Pif Magazine
ISSN: 1094-2726

Pif Magazine
1426 Harvard Ave. #451
Seattle, WA 98122-3813

Subject: Montreal, 2:30 am by Bob McCranie
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000
From: MARCCREATE

You know, folks, about 25 yrs ago some guy I worked for who worked for Random House, told me that in 15 years, everyone will be listening to poetry on cassettes. The print media will disappear. What you are saying is that a live object such as a book will be obsolete. The net deprives the reader of intimacy of "the house was quiet and the world was calm." The net is a place of frenzy, of virtual anything. I'm straining my eyes to read white letters on green. I don't enjoy the experience of poetry on a screen with all its visual gymnastics. All crap! So don't think you know it all. I like the idea of email. So far the websites of most of the mags. just let me know that there is even more mediocrity out there than I thought. Running this stuff off help just a little.

MW

Subject: Seizure by Jenny Factor
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000
From: Amy Luster

What a refreshing and evocative piece I found Seizure to be! I am pleased to discover such talented and satisfying writing. And to think- a poem that I can so readily appreciate! It was truly delightful.

Subject: Dive by Amy Weintraub
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000
From: David Leitner

I enjoyed the work greatly. Very vivid description. The hook opening was great and made me want to read more. Even better when the story (after flashback) made its way to that moment and then beyond. Plus, Ms. Weintraub's use of nautical terms (e.g., parts of the boat, the weight of the tank) revealed either real life experience or research.

I find that reading well written short stories can improve my own short stories and other prose (I work f/t as an attorney). Thank Ms. Weintraub for me, if possible.

David Leitner
New York, NY
yorick4@aol.com

Subject: Review of The Poetry Webring Webzine by Tom Hartman
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000
From: Chesil

Hi, Thanks for the constructive criticism, I appreciate it.

I would have loved to have seen the review when it was published as it would have helped a lot in thinking about the design of future issues, as well as content. Maybe you should send an advice out to sites that have been reviewed?

I appreciated the fact that your reviewer was good enough to select the work he liked and did not pick out what he considered to be the lesser quality work for criticism. I may well be off my head but part of my philosophy is to offer encouragement to writers that I believe are capable of producing better work. Inevitably, this will lead to variable content quality but I am happy to accept responsibility for that.

Incidentally, I admire and envy your paying contributors to your zine. That is something I would love to be able to emulate but I doubt it will be happening soon. I enjoyed the current issue very much.

Best wishes,
Chesil
Ringmaster
The Poetry Webring

Subject: What happened?
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000
From: Anthony Amanfor

Okay, I could respect the new look.

Okay I could respect the beautiful design.

Okay, I could respect the easier access to the links.

But what happened? I have been reading pif since its inception, and have even received a few rejection of my poems---thank you very much---but this month I go to the URL and everything is about sex sex sex sex what happened to the poetry, fiction, related stuff, and the stuff from the previous webpage format?

I don't get it.

Editor's Note: When the cat's away, the mice will play ... Now that we've put our clothes back on (and our "SEX" issue is behind us) we hope you'll rejoin us.

Subject: The Savoy Bar and Social Club by Eugenie Hero
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000
From: BJaffe80

Eugenie Hero's story is provocative and disturbing, from the Easter egg hunt and mama's volunteering at symphony to the leering, older "gentleman" with leashed boy at his beck and call. I would like to see more of her work.

Eleanor W.J.

Subject: Politically Correct Language
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000
From: John Dodds

I confess to a wry smile at the subtitle of Hanne Blank's book "a sourcebook on sex for people of size". I've noticed a few examples in US writing and where political correctness becomes vagueness. Okay, the Book is called "Big Love" so one assumes it refers to large people, but on its own "people of size" is completely meaningless. It could mean small, medium or large size, in effect. Equally, I alway find "people of colour" vaguely offensive, as possible some sectors of the black, Hispanic, and other ethnic groups might.

Here in the UK, there have also been some laughable attempts at political correctness. We struggle with "disablity", "black", and so on, but even with "women" and "men" and at times it gets ludicrous, with schools banning certain books.

"Snow White and the Seven Vertically-Challenged Persons" indeed.

Anyhow, Pif is a great magazine (I don't know if we've found a politically-correct way of describing online magazines yet!)

Best wishes for the future.

Editor's Note: Your point is well-taken. Political-correctness has become a curse on western civilization. Since "Person of Size" is Hanne Blank's description of not only her target audience, but herself as well, though, I'm afraid we'll have to side with the author on this one.

Subject: Ingrid Woodrow's Reviews of E-Zines
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000
From: Daniel A. Olivas

As a relatively new fiction writer, Ingrid Woodrow's reviews of electronic litmags have been very helpful to me as well as being fun to read. I'm always looking for potential markets to submit to and Ms. Woodrow has, on more than one occasion, steered me in the right direction. Thus, aside from being an accomplished novelist and short story writer, Ms. Woodrow is a brilliant traffic cop for writers on the Web. Thank you for including her wonderful reviews on Pif. (She also edits a pretty damned cool e-zine called Mangrove.)

Tell us what you think. Email talkback@pifmagazine.com