EEKsclamations
The Official Newsletter of Karen L. Newman
Volume 2, Number 5


EEK OF THE WEEK

The chief editor of Afterburn SF, Carlton Brumbelow, is stepping down and looking for a replacement. He was the second editor, having replaced Wade Kimberlin. It’s a really good ezine and I hope it survives.

Shades of Jack Fisher and his editorial in the last issue of Flesh & Blood, where have all the magazines gone? If you visit ralan.com regularly, it seems a magazine or publisher goes belly-up almost weekly. Maybe there actually are more writers than readers now. I wouldn’t be surprised. In America a lot of people don’t have as much expendable income as they had thirty years ago when high-paying industry jobs were plentiful. They can’t afford to read something for pleasure if they have to live paycheck to paycheck.

It’s a trickle-down effect, really. There are people trying to establish a writing career, some because they can’t find a regular job due to increased downsizing. They compete against each other, driving down prices because of increased supply and not as much demand. When they receive low payments, they can’t live off their publications. However, if the industry jobs return, there’d be more money for more publications, so prices will increase. Yada, yada, yada.

So, what’s the answer? Go back? That genie has left a long time ago. I guess in time the mediocre writers will have to fall off, leaving the best to earn a living. After all, isn’t that the real definition of competition?


RECENT SIGHTINGS

My work has appeared recently in print. Please check me out at

Star*Line, where my haiku “antique vase” and “jungle journey” appear in print. You can order a copy through http://www.sfpoetry.com

Kentucky Monthly, where my poem “The Sum of Me” appears in print. You can order a copy of the magazine at http://www.kentuckymonthly.com

Beyond Centauri, where my poem “Genetic Erector Set” appears in print. You can order a copy of the magazine at http://www.genremall.com


NEWS

Thank you for everyone who voted for me in the 2006 Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll. I placed ninth as a poet. Also my poem “The Sands of Kentucky” placed seventh and my nonfiction article “Using Message Boards Effectively” placed tenth.

I am now the assistant editor for the print poetry magazine, Illumen, published by Sam’s Dot.

My latest poetry collection, ChemICKals, is now at the printers. I was told it should be ready for sale in about six weeks. Check my website, http://home.zoomnet.net/~karennew for updates.

It finally happened. I joined the madness on MySpace. I’ve been there over a month now and so far I’ll have to recommend it. So far. I’ve learned a little about HTML (I was clueless before). I really like the bulletin feature where I tell my friends about things all at once. Want to be my friend? It’s easy. Just go to http://www.myspace.com/karenlnewman and click add friend, if you’re a member. If not, join up. It’s free.


REVIEWS

My review of Bruce Boston’s Shades Fantastic (2006 Bram Stoker Award winner in poetry) and John Edward Lawson’s The Troublesome Amputee appears in the spring issue of Noneuclidean Café at http://www.noneuclideancafe.com/issues/vol2_issue3_Spring2007/reviews.htm It’s the one entitled “A Review of Two Stoker Award Nominees in Poetry”.


FINAL REACTION

May your dreams never turn into nightmares.