October 1, 2009

New Story at Sein und Werden

When I read that one of my favorite publications, the ineffably weird and wonderful Sein und Werden, was planning an upcoming issue on the theme of “All Things Move Towards Their End,” I thought to myself, “Gosh, I have the perfect story for that!”  (Actually what I thought was “Jesus fuck!” but I like to avoid profanity on my blog).

My story, “The Scythian Idol,” I had an enormous fondness for, not least because in it I thought I had come closer than in any of my other works to the ideal of “lightness” that Italo Calvino speaks of so eloquently in his Six Memos for the Next Millennium.  I sent it to many publications, only to see its splendid fleetness waved off time and again by heavy editorial hands.  But I kept faith, and finally Neddal Ayad, one of the guest editors (along with Nicole Votta) of the “All Things Move Towards Their End” issue, sent me a note which indicated, in a few pithy words, his intelligence, taste, wit, aesthetic acumen, discerning eye, good looks, and courage.  In short, he accepted the story, and I can think of no better place for it, at least on this terrestrial plane, where

In this issue my humble story has the privilege of the following company: 

The Clock (L'Horloge): Annie Stephens

The Ending Tastes Just Like the Beginning: Roberta Lawson

Phrenology: John Brewer

Mark on the Wall: Louise Norlie

Swing: Neddal Ayad

I Sleep With a Dog: Matt Dennison

That Which is Lost: Brian Collier

A Dragonfly and Her Dead Shadow: Azucar Shoots

Dust: Matt Dennison

Tropical Estuary: Rochelle Potkar

Silver Umbilical Corded: Marc Vincenz

The Irksome Settee: Bobby Morris

The Immediacy: Matt Dennison

The Fog Rolls: Neddal Ayad

Borges' Escape: AE Reiff

The Mysterious Mustard Kings: Eugene Thomas

As She Tries to Feed the Stranger Inside: Chandra Kavanagh

Character Sketch: Neddal Ayad

I Bet You'd Like To Know If My Knickers Are Still On: Ludo

The Stars Will Have Their Way: Nicole Votta


(Thanks are also due to Rachel Kendall.)

2 comments:

A. Ominous said...

Right! I am ON it...!

A. Ominous said...

Franny und Zooey by Edward Gorey (illus. by I. Calvino). Most enjoyable.

"(And yet - can you believe it? - they got mediocre school grades!)
(But what do schools know? Schools!)"

Ain't it the Truth.