New Minireading: Michael O'Dea's "I Give You"

Is(sue) 9 of AvantAppal(achia) is live! 5th Anniversary!

Wow! What a ride it’s been! 5 years and here we are at Is(sue) 9! Thank you! It’s all because of you.

This time we have some mind bending work from all across Appalachia and the world to share. Charles A. Swanson is experimenting with poetry about stick people, Lori Lasseter Hamilton is warning us about drinking the kool-aid (for non-American audiences, consider reading up on the Jim Jones cult in the 70s for that reference), and regular contributor Bill Wolak is back with a whole new style. We do have an Appal(Trad) poem this time, be sure to check that out. And the next installment of our irreverent Beckettian Avant(Serial) challenges us to look into a post post-modern dystopian first world societal mirror.

Thank you all for being patient with us since this is(sue) was delayed a couple weeks by one of ed(itor)s experiencing a medical emergency.

The submission period for Is(sue) 10 is now open and the deadline for that is November 30, 2021! Send us your weirdest, funnest, most experimental poems, art, and stories. Read the guidelines closely!

Be sure to see who made the Arch(ive) for Is(sue) 8 and consider donating to keep the website up and functioning as we move forward. Thank you! You are what make this ezine fabulous!

avantappalachia.com

Sincerely,

Sabne Raznik

Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

A(A) E-Reading #3: National Poetry Month Edition Video

A(A) E-Reading #3: National Poetry Month Edition

 Dear Kinfolk,

 

It is April and in the U.S. that means National Poetry Month! To celebrate, AvantAppal(achia) is hosting its third online poetry reading. “A(A) E-Reading #3: National Poetry Month Edition” will feature Robbi Nester, Jessica Weible, Christopher McCurry, and Leatha Kendrick. The date will be April 16, 2021 at 7:30 PM EDT. Tickets are free and available to the public via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aa-e-reading-3-national-poetry-month-edition-tickets-148519099625?utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=post_publish&utm_content=shortLinkNewEmail

 

Also, this is a friendly reminder that the deadline for the next issue of AvantAppal(achia) is May 31, 2021. As always, we need your most experimental and fun pieces of poetry, art, and short fiction. For submission details, please read the guidelines on the website: https://www.avantappalachia.com/

 

We look forward to hosting you!

 

Sincerely,

 

Sabne Raznik

Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

A(A) E-reading #2

 

Dear Kinfolk, 

Dave Sykes and I are gearing up for our second poetry reading! This time our featured poets will Greg Friedman, Bonnie Proudfoot, Roberta Schultz, and Hedy Habra. It promises to be a beautiful night showcases the power of words across cultures. 

To get your free ticket, register at Eventbrite by 7:30 pm EST on December 18, 2020 (the date of time of the reading). Don’t miss out! The link is below. 

 EventBrite

 Sincerely, 

 Sabne Raznik 

 Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

Yes(ABLED) Is(sue) is Live!

Dear Kinfolk,

The Yes(ABLED) Special Is(sue) is live! It can be found here: https://www.avantappalachia.com/special-issues.html 

There are 4 countries featured, including 4 states in the U.S. You will find a poem by Volodymyr Bilyk of Ukraine written in a precursor of Braille called Moon Type, some thought-provoking poetry from Ricky Ray in Connecticut, and a fascinating essay regarding mental illness by Brandy Renee McCann from Virginia. We hope that this is(sue) highlights the unique perspective and creativity of the disabled population worldwide. 

The submission period for the 9th regular is(sue) is still wide open. The deadline for it is now set at May 31, 2021. Please read the guidelines under “Sub(missions)” in the menu on the website as there have been some changes. 

Thank you so much – all of you – for making this ezine every incredible thing that is! We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you. 

We would like to take a moment to express condolences for the deaths of regular contributors Philip Kent Church and Linda Regula earlier this year. 

Please stay safe during this unusual year. We are sending you calmness and best wishes! 

Sincerely, 

 Sabne Raznik 

 Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

AvantAppal(achia) Virtual Poetry Reading on Zoom - September 25, 2020

Final Notice of Yes(Abled) Is(sue) Deadline and Event Info

Dear Kinfolk, 

This is your last notice of the deadline for the special Yes(ABLED) Is(sue). That is September 30, 2020 with a go live date of October 15, 2020. We still need poetry, art, and short prose. If you are disabled (interpreted broadly), you may submit on any topic. If you are ablebodied, please keep your subjects limited to disability or caregiver issues and approach these sensitively. 

 Also, we would like to inform you of AvantAppal(achia)’s first event: a virtual poetry reading on Zoom featuring Pauletta Hansel, Lorie Zientara, Ellyn Maybe, and myself with a limited open mic depending on how many join us. I will be attempting to record this event to place it on Youtube later if tech allows. Here is the Zoom info to attend: 

Topic: AvantAppal(achia) Virtual Poetry Reading Time: Sep 25, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74220823627... Meeting ID: 742 2082 3627 Passcode: 862055 One tap mobile +17207072699,,74220823627#,,,,,,0#,,862055# US (Denver) +12532158782,,74220823627#,,,,,,0#,,862055# US (Tacoma) Dial by your location +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 742 2082 3627 Passcode: 862055 Find your local number: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fd7MorRSMr 

 We are very excited about what’s going on at AvantAppal(achia) currently. Thank you so much for making this astounding and important ezine everything that it is!  

https://www.avantappalachia.com/ 

Sincerely, 

Sabne Raznik 

Poetry/Art Ed(itor)

Review of "'Every Man His Specialty': Beckett, Disability, and Dependence" by Michael Davidson

 Michael Davidson, "Every Man His Specialty: Beckett, Disability, and Dependence (2007) 14 pages. On The Free Library.

Originally, I struggled with Beckett and his (obviously important) portrayal of the disabled. Was Beckett ableist or was he satirizing the (at that time, popular) pseudo-science of eugenics (which includes all the disgraceful, harmful, hateful -isms). Was he for eugenics or against it? My initial reaction to Beckett was simply that I was triggered. In the real PTSD sense. Reading his work caused me to have chills, break out in a sweat, and become physically nauseous. It seemed on the surface to be the most blatantly ableist material I've ever come across. After reading this I have made peace with Beckett. I still have issues with his methods, but I no longer question his intentions and end game (pun intended). This also includes an interesting and much-needed discussion of the ableist worldview that independence and accomplishment are what make people worthy of life and participation in society to the exclusion of disabled people who require external assistance to survive, whether that be from assistive technology or other more able people. This view of what makes a human worthy to participate in society and to have life seriously needs loudly challenged and changed. This paper argues that Beckett is highlighting these so-called "codependent" and dependent relationships to do just that. Okay then. I can definitely live with that, Beckett, and on behalf of the disabled people trying to survive and even be (a different but equally important kind of) productive within the ableist worldview - thank you!

Book Review: E D Bird's "Bitter Sweet"

 

E D Bird, Bitter Sweet (Createspace, 2015) 358 pages, fiction, $13.00. On Amazon.

This is the sequel to E D Bird's Goldenviron which is also reviewed on this blog. As expected, it is another entertaining, rollicking "dude flick" of a book.

Better written than its predecessor, more gritty and graphic, this installment takes us from South Africa to Barbados as the lead character seeks revenge for the events of Goldenviron. Again we have an action-packed plot and the added complication of aliases to keep up with.

Some gimmicks are overused. There is an elephant, leopard, and lion attack. This is a bit much if the reader knows something about the actual behavior of wild animals and it all begins to feel like a cliched cop-out by the time it plays out.

Also, this is not a novel for the post-Me Too world. Again, here is your fair trigger warning. Sex is detailed and errs on the side of porn. The book is rather insensitive to the aftereffects of rape on a woman's psyche - especially that of multiple rapes. While there is an attempt to make the woman a strong character who rescues herself rather than waiting for her male partner to rescue her, it does fall short of real female understanding. Later in the book, a male character vomits after watching a bomb detonate and I at least couldn't help but think these two events juxtaposed against each other only served to highlight the lack of emotional depth regarding rape.

This is an easy read not meant for children. I sensed the author left things open for the possibility of a third installment.