On Congratulations, Hoverboards, and Issue 29.1

June continues with its hot n humid days, and here at IR with the air conditioner blasting in our faces continue with our flash to the past. You know, I really thought they would have invented Hoverboards by 2010. Alas (or thankfully), technology can't keep up with our imaginations. Thank goodness for the written word which turns our inward musings into a thing to be shared.

Today's highlight comes to us from the beautiful issue 29.1 (Summer 2007).  Its one of my favorite covers.

And between the covers are a great host of well-imagined poems, short stories, nonfiction, and a special highlight on the prose poem.  Alberto Rios, our final judge of the 2010 1/2 K Prize (hurry this contest is open for another 48 hours!) has both fiction and poetry in this issue.

There is a short story called "Ye Olde Twentieth Century" by Wendy Rawlings, that evocatively starts:

I have made a mistake. Not a leave-chewing-gum-in-your-pocket-and-put-it in-the-wash kind of mistake. More like leave-an-infant-alone-with-an-open-can-of-paint thinner. They got my ballpoint pens, Indiglo waterproof watch, plastic map case, Velcro-close shoes, condoms & KY. I still have my cell phone. That’s one consolation. And I have plenty of stuff. It’s not like being in jail and needing to fashion a weapon out of a singular fork. Victorians were the first great collectors. They collected animal bones, shells, postcards, hat pins. They collected hair and braided it into art. There is something so inherently wrong with that and yet Doreen finds it charming.

And Jeff Hoffman kicks of issue with his poem, "Victory Crowd," and to him we owe a Huzzah! Hip Hip Hooray because he was just awarded the 2010 New Issues Poetry Prize for his manuscript Journal of American Foreign Policy. Linda Gregerson, author of Magnetic North, judged. Congratulations Jeff! We look forward to seeing your published manuscript in 2011.


And Now 25 copies of 29.1 are on sale for the low low price of $5.00 Order Here and be sure to mark which issue you are requesting in the "Description Box" 


-AS