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DECEMBER 2007 | |
Tremendous Power of Concentration |
By Gaston Locanto , Jan 8, 2007 |
A Review of Saunders's The Braindead Megaphone (2007)
George Saunders is known for his work with GQ, The Guardian, Harper’s, and The New Yorker, and also for his absurdist fiction collections, but The Braindead Megaphone (Riverhead Books, 2007) is the author’s nonfiction debut, which offers an assortment of stories on various topics. The hardcore Saunders fan will undoubtedly find much to like within this 257-page book, though similar to its predecessor, I must posit that it’s not his finest effort
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Anna Nicole and Jon Benet in Hell
By Dan Fox, May 15, 2007 Anna Nicole Smith slid down the spiral candy-colored death wheel and landed in the BAD PLACE and by god there was Jon Benet Ramsey to greet her why are you here? Anna Nicole asked the little princess i gave my daddy a blowjob every night before i went to bed until he killed me so i wouldn’t talk Jon Benet said why are YOU here? i guess because i blew every man in north america including some gay guys and the only straight priest in Florida Nicole said shrugging the two plucky gals did the tourist thing and poked around between burning bodies and real red devils with steaming schlongs and they eventually met Pope John Paul himself. because they only knew how to do one thing well they promptly offered to blow him the HOLY FATHER patted them on the head and gently declined he was saving himself for a cute boy currently on death row. He's a borderline crazy who keeps it cozy in Boston. He wrote for a long time and then painted for 20 years. He has nothing to show for his life except a young, beautiful wife and son and a tarnished but serviceable soul. 10 Minutes By Josh Olsen, May 8, 2007 “10 minutes,” said the pharmacist 30 minutes ago. Jackson had strep-throat and we were waiting for amoxicillin. “She was an odd one, wasn’t she?” said KT in reference to the nurse practitioner’s big head of red sausage-curls, her thick southern drawl, the star of David that hung in her sun freckled cleavage, and her one gold tooth. Down the aisle, an elderly man handled bed pans until a saleswoman approached. “My wife called about renting a commode,” he said. “But I like this one here. $79.99? You can’t go wrong!” I found it humorous – renting a commode, bargain hunting for a plastic shit-box – but KT didn’t like the smile on my face. “Commodes aren’t funny!” she said. “You know what it means to need a commode? You have any idea what he and his wife are going through?” No …I don’t, I thought. My overall lack of familiarity with death and serious illness made me still quite immature and I often laughed at catheters and colostomy bags, too. “10 minutes,” said the pharmacist 33 minutes ago. |
Avocado
By Michael Grover, May 18, 2007 Hard green shell, Soft green flesh inside. Scoop out like a bowl, Avocado. I don't live in California anymore. I do still like hause avocados. They have them at the Health food market down the street. The price is higher, But worth it. I get them soft, Plunge my knife inside. Pull out the round core. Now two perfect bowls. I scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Toast sourdough bread. Cut tomato and cheese. Add mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Ah, perfect sandwich, but messy. I like my food that way. Michael D. Grover is a Florida born poet. Michael's poetry has been published all over the world, including in Citizen 32, Alphabeat Soup, The San Gabriel Poetry Quarterly, www.getunderground.com, www.kissthebeat.com, www.dyingwriters.com, and the October 2007 issue of decomP. He hosts the website www.covertpoetics.com, he is a staff member of www.outsiderwriters.org, and hosts a reading twice a month at Exodus Coffee & Culture in Port Saint Lucie. Fingernail By Josh Olsen, May 8, 2007 I found a fingernail in the kitchen sink. It was from a set of ten silver press-ons purchased with Skee-ball tickets at last Sunday’s carnival – June Dairy Days. It belonged on a thumb, but lint stuck to the adhesive backing like bubblegum in hair, or the dirt that attaches to a Popsicle after it’s been dropped in the grass. I washed it off in my mouth and put it in the hip pocket of my jeans. Later that afternoon, I’d pull the fingernail from behind my daughter’s ear, revealing it like a magician. Josh Olsen teaches composition and creative writing at Wayne State University-Detroit and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. His poems have appeared in multiple print and on-line publications, including Zygote in my Coffee, Cherry Bleeds, Thieves Jargon, Wayne Literary Review, and Oleander Review. He can be contacted via e-mail.
Duotrope's Digest reported that decomP was #4 in the Top 25 Swiftest Poetry markets and #13 in the Top 25 Most Approachable Poetry Markets before submissions closed.
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Edmonton Streets
Amelia
His name is Justin Hyde. He lives in Iowa, where he
attempts to rehabilitate criminals.
Submissions are closed until January 2008. We will continue to update each month as always and we look forward to receiving all new submissions again when the New Year arrives!
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