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Pif Magazine
ISSN: 1094-2726
Published by:
Pif, LLC
PMB 248
4820 Yelm Hwy SE
Suite B
Lacey, WA 98503-4903
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Spark
Reviewed by Ingrid Woodrow
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Spark is an online literary review featuring fiction and poetry from the University of California (Davis) Creative Writing Program. Edited by Laurie Regan and a panel of assistant editors, the Spring '99 issue is devoted to "writing about the dynamic parent-child relationship" as well as other regular features. Most of the writing consists of works-in-progress, such as Heather Lee's heart-rending "Dream of the Blue Lady." A daughter stands bathing her dying mother in the hospital: "This is not the woman of strength and iron, not the mother I've known, who spends her life raising children, vegetables and flowers." Other stand-out pieces include "Photo 1945," a haunting poem by Francisco Aragon about a photo of a face "never really seen, or touched." D. Foy O'Brien's' poem "California Will Not Be Over" offers a bleak child's eye-view of the family beachside holiday. He watches his parents arguing: |
Spark |
They quarreled along the beach like seagulls
after-the-fact. And you couldn't calm them,
nor did they want to be calmed.
The Special Features section of Spark features an interview with writer Clarence Major, author of Dirty Bird Blues, who talks about "circular" poetry and "transforming" life into art. It may be a bit obscure, but it offers a candid glimpse into the mind of an artist. Also featured in this section is a list of "Recent Alumni Publications." As a graduate of an academic creative writing program, I felt a mixture of envy and hopefulness as I scrolled down the list of new talent, the latest publication being Lindsey Crittenden's book of short stories, The View From Below.
A browse through the back issues section of Spark is worthwhile too. Issue Three (January 1998) has Tom Hazuka's "Thumbnail History" of the world of flash fiction where anything over 750 words is considered too long for a story. I also liked Paige Davis' fiction "Steel Mill": "...I am just a secretary trailered on a gravel lot between the hot mill and the cold mill, a message for the mill-black men from their wives, something clean white, a fresh cigarette."
Spark's design is simple and elegant with muted colors and a lack of pretension that's refreshing for an academic zine. The sparse line drawings by Liz Gill that accompany most of the works seem occasionally to detract from the stories, but I guess this is a question of taste. As a 'zine editor, it might be hard to resist the urge to illustrate words with pictures, but it's worth questioning how this affects the integrity of the text.
On the whole, Spark is a solid, classy read. If you're interested in emerging literary talent, this site is worth checking out.
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Ingrid Woodrow is a writer based in Brisbane, AUSTRALIA. Her novel, Goddess and the Galaxy Boy, was shortlisted in October 1999 in The Australian/Vogel Literary Awards and is currently under consideration by three major Australian publishers. She is completing a Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland and working on a collection of short stories, one of which received second prize in the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards in June 1999.
Ingrid is the founding editor of the online writing journal Mangrove, which is listed as a "Site of National Significance" in the National Library of Australia's PANDORA archive. Mangrove is also a finalist in the upcoming AIMIAs (Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Awards). Further information and samples of work can be obtained by visiting http://www.uq.edu.au/~eniwoodr