Welcome to Issue VI, Volume V: February 2014 of Connotation Press: An Online Artifact.It is my absolute pleasure to announce the print release of our first single-author fiction collection. The Dark Sunshine, by the brilliant and prolific Len Kuntz, is the long-awaited first book by a man often referred to as “the master of flash fiction.” We could not be prouder to have been the first to publish a collection of Len’s, who has published over 700 stories in various magazines and anthologies, and I must give a nod to our Fiction Editor, Meg Tuite, who lobbied for the publication of this book.
And it is a gorgeous collection of stories. Mel Bosworth, author of the novel, Freight, writes, “Len Kuntz can do with five words what other writers can’t do with fifty. Urgent and electric, his writing pulls you close so you feel it humming against your naked skin.”Aubrey Hirsch, author of Why We Never Talk About Sugar, writes, “Len Kuntz is a master of efficiency. In his debut collection, the characters come alive and then come undone in the space of a few hundred words. Every few pages reveal a new world with new heroes, new villains, and new heartache, and Len's careful, tumbling sentences will pull you into each one. The stories in this collection are wounds: raw and shining.”
We are also privileged to present the artwork of Deanne Richards. Deanne is the artist who created the print, “Celebration,” used as the cover art for The Dark Sunshine. From the first moment we saw this stunning image we were convinced it had to be the cover art for the collection. A big THANK YOU to Deanne for the loving donation of “Celebration” to this project! The official release date for The Dark Sunshine is February 28th at AWP in Seattle, but we have begun presale for the book, which will ship in advance of the official release on February 17th!
We encourage you to support the efforts of our small press by following this link and buying your presale copy of The Dark Sunshine today. In exchange for a small fee, we’ll give you one of the strongest short-fiction collections we have ever read. I promise you’ll love it. You have my word.
And now, as is our tradition, let’s kick this pig and see what it’ll do.
Our pal, John Hoppenthaler, delivers another stellar Congeries column this month with strong new work by Gerald Dawe, Richard Frost, Caitriona O’Reilly, Indiana Poet Laureate George Kalamaras, Jaswinder Bolina, George Vulturescu translated by Adam J. Sorkin and Olimpia Iacob, Peter Kline, Benjamin S. Grossberg, and John’s featured artist, Sara Eliza Johnson, which comes not only with strong poems but also an interview with the author. We also enjoyed John's nod to Dick Frost in his preface. Another great column, John!
The Third Form, our filmpoetry column edited by the diligent Erica Goss, brings you the work of Alastair Cook this month. We have a strong sampling of Mr. Cook’s filmpoetry, along with Erica’s wonderful insights and introductions. Great work, Erica!
Book Review Editor Julia Bouwsma introduces us to Rachael Zucker’s new experimental prose memoir, MOTHERs, this month, and this review is my personal favorite that Julia has written for us yet. This is a powerful look at a powerful book, and previewing the review compelled me to purchase the book from Counterpath. Strong, well-considered work, Julia; thank you for the dedication to your craft!
Our Wine Review column, A Drinker with a Writing Problem, by John Turi, gears up for Valentine’s Day with a psycho-good, nearly 40 year old, $800, Château Mouton Rothschild, 1966, Bordeaux. John tells a little story as he takes a look into the work of the Rothschild winery, and reserves his rating for this treat until later this month, as it is the bottle saved for his all-things-heart day celebration with his lovely wife Shawn. Enjoy part one of this post now and we’ll deliver John’s final score on the 15th with our mid-month post!
Speaking of which, in anticipation of our mid-month post we have our Featured Fiction author for February: Carly Berg. We have a grip of new pieces from Ms Berg, and an interview conducted by Editor Meg Tuite. Knocked us out. And please don’t forget, we’ll have all new Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Drama, and Artisan Review on the 15th.
That’s about it for now. Please join us in congratulating Len on his first print collection, The Dark Sunshine, from us Connotation Press. Wooohooo!
Connotation Press: Online & In Print