Welcome to Issue X, Volume IV: June 2013 of Connotation Press: An Online Artifact
In 21 days summer will arrive and with it comes a three-month long more slightly mellow pace for us. YES! We run all summer, no rest for the wicked, but our issues are a tiny bit smaller so our unbelievably hard-working staff can get a little time off. June and July are more relaxed, and August is our year-in-review retrospective in which our editorial staff gets to have some fun and acknowledge specific artists that stood out to them during the course of our publishing year.
A more relaxed pace makes this a terrific time to submit your work, if you’re interested in doing that sort of thing. Here’s a direct link to our submission page. And did you know we have a contact page on the magazine, too? Yep. Sure do. If you’d like to contact an editor directly, follow this link—but please use the submission page for submissions so we will have a backup of your work in case some catastrophic system failure occurs. And believe me; it does occur from time to time.
One more thing and then I’ll introduce the new issue. When running an online magazine, one is inundated with data possibilities. Statistics abound. We are able to get reports that are, to us, disturbingly personal about our readers. For example, we are able to find out what kind of computer you use, what software, where in the world you are, how long you are or were on our site and exactly what you did while you were there, what website you were on immediately before you were on our site, whether you used a link to get to our site or a Google search or some other search engine search, and on and on.
And we are in no way unique. We and every other online website on the planet have access to this information. We receive so much of it as to quite simply completely creep us the hell out. We neither care about knowing these kinds of things nor compiling them into some salable package. We’re not facebook, after all. In fact, it is my contention that a thorough examination of all possible statistical data for us would be, well, asinine. Really, we’re an online art magazine, for goodness sake. We don’t sell advertising. We don’t make any money. We’ve received a few donations, and I mean that, a few…three…in nearly four years. A handful of t-shirts sold. And we’ve made a little money on our first book, which can still be purchased here.
However, on occasion we do check to see where we are being read. It’s fun and somehow encouraging to know that people all over the world from 168 countries read us regularly. And last week, for the first time, I read that since January 2010 we have received 18, 268, 775 hits—and that doesn’t count 2009, when we started, or the month we changed the entire site to a visually identical but completely new website and the stats we’re down. Over 18 million hits. In terms of world population, if we were a country we would be the 61st largest in the world.
The written word is dead, my ass.
We’ve got some exciting things happening in the near future— new changes to the magazine that will bring wonderful, fresh voices to our conversation. New guest editors bringing their favorites for us to read. And we have some new columns coming soon, too. Truth of the matter is, it’s like I wrote to my friend Mary today, life is blossoming all around us-- colliding with us at breakneck speed. It's a glorious time. Sublime.
And with that it’s once again time to stick close to our traditions and let’s kick this pig and see what it’ll do!
This month A Poetry Congeries with John Hoppenthaler and the entire Connotation Press staff welcome Molly Peacock to the pages of Connotation Press. Ms. Peacock is John’s featured artist this month, and ours, as well, and we have two stunning new poems and a wonderful interview for your enjoyment. But of course, John’s just revving up. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see Jon Tribble in the Congeries this month. I just love Jon’s work, and a more tireless supporter of the written word you would be hard-pressed to find. From there John drops new, dynamic digital ink from Cynthia Hogue, Jay Hopler, Kimberly Johnson, Kerry James Evans, Joshua Gottlieb-Miller, and Hailey Leithauser. Another awe inspiring collection of work leaving me only to say welcome everyone and great job, John!
Our poetry film column, The Third Form, with Erica Goss, takes an exciting and visually stunning look at the work coming out of The Body Electric, Colorado’s first poetry film festival. Erica attended the festival (at her own expense, no less!) and spoke with its organizer, R.W. Perkins, and she brought back six films that are not to be missed. I personally love this new genre. It knocks me out. And the work Erica is doing with the column is informative and important scholarship. And it’s so much fun, too! Thanks to R.W. and especially to Erica for her Herculean efforts.
Nicholas Baker, our intrepid Travel editor, takes us on a short trip to the tiny island of Ko Panyi this month. With only 360 families in Ko Panyi, it took Nicholas, Freddy, and their family little time to make their way around the island and meet most of the locals. Beautiful children, giggling tourists, and floating vishing villages pepper this post, and Nicholas even visited the home of the Ko Panyi Football Club made famous in the film, "Make the Difference." A lovely escape. Thank you, Nicholas! You are THE BEST!
Our Drinker with a Writing Problem, John Turi, introduces us this month to the 2009 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. For you film buffs, the folks at Chateau Montelena were featured in the wonderful Alan Rickman starring film “Bottle Shock,” because they quite literally put California Bordeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon on the map. And sure, the movie was a bit fictionalized, as Hollywood tends to do, but the wine is not. Enjoy a visit to Napa Valley with John this month. Oh, and he talks about how to keep from getting a headache, too!
Finally, we have two new featured artists in our Fiction and Creative Nonfiction columns this month. From Fiction we have the brilliant Arthur Davis’ piece, “The Last Ride,” and from Creative Nonfiction we have rising talent Diana Cater’s “Listen Close.” We remind you that our complete Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Drama, and Artisan Review columns run on the 15th of the month so please come on back and see us then, won’t you?
Well, I guess that’s about it for now. Thank you all for causing me to spend a speechless hour after realizing well over 18 million times people have clicked onto our magazine. From all of us here at Connotation Press to all of you and yours, thanks for reminding us what we do matters. You guys rock.
All best,
Ken Robidoux
Publisher/Founding Editor-in-Chief
Connotation Press: Don’t Ask Twice, It’s All Right