4.02.2007
April 2007 Contents with links
Cover of The Very First Issue of Bent Pin Quarterly
Contents (You are here)
Bent Pin Philosophy
The Featured Essay
The Blessing by Carol Arnold
Story Within Story
More Than A Waitress by B. Lynn Goodwin
The Poem At Length
Election Day At 4th & B by Kate Burch
Abstractions
Xenon (XE) by Micheala Gabriel
Standing By The Door by Jake Utti
Traces Left Behind
Arnica Over Everything by Tim Dalton
The Didicoys by Lee Keylock
Place And Time
Elemental by K.B. Ballentine
Paris 1932 by Lana Hechtman Ayers
Night Branches
Upon Seeing Dante In A Dream by Johanna Wagner Rossi
Tears by Martin Willitts Jr.
Mortal Warnings
Black Coffee by Mark McGuire-Schwartz
HIDE / SEEK by William Reichard
Media Methods In Question
How The News Was Delivered Today by Earl J. Wilcox
For Roy Rogers by Michael Scott Cain
Litmus Test
She Put Her Faith In Cats by Louisa Howerow
My Uncle Drops A Bag From The Bridge by Michael Scott Cain
Last Words
The Art Of Letting Go by Michaela Gabriel
Then Silence by Michele LaROCHE
Forecast: Rain
Tangible Rain by Robin Sampson
Tangible Rain - a painting by Elizabeth Spencer
Doesn't Think It A Bit Odd by Eileen Malone
Ethereal Enhancements
The Older Brother's Easter Advice by Terry McClain
Special Effects by Mistryel (Mar) Walker
Disappearances
What A Husband Shouldn't Know by Barbara Daniels
Three A.M. by Doris Henderson
Epilog
In Death by Mark McGuire-Schwartz
Buying A Little More Time by Alan Holder
Acts of Renewal
Dye by Johanna Rossi Daniels
Saturday Morning by Barbara Daniels
Contributors to the Very First Issue of Bent Pin Quarterly
4.01.2007
Story Within Story 4/2007 B Lynn Goodwin's More Than A Waitress
MORE THAN A WAITRESS by B. Lynn Goodwin
The Poem At Length 4/2007 (Burch)
election day at fourth & B by Kate Burch
Kate Burch • election day at forth & B
election day at fourth & B
we, then, in an american discourse over pancakes:
passed the syrup and the sugar over righteous formica,
she dropped her fist on the table, the new york times jumped
and shouted in bold capitals about the war. we mimicked her
romantically, all red hats and neoclassical paintings, and
finished our coffee, tuned our turning footsteps to old war songs,
shattered our own skulls with bass lines, broke our guitars,
shook the underwear off the clotheslines that crisscrossed
the jefferson apartments. old ladies leaned out the window and
tied again their kerchiefs under their chins, the bed sheets of families
blew in the sundown light, the early autumn wind. we were gripped
and then eventually rerouted by the interminable shuffling of scattered hearts.
i walked up the aisles of a supermarket, the fluorescent lights perpetrating fog
and i thought about the duplicates, fourteen varieties of flour, an entire aisle of bread,
stone-ground whole wheat organic white locally grown mass marketed
and i stared at the poultry and thought about the snow outside:
it is disparate, and it is pure, white, light, lightwe were stomped to pieces by picket lines, columns of peopleat bus stops, t-stops, cross-legged, scratching
alive, awake, obvious
we dropped to our knees in front of post offices, libraries,
collapsed twice in jest and once for real. we rode the subway
to brooklyn and back three times, hours lost, trying to decipher
our epically wrinkled palms. then, a massacre, and we spilled
the blood of books, sweating like stars, holding an axe over the endings
the record player broke,
the tapes stopped rewinding
the door started squeaking
the chimney now rattles
the cats howl without ceasing
and my car broke down
three exits ago
well, next november dawned, and the one after,
and on wednesday we sit at the same table.
the floor is still tiled, the bathroom still
covered in sharpie-marker graffiti that degrades itself.
riotous laughter continues to shake the chairs. the legs
quake with memories. our neighbors turn to look, inhale
deeply, do not laugh, did not crack. pass the ketchup.
i am still surrounded! by bodies devout and
with both hands pressed tightly over their faces,
peeking through their fingers at a cause as
infallible as galaxies, and even more distant:
and she ran in! clapped both hands, executed
a leprechaun jump- did you ever!- and promised
a series of dinner parties would commence, in the name of congress.
and everyone raised their glasses, raised their shovels,
waited for snow, and all i realize is that i stopped swimming
lakes and lakes ago, that i am certain they were not thinking
about how the streets flooded because of the rain and wet leaves,
that the water rendered the way home ruined, that in the end
no one was a martyr of recyclables. the telephone rings- pick up
or delivery?- and everyone cheers, and i am waiting
to cease to be an hour ahead of myself
c Kate Burch
abstractions (Gabriel / Uitti)
STANDING BY THE DOOR by Jake Uitti & XENON XE by Micheala A. Gabriel
traces left behind (Dalton / Keylock)
ARNICA OVER EVERYTHING by T.K. Dalton & THE DIDICOYS by Lee Keylock
place and time (Ballentine / Ayers )
PARIS 1932 by Lana Hechtman Ayers & ELEMENTAL by K.B. Ballentine
night branches (Wagner / Willitts)
UPON SEEING DANTE IN A DREAM by Johanna Rossi Wagner
TEARS by Martin Willitts Jr.
mortal warnings (McGuire-Schwartz / Reichard)
BLACK COFFEE by Mark McGuire-Schwartz & HIDE / SEEK by William Reichard
media methods in question (Cain / Wilcox)
FOR ROY ROGERS by Michael Scott Cain
& HOW THE NEWS WAS DELIVERED by Earl J. Wilcox
litmus test (Howerow / Cain)
SHE PUT HER FAITH IN CATS by Louisa Howerow &
My UNCLE DROPS A BAG FROM A BRIDGE by Michael Scott Cain
last words (Gabriel / Laroche)
THE ART OF LETTING GO by Michaela Gabriel & THEN SILENCE by Michele LAROCHE
forecast: rain (Sampson / Malone)
DOESN'T THINK IT A BIT ODD by Eileen Maline & TANGIBLE RAIN by Robin Sampson
etherial enhancements (McLain / Walker)
THE OLDER BROTHER'S EASTER ADVICE by Terry McLain & SPECIAL EFFECTS by Mistryel (Mar) Walker
disappearances (Daniels / Henderson)
THREE A.M. by Doris Henderson & WHAT A HUSBAND SHOULDN'T KNOW by Barbara Daniels
epilog (McGuire-Schwartz / Holder)
BUYING A LITTLE MORE TIME by Alan Holder & IN DEATH by Mark McGuire-Schwartz
acts of renewal (Wagner / Daniels)
SATURDAY MORNING by Barbara Daniels & DYE bt Johanna Rossi Wagner
Contributors 4/2007
Prose Authors and Poets in the first issue of Bent Pin 4/2007:
Carol J. Arnold is a California environmental and travel writer. Her work has appeared in COAST & OCEAN MAGAZINE, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, FOURTH RIVER JOURNAL and KQED PERSPECTIVES. In this issue: The Blessing. Genre: Essay
Lana Hechtman Ayers, originally from Queens , New York , now resides in Kirkland , WA where she is a manuscript consultant, publishes the Concrete Wolf Poetry Chapbook Series, and runs writing workshops. A Pushcart nominee, she has been awarded honors in the "Discovery" / The Nation Prize and the Rita Dove Poetry Competition. Her poems appear in literary presses such as THE BITTER OLEANDER, FEMINIST STUDIES QUARTERLY, CIDER PRESS REVIEW, RHINO and NATURAL BRIDGE. She holds an MFA in Poetry from New England College . Her first chapbook, Love is a Weed, was published by Finishing Line Press, and her first book, Dance From Inside My Bones, won the 2006 Violet Reed Haas Award, and both are available from her website, http://LanaAyers.com and Amazon. In this issue: Paris 1932 Genre: Poetry
K.B. Ballentine is a high school teacher who grows shamrocks in her spare time. Involved in several poetry groups, she is hostess at a local Open Mic, is published in TOUCHSTONE and MO: Writings from the River, was a finalist for the 2006 Joy Harjo Poetry Award and placed in the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund. In this issue: Elemental Genre: Poetry
Kate Burch says she is a young writer and artist with a minimum wage job and two cats, living in New Jersey. “You know the deal,” she said. In this issue: election day at 4th & B
Genre: Poetry
Michael Scott Cain says he has recently recovered from growing up in the south and is writing a manuscript of poems about the experience, from which the work in this issue is drawn. His most recent novel is Midnight Train and his most recent book of poetry is What the Night Will Bring. In this issue: For Roy Rogers, My Uncle throws a bag off the bridge Genre: Poetry
T.K. Dalton's recent fiction appears in the RED ROCK REVIEW, THE LOCAL WRITER, and PEEKS & VALLEYS; his reviews appear in NEWPAGES and the CALIFORNIA LITERARY REVIEW. He has worked as a reporter in print and public radio, and is currently an M.F.A. candidate at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he teaches creative writing. In this issue: Arnica over everything Genre: Flash Fiction
Barbara Daniels’ book, Rose Fever, will be published by WordTech Press in 2008. The Woman Who Tries to Believe, a chapbook, won the Quentin R. Howard Prize and was published by Wind Publications. Her poems have appeared in THE LOUISVILLE REVIEW, NATURAL BRIDGE, TATTOO HIGHWAY, and other journals. She is a two-time recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. In this issue: What A Husband Shouldn’t Know, Saturday Morning Genre: Poetry
Michaela A. Gabriel lives in Vienna, Austria, where she helps adults acquire computer and English skills, and gets together with the muse as often as possible. Her first chapbook, apples for adam, was published by FootHills Publishing in 2005, and she has another collection, the secret meanings of greek letters, forthcoming from dancing girl press in October 2007. In this issue: Xenon (Xe), the art of letting go Genre: Poetry
B. Lynn Goodwin — Although she leads a rich fantasy life, B. Lynn Goodwin is simply a freelance writer and retired teacher whose drama students from the seventies still recognize her in Safeway and Starbucks. She is published in HIP MAMA, THE OAKLAND TRIBUNE, THE CONTRA COSTA TIMES, THE DANVILLE WEEKLY, STAYING SANE WHEN YOU’RE DIETING, SMALL PRESS REVIEW, HEARTS DESIRE, DRAMATICS MAGAZINE and numerous e-zines. She writes reviews and author interviews for Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com, and edits the zine. It’s her baby. In this issue: More than a Waitress Genre: Flash Fiction
Doris Henderson’s poems have been widely published in literary journals, and in anthologies such as RED FLOWER (the Crossing Press) HEARTBEAT OF NEW ENGLAND (Tiger Moon Productions), and CADUCEUS (Yale New Haven). A former teacher and drama coach, Doris is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and holds a Master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. As president of the Danbury Area chapter of the Connecticut Poetry Society, she facilitates a monthly writing workshop. In this issue: Three A.M. Genre: Poetry
Alan Holder is a retired English professor, author of four books of literary criticism and numerous articles. He has work in THE ADIRONDACK REVIEW, and he also wrote an environmental issues column for the local newspaper. He currently conducts the monthly poetry discussion at the public library in Ridgefield, CT. In this issue: Buying a little more time Genre: Poetry
Louisa Howerow’s flash fiction has been published in small press magazines, journals and online. (Google her to read more) Her latest work can be found or is forthcoming in KALEIDOWHIRL and WRITE SIDE UP. In this issue: She put her faith in cats Genre: Flash Fiction
Lee Keylock, originally from Essex, England settled in the U.S. in 1990. He is a teacher of English at Newtown High School, Sandy Hook CT. His poems have appeared in CONNECTICUT RIVER REVIEW, CADUCEUS, RAVING DOVE, and CONNECTICUT REVIEW. In this issue: The Didicoys Genre: Poetry
Michele LAROCHE is a creative French-American freelance writer living in New Jersey. She writes poetry, haiku, song lyrics and non-fiction prose, in French and English and is a translator. She is an active member of the South Mountain Poets organization and editor in its reading committee. Her poetry has appeared online in EMPOWERMENTS 4 WOMEN, and in print in GATHERED ON THE MOUNTAIN, the 2006 South Mountain Poets Anthology. In this issue: then silence Genre: Poetry
Eileen Malone lives in the coastal fog of the necropolis where San Francisco buries its dead. She's widely published and has earned a reasonable amount of prizes and citations. Last year she was nominated by two different publications for two different Pushcart Prizes last year. In this issue: Doesn’t think it a bit odd Genre: Poetry
Terry McLain says he moved from the suburbs of Iowa to the stony ex-urbs of CT where he lives in the penthouse of a stable where two goats, five horses, and six cats also live. He is a member of the Marathon Poetry Critique, and a host of the Wednesday Night Poetry Series. In this issue: The Older Brother’s Easter Advice Genre: Poetry
Mark McGuire-Schwartz Though he claims to have been raised by bears, Mark McGuire-Schwartz is actually recovering from 27 years as a bureaucrat in state government, where he raised the humble office memo to an art form. He is the coordinator of the 2007 Wednesday Night Poetry Series in Bethel, Ct. His work appears in the FAIRFIELD REVIEW and on ROGUESCHOLARS.COM among others. His play, Meeting Arthur Miller, was produced as part of the Short and NEAT program during the 2004 International Festival of Arts and Ideas, in New Haven, CT. In this issue: Black Coffee, In Death Genre: Poetry
William Reichard is a writer, editor, and educator. His fourth collection of poems, "This Brightness," will be released by Mid-List Press in April of this year. His previous collection of poems, "How To," was one of five finalists for the James Laughlin Prize from the Academy of American Poets. He lives in Saint Paul, MN. In this issue: HIDE/SEEK Genre: Flash Fiction
Robin E. Sampson is a member of the CT-based six-woman poetry performance troupe Shijin. She’s active with the Wednesday Night Poetry Series in Bethel, CT as a host and hanger-on. Her publishing credits include a chapbook We Shijin; Book 1, The New Verse News, Wicked Alice, The Bitter Oleander, several anthologies and a few other odd places. In this issue: Tangible rain Genre: Poetry
Jake Uitti is 24, and a long-time resident of New Jersey. He recently moved to Cleveland as the first stop of a long drive. He is a a graduate of Rutgers University, and a student of Canadian author Lauren B. Davis. In this issue: Standing by the door Genre: Poetry
Johanna Rossi Wagner holds an MFA from Chatham College. Her work has been previously published in LA FUSTA, the Journal of Italian Literature and Culture. In this issue: Upon seeing Dante in a dream, Dye Genre: Poetry
Earl J. Wilcox founded and edited The Robert Frost Review for a decade. He writes about birds, baseball, ageing, and the mysteries of dreams. His poems appear in LUNAROSITY, SOUTHERN GOTHIC. THE CENTRIFUGAL EYE, UNDERGROUND VOICES, and elsewhere. His poetry was nominated for a Pushcart prize in 2006. In this issue: How they delivered the news today Genre: Poetry
Martin Willitts, Jr. is a Senior Librarian for the New York State Department of Corrections. His work appears in PEBBLE LAKE REVIEW, HOTMETALPRESS.NET, SURVIVOR REVIEW, 3 LIGHTS, HAIGAONLINE and 5th GEAR. His full-length book of poetry with his artwork, The Secret Language of the Universe, is available from March Street Press, 2006. In this issue: Tears Genre: Poetry
Artists, editors etc.
The late Elizabeth Spencer (1926-1995) who lived in Bandon, Oregon at the time of her death, created one abstract painting which she never signed, never liked, never named, yet others loved and preserved it. The painting was done in Philadelphia, PA. In this issue: Untitled. Genre: Artwork
Mistryel (Mar) Walker, founder, editor and web-mistress of BENT PIN Quarterly, is also a contributing artist and poet. Her cover art for the first issue (Spring 2007) is a digital work called The Other Garden, and most interior pages contain an iteration or variation of a portion of that work, or photos she took and “cooked” digitally. As a visual artist she has studied at various times over the years with Alexander Shundi, Janice Mauro, and Robert Alberetti, among others, though she doubts any of them would recall. In this issue: The Other Garden. Genre: Artwork. Special effects Genre: Poetry
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