
WHATS
NEW AT PORTAL DEL SOL
E-Pubs, Fiction
and Poetry Journals

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Born Interview :// Interview with Anmarie Trimble, editor of the place that fuses writing with animation, thereby creating all kinds of unique hybrid flashy things. |
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Brevity Interview :// An interview with Dinty W. Moore, editor of Brevity, publishing “concise literary nonfiction, along with interesting stories as a bonus. |
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PDS INTERVIEW SERIES
Print and E-Journal Greats
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Born://View|I-v
An interview with Annmarie Trimble, editor of Born. Born Magazine is an experimental venue marrying literary arts and interactive media.
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Brevity://View|I-v
An interview with Dinty W. Moore, editor of Brevity. Brevity
publishes "concise literary nonfiction" of 750 words or less as well as book reviews and craft essays.
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textsound://View|I-v
textsound, a new online journal of experimental sound, was begun by Anna Vitale,
Laura Wetherington, Anya Cobler and Adam Fagin and launched in the winter of 2008.
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Mad Hatter's Review://View|I-v
An
interview with Carol Novack, editor of Mad Hatters Review.
MHR is among the most content rich literary web sites on the internet.
Its depth and scope are almost scary.
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Thieves Jargon://View|I-v
An interview with Matt DiGangi, editor of Thieves Jargon.
This guy don't like the mainstream net journals, and he's got a special vision to share. Bring it on!
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Third Coast://View|I-v An interview with Peter Geye, editor of Third Coast. An old fashioned guy who wants to hold a journal in his hand, and perhaps even spill coffee on it.
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Redactions://View|I-v
An interview with Mike Dockins, editor of Redactions,
also the poetry editor of Terminus. This guy is all over the place!
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Pittsburgh Quarterly ://View|I-v
An
interview with Bruce Hoffman. Over the years Bruce Hoffman has written
for and/or edited a variety of labor and literary publications in the
Pittsburgh area. His work is his life.
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The Literary Review ://View|I-v
An
interview with Walter Cummins, editor emeritus of The
Literary Review, a legendary journal that publishes writing
from all over the globe.
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Black Warrior ://View|I-v
An interview with Dan Kaplan, editor of Black Warrior Review.
BWR is the feisty thirty-year-old brainchild of Creative Writing MFA students from the University of Alabama.
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Archipelago ://View|I-v
An
interview with the one and only Katherine McNamara, editor of Archipelago,
plus a bonus review of the site. If you're looking for originality and
quality, this journal is the place.
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Barcelona Review ://View|I-v
An
interview with Ms. Jill Adams, editor of the exotic Barcelona
Review. For your reading pleasure, The Barcelona
Review offers up heaping plates of explorations in sexuality,
Missouri, and Martinis.
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NOTE: All the portal-ed publications below are rated, from one sun to five, based on quality of literature, aesthetics, and overall inventiveness. Three is good, four is very good, and five is nonesuch.
NOTE2:to all e-journal editors. If you're looking for a backslap when it isn't deserved, don't ask for
a review. Thanks!
PORTAL DEL SOL CATEGORIES

2River
:// View| Rating:

This
site's databanks are filled to the brim with one hundred percent pure
poetry as fresh as a mountain spring. The navigation's a bit bogged
down, and the presentation's somewhat diluted, but you can still come
here to quench your thirst for something new.
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Carve
Magazine :// View | Rating: 
Cutting-edge
fiction that's mostly a cut above. Too bad some of the stuff here is so
dull and rusty. Get a tetanus shot and treat yourself to a nice, big
slice.
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Fence
Magazine :// View | Rating: 
This
publicaton has yet to live up to the hype. Words that come to mind are
"ho" and "hum." Much of the work strives to be clever, but comes off as
imitative, imprecise, and more often than not, terribly boring. A
change of staff is highly recommended. There are a few shimmers of
originality here and there in the print version, but too few to make it
worth the purchase price.
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Flashpoint
:// View
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FP
has been doing okay since their "censorship" publicity stunt a few
years ago, and sometimes they have some interesting stuff, but it grows
harder and harder to recognize as legit an ezine that publishes the
work of their own staff ad nauseum. Look at any
issue and see the same old hammer-and-sickles: Joe Brennan, Jack Foley,
Carlo Parcelli, yadda yadda, and pals like Mark Scroggins. It became
apparent long ago that Flashpoint exists primarily as a publication
vehicle and rant vent for its editors.
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Frigate
:// View
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This
weighty little vessel's hull is stuffed to the gills with really fine
reviews and features, though a portion of its fiction and poetry could
use a scrubbing. Still, step aboard and set a course for pleasure.
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Kudzu
:// View
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This
firmly-rooted quarterly perennially produces some of the freshest
poetry and prose around. A new crop just came in, so sweet and juicy
it's bound to make other sites grow green with envy. If only the look
and feel weren't as sparse and dry as a roadcut in drought...still,
reach out, pick a piece, and enjoy!
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Licton
Springs Review
:// View
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Licton
Springs is an ambitious new e-journal trying hard to be everything to
everyone and not quite getting there. Work ranges from mediocre to
good, e.g., paintings are bold but the photography is a bit on the blah
side. Poetry is adequate but reminiscent of poetry everywhere else--is
that bad? No, but it's not inspiring.
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The
Mighty Organ :// View | Rating: 
Hear
ye, hear ye, step right up and take a click. You, young lady, have no
fear. The reviews, "despatches" and essays are really quite fine, quite
fine indeed. A virtual plethora of world-wise, well-heeled authors
eagerly awaits your every attentive gaze. What's that, sir? You're
craving something more fanciful? Some fiction, some poetry, perhaps?
I'm afraid you'd best look elsewhere. All apologies. What we have is
dull and heavy-handed, too heavy, sir, for you to lift. Still, come
inside, don't just stand there. Admission is free!
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Monkey
Bicycle :// View | Rating: 
Is
it a blog? A journal? A fucking monkey? Strange, written
for-shock-value, pomo stuff ... and yet, somewhat entertaining. Check
out the one sentence stories, for example: "When the great Russian
classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz first came to America, the one
person he really wanted to meet was innovative jazz pianist Art Tatum
so he went to one of his gigs, got soused with him backstage; and then,
accustomed to adoration wherever he went, sat down at the piano, played
a honky-tonk piece he'd written and waited for Tatum's jaw to drop but
Art just stood there with a little shit eating grin on his face until
after a minute or so, he sat down at the keyboard with his
interpretation of what Horowitz had composed, causing Horowitz to put
his head in his hands in utter despair and abandon any fantasies he may
have had."
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New
Madrid :// View | Rating:
New
Madrid is the official journal of the low-residency M.F.A.
program at Murray State University. This new publication has very
minimal selections online (1 piece from the section issue.) The issues
are themed and they have a strong list of contributors, although many
are from Murray State. This will probably change as the publication
grows.
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Notre
Dame Review :// View | Rating:
We
couldn't resist investigating the Catholic version of a literary
journal. We're we disappointed? Yes. Why? Because we expected much
worse. If you scroll down and down and down the page of the current
issue, you'll find a mix of audio, poetry, and other things. The work
sprawls across the page without discipline and most everything you
sample is insomnia cure. One or two pieces fail to be objectionable,
but all in all, you yearn for release ... btw, don't tell any Irishmen
about this review.
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Pierian
Springs :// View | Rating: 
The
poetry is potable, the fiction's fine, but it's the photography here
that really makes a splash. Soak it up.
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SEGUE
:// View
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From
Miami University-Middletown. Getting to the actual work is a slogging
chore. Once we passed the opening "news" page and found the current
issue, the first click on an author's name delivered a dull CV, and
further clicks pitched books and websites--all of this making say to
ourselves, what the hell? Next, we clicked on the current issue .pdf
file and waited for the download ... and waited ... and waited. When it
finally arrived, these poetic words flashed out at us: "I seldom go out
.. the wilds are upon me .. flowers show last of their light .. feeble
the songs .. of creatures so small" ... If you enjoy poetry like this,
then Segue is for you!
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SoMa
Literary Review
:// View
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As
a general rule, themes are highly suspect, and as expected, SoMa
delivers a casual, west coast sensibility that is perhaps too casual in
its west coast, literary aesthetic. Much of the writing is compelling
but unwieldy, in the tradition of young writers honing their craft. Too
often though, desultory prose wanders like an east coast slacker turned
west coast barista stoned out on literary Manifest Destiny. Best for
Cali enthusiasts and for resentful, snow-blown New Englanders who can't
afford airfare.
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Terrain.Org
:// View
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We
will let Terrain explain themselves: "It is not definitely about urban
form, nor solely about natural landscapes. It is not precisely about
human culture, nor necessarily about ecology. It is, rather, a
celebration of the symbiosis between the built and natural environments
where it exists, and an examination and discourse where it does not."
Now, drop what you are doing and go there. We're not kidding. Talk
about class, soul, art, and variety! It's a product of genius, truly.
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Three
Candles :// View | Rating: 
A
cute little light in the darkness. The poetry is up to snuff, and the
links and resources page is especially elucidating. The navigation,
sprouting new windows like hydra heads, is, unfortunately, a step back
into the dark e-ages. But all in all, it's on the bright side...
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Georgia
Review :// View | Rating:
Why
oh why does a great review like GR get stupid once they go online? Like
the dim-brained editor of Zyzzyva, they appear to believe readers will
become so overcome with suspense once the story is cut off in
mid-stream that they will rush down to the local Barnes and Noble in
desperate search of the print issue. Naturally, the superstore might
not even carry GR, or else make it impossible to find. Nevertheless, we
love you, GR, for the wonderful work you publish.
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