didn't grow up and stop believing in fables until my religious leadership admitted that they were wrong about most everything I had thrown my whole being into and had been covering up The Plain Truth "to protect the faithful."

There's nothing worse than an ex-smoker: I became a heretic by design - an iconoclast - an asker of questions, excluded from the congregation.

At the age of fifty, I began questioning everything I had ever assumed. I am no fan of whomsoever is in the seat of authority. I express my views at www.uponfurtherreview.com

My favorite poem, is Kipling's "The Female of the Species." My favorite author is whomever I am currently reading. Right now it's Patrick O'Brian, (Master and Commander series).

My favorite activities get me out of my box: reading, writing, whitewater kayaking. My perfect fantasy is camped beside my favorite whitewater river with books, laptop and no females of any species in site.

NORTHWEST WRITERS

Northwest Writers is a new web site dedicated to the Authors & Writers of Oregon, Idaho, Washington & Alaska, and as of February 1, 2004, we are proud to welcome British Columbia, Canada on-board. Visit our site and list your book, advertise the services you have for our Authors & Writers, and subscribe to the free newsletter. 

http://www.northwestwriters.com

H. W. REYNOLDS, PERMIDIAN

Permidian is now out on www.stonegarden.net, an electronic publishing site. It is an epic fantasy novel in the Tolkien vein, full of magic, monsters, and the classic struggle between good and evil. As with real life, the greatest power rests in fragile people. It is a family novel, so it makes a great gift for the 8 to 18 group that is into this venue. Simply go out to the site, log in by registering (name, address, email, etc.), and click on ebooks, then the fantasy subcategory, then click on Permidian to download an adobe acrobat PDF file. Or if you prefer a CD mailed to your house, click on ebooks on CD (left hand side), click on fantasy subcategory, then click on Permidian and follow the instructions for checkout. The adobe reader download is $3.00, and the CD is $5.00--a great deal! After reading, please go back on the site and register your comments under the review section. Thank you for your kind support.

 

Prose Editor and Newsletter Senior Editior MEREDITH MORGENSTERN's story, Car Seats, was recently published in the anthology, "HEART BY HEART: Mothers and Daughters Listening to Each Other", edited by Marianne Preger-Simon, Ed.D.  The book is available at iUniverse.com

You don't need to go far to connect with fellow
writers and publishers. Just visit our Community
Roundtable where you'll find announcements, news,
interactive stories, and a hopping poetry board!

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