THE EDITORS DESK

NEW ART BY TES ONE

editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:38:16 +0000

A BIKE NAMED DAVID – LITERATURE BY MARTIN HOELDTKE

editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:31:27 +0000

A few hours ago, my father left a bike on the porch of my halfway house. On its handlebars was affixed a post-it. It said: “For Tom. Take this. Tell people it’s yours. If people ask, don’t try to pass yourself off as David.”
I looked at the name “David” painted in bright green on the silver top tube. The name was so bright it appeared to be neon, and was painted on with a minimalist style of graffiti which made it almost look like it was hovering under the sunshine. I got on the bike and started out for my dad’s boardinghouse, where my girlfriend Sarah also lives.
Is this bike my liberator, handed down to me like Moses was to the Israelites? Hard to tell. Can I get my father to admit that he had given me the bike? Maybe somewhere down the line I will be able to get him to admit that he dropped the bike off. Maybe, even further into the future, I can say something ostensibly offhand and elicit an answer from him that might serve as a hint as to why he gave me the bike. Though I am not optimistic.

READ THE FULL STORY ONLINE NOW @ RETORT MAGAZINE

NEW POETRY BY JAK CARDINI

editor — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:16:00 +0000

Jak Cardinia is a 24 yr old BFA creative writing student at Spalding University in Louisville Kentucky. He has been published in the e-zines Word Riot and Dicey Brown. This is his first publication in Retort Magazine – I find his poems very evocative, like a fragranced mist

A forest of levers
And the potentiality

where
we are but
haunted bodies of
appetites

read Jak Cardini here

http://www.retort.brentley.com/2009/id_0209_poetry_jak_cardini.htm

THE RETORT PUBLIC FORUM

editor — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:34:15 +0000

February 3, 2009

The shiny new RETORT PUBLIC FORUM is now open for you to abuse – only a few simple rules

HOW IT WORKS

You may post anonymously as a Guest but you will be required to enter a ‘captcha’ code, this is to prevent mass posting by spambots. If you register the ‘captcha’ goes away – registered users emails are kept private – registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.

Registration is free, and you are not required to use your real name. You are required to use an actual email address for password retrieval.

RETORT FORUM RULES

.No Porn/links to porn
.No pharmaceutical spam
.No get rich quick schemes
.No threats to the administrators or registered users or guests will be tolerated, nor will threats from users to members of the public/politicians etc
.Beware of copyright – post/quote no more than 20% of an article and provide a link to the source.

Do not post personal information, for your own security purposes.

_________________
RETORTMAGAZINE.COM

http://www.retortmagazine.com

think forward ~ answer back

RETORT RETURNS FOR 2009

editor — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:28:24 +0000

January 22, 2009

RETORT returns for 2009. I know, I know, I said that I had thrown in the towel, I blame it on all the QUIT smoking adverts – I almost believed that quitting was acceptable, but then I remembered that quitters never win and winners never quit – so I am still smoking cigarettes and I am still publishing RETORT Magazine. Never Surrender. The QUIT campaign is an entire industry built around Not doing something! Ah the genius of capitalism…

The past 6 months I have been very busy concentrating on my own creative practice, I had quite a successful solo show of paintings and prints in November and I have started a new collection of poems which will be available later this year.

All the while RETORT’S inbox was being flooded by emails either begging, crying or demanding that I don’t stop publishing. Over the years it seems we have built quite a loyal bunch of readers, and this makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. So RETORT will stay online and I will continue to publish the best and most interesting art and literature on planet earth. This year we will be publishing from a warehouse studio in Northcote, Melbourne. There will be some Artists studios available in the same building. RETORT will be hosting readings and exhibtions from the warehouse as well – so watch this space if you live in Melbourne, Australia.

This year I will refrain from begging for donations, however every month on the left hand side of the homepage there will be a CHIPIN option, where you can help us out with the monthly costs of maintaining your favourite online magazine.

New content starting February 1st – subscribe for a reminder or just check back often.

So, despite the odds and all the woo-woos predicting war and various doom, may you have a healthy, prosperous and creative 2009.

Brentley Frazer
editor@retortmagazine.com

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN
REGULAR REVIEW WRITERS WANTED – contact the editor
U.S.A EDITOR WANTED – contact the editor
UK EDITOR WANTED – contact the editor