Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Jim Webb Is(sue)


Dear Kinfolk,
The time has come and here it is: the official call for submissions for our 1st Special Is(sue)! With his wife’s permission, we seek to celebrate the life of Jim Webb aka Wiley Quixote (September 24, 1945 – October 22, 2018), the Godfather of Appalachian Poetry, with an is(sue) containing poetry, art, and anecdotes about him and things he cared about. The usual guidelines apply. Submissions deadline is January 31, 2019 and the is(sue) will go live under the Special Is(sues) tab on the AvantAppal(achia) website on February 15, 2019. Tell (or show) us your stories about this colorful soul! www.avantappalachia.com Photo credit: Malcolm J. Wilson.




We are honoured to be allowed to host this special is(sue) and we eagerly look forward to reading every submission. Please take note of the deadline and going-live dates as this is outside of our usual schedule. Share, share, share, please, and spread the word. Thank you, Kinfolk, for making our ezine a vital and living part of Appalachia and the world. You are our lifeblood!
Sincerely,
Sabne Raznik
Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

Saturday, December 15, 2018

New Is(sue) of AvantAppal(achia) Live Now!

Dear Kinfolk,

Is(sue) 6 is live at www.avantappalachia.com and it is a fine is(sue)! We have a return appearance of Gabriel Rosenstock’s ekphrastic haiku as well as a few video fusion pieces. Svein H. Skavern gives us a particularly stunning commentary with his video-art piece, especially given the “speaking in tongues” tradition in Appalachia. He also gives us a window into asemic art. T. Byron Kelly delights us again. Lorie Zientara’s deceptively simple verse graces us again. Jeff Bagato makes poetry from AI generated text and Jim Meirose fascinates us with a chapter from his ongoing novel that reads as if Joyce, Beckett, and John Nash had a wild slumber party. This is one of those is(sues) that will be nearly impossible when the time comes to archive.

Also, notice that the submission period is now open for AvantAppal(achia)’s first Special Is(sue). With gracious permission from the poet’s wife, AvantAppal(achia) will be compiling a special is(sue) in tribute to Jim Webb, the Godfather of Appalachian Poetry. It will feature poetry, visual art, and real anecdotes about Wiley Quixote. The deadline for submissions for it is JANUARY 31, 2019 and it will go live February 15, 2019. But don’t worry, Is(sue) 6’s time will not be shortened. The Special Is(sue) will be released on a separate page on the AvantAppal(achia) website where it will remain as long as the website. An official call for submissions will be released in a week.

Thank you, Kinfolk, for another outstanding is(sue). Dave Sykes and I really loved putting this one together for you. It is you who make it possible!

Sincerely,

Sabne Raznik

Poetry/Art Ed(itor)