Blue Cubicle Press #1
Independent publishing is full of literary journals, some of which overlap with the zine network. I find the people (mostly men?) behind such enterprises a bunch of DIY saints of sorts. Think about it. Nearly all zine makers are a one-man band and usually write most of the content, if not everything. But editors of literary journals actively look for other people's stories, then spend their time, energy and money to circulate them.
I confess I don't really care for such publications - or most zine fiction, for that matter. When I want to read a novel, I prefer the classics. A few days ago, though, David LaBounty sent me a couple of issues of The First Line, and I found myself reading these booklets cover to cover.
Independent publishing is full of literary journals, some of which overlap with the zine network. I find the people (mostly men?) behind such enterprises a bunch of DIY saints of sorts. Think about it. Nearly all zine makers are a one-man band and usually write most of the content, if not everything. But editors of literary journals actively look for other people's stories, then spend their time, energy and money to circulate them.
I confess I don't really care for such publications - or most zine fiction, for that matter. When I want to read a novel, I prefer the classics. A few days ago, though, David LaBounty sent me a couple of issues of The First Line, and I found myself reading these booklets cover to cover.
The genial idea behind this project is clearly stated in the journal's name: Every three months, the TFL editors challenge potential contributors with a line of prose (e.g. "Working for God is never easy") and all the submitted stories must start with this same line.
Each issue features about ten stories ranging from one to eight pages. They are nicely printed and put together, and the stories are of above average quality. All in all it was a very nice surprise.
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