From The Editor
One is offered such oracular statements all the time...
--Elizabeth Bishop (about "Manmoth")
What's bloomin'?--Words?--whaaazzittfor?--as Ezra Pound might say. Znine is "words, words, words" all over the place this Spring. We're gladdened to be eclectic, growing, breaking new ground, making good on the ol' whaaazzittfor.
We're especially happy to bring you this Spring, 2003, expanded issue, and for many reasons. First among the reasons is the many fine writers and artists from whom we were delighted to find an abundance of strong submissions. In this issue's poetry, it is a special honor to bring you new work from prize winning poets and scholars of Arab American poetry, Khaled Mattawa, and Nathalie Handal, as well as new, super-charged poems from Wendy Taylor Carlisle, and the intricate play of fusions from RLM Bianchi. We're glad to bring you a selection of poems from Brazilian poet-philosopher, Orides Fontela (1940-1998), translated by Chris Daniels (who Chris Murray has also interviewed for this issue). We are pleased, too, that Toni Manning has given us "Grampa Orrin," a prize winning poem, and glad that emerging writer Amber Warnke has sent to us both poetry and fiction for her first publication.
Then, from the fiction section, it's a special pleasure to bring you two fine stories from Tim Boswell, and another of D.J. Brown's sharp-honed kickers. Whether or not you've been to Grand Canyon--so that perhaps you occasionally miss what could be called its telling terrain--you'll definitely want to send your readerly eyes over to the ghostly South Rim campsite of John Holt's story, "Stock Tank Delusions." But do not stop there: move on to creative non-fiction where you might want to wonder about consumerism after Brandy Bramblett's sharp essay, "Part-time Job," which gives a wry, inside perspective on repetitive-motion-boredom from experiences working in a toy store.
This issue is also expanded by two genres: drama and interviews. We are pleased to offer you the short--perhaps you will find it tasty?--play, "Brandy Snaps," by New Zealander Brian Turner. Then, when you grow curious to know what "Nemonymity" might be, just click over to Bob Urell's interview with Des Lewis.
We are most fortunate to have new art work from Matt Slocum, a media arts junior at UTA who has been shooting for eight years and has garnered over fifty awards; Eric Gustafson--a graphics design major with a keen eye for the unusual; and, Timothy Leonard, who is a published writer and photographer.
Last but not least, we are pleased about our new appearance: Donna Brown has worked extra hard these last few weeks to give Znine a brand new, expanded, more organized and very svelte layout. We do hope you enjoy!
Znine's Editorial Staff