May 17th, 2010
The first part of May finds the Darkling Publications editorial board
busy, as always. Sometimes I think that trying to pull out all the stops
on DARKLING magazine at this time of the year is one of the dumbest things
Publisher Snethen and I continuously strive to undertake, as spring and
summer find both of us wrapping up major projects elsewhere and starting
new ones both here and with other enterprises. People who know me know I
like to get out on the bike around now, and those who know Dan realize he
is wrapping up his school year, embarking on scholarly studies to occupy
his summer, and tending to his ranch. Dr. Ditta has his share of things to
do--preparing for a May term after putting out another annual edition of
Prairie Winds, finding time for his own family--and so do the rest of the
Darkling Staff.
Shall I quit kvetching now? Apologies for all that. I digress, even in my
digressions.
We've made it through a few rounds of selection for this year's DARKLING
MMX, our fifth anniversary edition. We have a long way to go though, and
we appreciate everyone's patience. We'll be sending out rejections before
we send out any acceptance letters, so I suppose you can assume that if
you haven't heard from us yet then we have good news for you. That said,
we still have a few rounds to go through, as well as the final cut--which
over the course of the last few years, has seen us faced with the horrible
challenge of rejecting some of the finest artists who have submitted. Your
continued understanding is appreciated; we don't want to leave anyone out
of the mix by merely skimming over his or her work in order to get the
selection process over with. We're sure you can appreciate this as
contributors.
I'd like to put a little bug (a shiny black one) in everyone's ear about a
potential upcoming chapbook contest. Our last contest more than a year ago
came to a near tie between several artists. Vickie Christensen's
collection "Undiscovered Country" pulled through and took top prize, and I
don't think anyone can argue that she was not deserving. Her dark realism
perhaps inspires more bad dreams than some modern gothic poetry. We're
very pleased to have had a chance to work with her, and all poets who
submitted to the contest. That said, we'll have updates on this upcoming
contest as we establish dates, guidelines, and publishing needs.
Be on the lookout in the coming weeks also for a coming chapbook,
"Recollections of an Old Curiosity Shop," by David S. Powell. The book, an
essay on Powell's childhood trip to Seattle's Ye Olde Curiosity Shop,
talks about specimens real or unreal in the legendary haunt. If you've
ever been to Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, odds are you will find this chapbook
an interesting compendium to compare with your own visit. Release is
scheduled for summer 2010.
Also, if you have the inclination, please check out our new chat room.
Webmaster David has spent a lot of time getting that up and going. All you
need to do is register with a name and password. We only ask that you keep
discussions respectful.
Thanks for reading!
James |
