Things have been changing with Rose & Thorn. Some of those changes are already in effect and others are still to come.
 
- Our biggest, and best, bit of news is that  our fall issue will be available October 15th and will be published at our new home www.roseandthornjournal.com. Be sure to stop by and have a look around.

- Our newsletter will be mailed to our subscribers on October 14th

- We are now on Facebook as well, so be sure to 'fan' us if you're there!

- We have a new URL on MySpace (www.myspace.com/roseandthornjournal) as well so if you have us bookmarked be sure to update!

- You can still  keep up with us on Twitter

It's been a very exciting and busy period for us and we sincerely hope that our friends and readers will enjoy and benefit from the changes we have made at Rose & Thorn. As always, you are welcome to send us feedback, constructive criticism and suggestions.


Sheri Whitlock
Social Networking Administrator
Rose & Thorn Journal
www.roseandthornjournal.com  

Reviewed by Samella McClary-Brown

The Crystal Swan, written by Suzan Tanner, is a children’s book for preteens between the ages of seven to twelve years of age.  The book was published by Grateful Steps in Asheville, North Carolina.

The beginning of the story started off slow, but became more interesting after the first few pages.  The story is about Leah, a typical stereotype teenager, in the fact that she is concerned about herself and what she wants, opposed to doing what her mom wants her to do, which is to go with her to Shady Springs nursing home to help pass out gift baskets.  Leah reluctantly goes and is “spooked out” when she is given a “crystal swan” by one of the residents.  She later discovers that the crystal allows her to see “visions” of peoples' past lives. 

The book weaves an intriguing tale between the visions that Leah sees, to the everyday activities in a young girl’s life: from picking out a dress for her first dance, feeling anxious about spending time with her boyfriend Chad, to family vacation fun. As the story evolves, Leah begins to grow as a person and begins to have a better understanding of the elderly and an appreciation of some of the residents at the nursing home. 

Though the story was overall a good read, I felt as though the ending came together rather quickly and could have been written a little tighter to give the audience more of a feel for some of the other characters; such as Mrs. Hubbard, the old woman that gave her the crystal to begin with.  And the subplot that involved Leah’s math teacher could have been a little more in-depth as well.  But overall, I enjoyed the book and felt as though it was an excellent read for preteens, particularly from ten to thirteen.

Suzan Tanner grew up in Western North Carolina. She is the member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers, The Appalachian Author’s Guild, and The Maryland Writer’s Group.  The Crystal Swan is her second published novel.  Her first, “The Blue Streak,” was written to intrigue children to develop a sense of respect and curiosity toward animals.  Currently she works as a chemist for a mining company.  She majored in biology with a Master's degree.  She enjoys painting.

The Cystal Swan

Samella McClary-Brown, AKA Samella Trent, lives in Chicago where her days are full with her in-home child-care business, a husband, and raising two children. She reads constantly and fits in writing as much as she can. She is the author of Suddenly, which can be purchased at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

We've had to close submissions for fiction and nonfiction due to the sheer volume in which they have been sent. Submissions will be accepted again later in the year.

THE ROSE & THORN ANNOUNCEMENT NEWSLETTER
WINTER ISSUE 2009
_____________________________________

The Rose &Thorn Literary E-Zine
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/ 

January 2009
____________________________________________

GO GREEN! READ THE ROSE & THORN EZINE
Proudly saving trees since 1998

This mailing is available only by subscription
and is never sent unsolicited. Subscribers' addresses are kept strictly
confidential. The Rose & Thorn showcases emerging and established
writers and provides a resource for writers, media professionals, and
readers.
____________________________________________

AOL MEMBERS: You can read this newsletter on the web with hyperlinks
intact. Go to:
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____________________________________________

NOT GETTING YOUR R & T NEWSLETTER? Or know someone who isn't? Go to:
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inbox and your junk mail folder for an opt-in invite from Topica.
Without responding to the opt-in invite, Topica will never know that you

have indeed subscribed to the R&T Newsletter.

____________________________________________

YOU ROCK!

You’re the best readers a zine could have. Thanks for
supporting us for almost ten years.

Submissions are up, page views are up, and it’s
all because of YOU! Hey, if YOU haven’t donated,
what are you waiting for?

http://...com/2zxn63
_______________________________



CHECK OUT OUR MASTHEAD

After all these years you finally get to look upon the Roses & Thorns
of your favorite online publication.
Check out our new masthead page at: http://pratt.edu/~cgarza

_______________________________________

NEWSLETTER CONTENTS

*From the Publisher's Pen
*About the Cover by Liam Wilkinson
*Poetry
*Mainstream 
*Experimental
*Essay
*Inspirational
*Horror
*Flash

____________________________________
FROM THE PUBLISHER’S PEN
By Barbara Quinn

Greetings and welcome readers,

Our Winter 2009 issue is now live. Why not take
a moment out of your busy day to stop by
and read some of this season's offerings?

As I write this, it's hard not to be thinking about how
difficult these economic times are.
I hope you are able to navigate the swells that
seem to be coming at us from all directions.
I don't remember a more challenging time in
my life, and I've been around for a while.
When the stress gets too much, perhaps you
will be able to find a little peace, a little calm
within, by reading some of the pieces of prose
and poetry we have selected for you. We are
lucky to have terrific submissions each day
and it gets harder and harder to select from
the fine works that come to us.

At times like this when people are losing jobs,
and seeing their retirement funds disappear,
I'm happier than ever that The Rose & Thorn
is free to our readers. We provide a valuable
entertainment outlet and we're glad we are
here for you. We do wish we could pay
the wonderful people we publish more
than our token amount, but we survive
on donations and these are not easy times
to be raising money. We are lucky to have
a dedicated volunteer staff who give
freely of their time to keep these issues
coming to you. The poets and writers we publish
are worth far more than we can afford to pay! Their
words are priceless and so are you, dear reader.

Thank you for sticking with us and for
keeping us going for over a decade.
Thank you to all who pen the poems
and stories in our issues. And thank
you to the best staff in the world, who
continue to keep this place alive.

I wish you all the best. Happy reading.
Here's to better times.

Barbara Quinn

PS. Thank you for your votes in the Preditors & Editors
Readers’ Poll!  We finished (preliminarily)
in the top ten in four categories including an awesome
second place finish in Poetry, fourth place in both
Fiction and Nonfiction, and seventh place for Editor. 
Your loyalty and willingness to help us out this
way are much appreciated.
____________________________________

R&T IS A PAYING MARKET

For each piece of fiction, poetry
and nonfiction The Rose & Thorn
publishes we will pay the author
a fee of $5 via Paypal. Submit!

Guidelines are at the site.
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/

_____________________________________


NOTES ABOUT OUR COVER
by Liam Wilkinson
COVER NOTES by Liam Wilkinson

THE KISS Gustav Klimt

Master of the Art Nouveau movement, Austrian painter
Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918) is now very firmly associated
with his masterpiece, The Kiss. The painting has inspired
countless interpretations, but it is generally agreed
that the painting lies at the zenith of Klimt’s fascination
with love and eroticism. Painted during Klimt’s ‘golden period’,
the gold shroud literally shimmers off the canvas,
giving this moment of sensuality the three dimensions
that have ultimately lent the painting its timelessness.
The swirling colours and shapes, unlike the subtly-rendered
features of the figures and the kiss itself, succeed in expressing
the sheer rapture of the moment. Here we see the beginnings of
Abstract Expressionism and the emotive and experimental painting
that would dominate the rest of twentieth century art.

_________________________________


WINTER 2009


POETRY

Thief of Excuses by Mark Joseph Kiewlak


Milonga for a Blind Man by Lois P. Jones


In Defense of the Sadducees by Jason Mccall
 

If Asked One Can Walk On Water by R Jay Slais


At the Traveling Monet Exhibit by Jacqueline West


The Eyes of Owls at the Zoo by Parick M. Pilarski

WINTER PROSE

MAINSTREAM/LITERARY

A Thing Like Hope by Jessica Hollander

The Fence by Patty Somlo

EXPERIMENTAL

Trompe-l'oeil by Russell Bittner

ESSAY

January Thaw by Sheri Whitlock

The Tattered Bookmark by Michael Smith

INSPIRATIONAL

Life is a Bag of Frozen Peas by Michael Smith

HORROR

Brimstone and Liars by Stephanie Scarborough

A Gift for Eternity by E.J. Ruek

FLASH

A Spatial Affair by Linda Leschak
____________________________________

LOOKING BEHIND THE GUIDELINES

Would you like to know what R&T is really looking for? Maybe you've
submitted to us in the past, followed all the guidelines, but received a
rejection anyway. Or maybe you're considering a submission but don't
know which of your pieces would be right for us.

You should check out Roses & Thorns where R&T's prose and poetry editors
provide writing tips, observations, and an inside look at what does and
does not make the cut. You'll also find recommended resources for
writers, book reviews, and interviews with well-known authors.

Even better, you can comment and ask questions about posts. Editors will
check back regularly and reply.

Roses & Thorns http://roseandthornreviews.blogspot.com/


***************************************
DONATE TO THE ROSE & THORN
We've made it easy for YOU to support The Rose and Thorn. You can now
donate via PayPal at various spots at the zine. Look for the DONATE
button on the cover or on the Table of Contents or do it NOW by clicking

this link: http://...com/2zxn63

*************************************
HELP WANTED!

Seeking strong, upbeat individuals who love all things literary.

Volunteer for a great site. Why? For the experience, for the pleasure of

learning and doing something you love, but most of all, to enhance and
give back to our global, literary community of which YOU are an
important part.

We have several staff positions available at The Rose & Thorn.

Editors with good skills are also always
in demand. We need YOU!

Contact BAQuinn@aol.com

**************************************
STAFF
----------------------------------------
B.A. Quinn, Managing Editor and Publisher
Angie Ledbetter, Co-Managing Editor/Newsletter Editor
Kathryn Magendie, Co-Managing Editor/Senior Newsletter Editor
Cesar Garza, Senior Editor, Blog Administrator
W. Hough, Poetry Editor, Senior Graphics Manager, Community Forum Chief
Administrator
Sandra Merz, Poetry Editor, Book Reviews
Eric Giere, Chief Webmaster
Liam Wilkinson, Cover Commentator
Jason Fryer, Content Producer and Interviewer
Dallas D’Angelo-Gary, Editor, Announcement Newsletter, Procedure Manual
Nora Capocy, Prose Editor
Karen Reiser, Prose Editor
Andrea Middendorf, Prose Editor
Patresa Hartman, Assistant Prose Editor, YOG contributor
Erin McKnight, Assistant Prose Editor
Megan Roth, Assistant Poetry Editor
Cynthia Toups, Assistant Poetry Editor
Sheri Whitlock, MySpace Manager, Awards Staff
Samella McClary Brown, Community Forum, Award Staff
Deborah Laws, Blog Manager
Yu-Han Chao, Asst. Blog Manager
Adnan Mahmutovic, Asst Blog Manager, Podcast Manager
Maggie Grinnell, Assistant Blog Manager
Cathy Biribauer, Assistant Editor, Book Reviews
Laurel Fuller, Assistant Editor, Book Reviews
Michelle Wittle, Assistant Editor, Book Reviews, Awards Staff
Peter Kirchikov, Community Forum, Squidoo

We would like to thank all of our readers who took the time to participate in the Preditors and Editors poll. We did amazingly well in the voting. We finished in the top ten in all our catergories, finishing in the top five for poetryezine (2nd) and fictionezine (4th). Grand results, which we owe to you. You can see the final results by visiting Preditors & Editors Poll results 

The winter issue of The Rose and Thorn is out! Be sure to take a look and, as always, feel free to contact us with your thoughts on the ezine.

Also, don't forget to check out our blog, podcasts, and MySpace

Dear Rose & Thorn Reader,

We hope your new year has begun well, and that it brings lots of writing
acceptances and good reading opportunities.

The Preditors and Editors Readers' Poll for 2008 is going on right now,
and we'd appreciate it if you'd take a stroll there and vote for R&T in
the ezines category for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Magazine ezine
editor.

Here are the links for those categories:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/nonfictionzine.shtml

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/poetryzine.shtml

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml

You can also vote for your favorite poems, stories, etc. OR nominate in
many different categories.

Voting is going on through January 14: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/
We'd be grateful if you passed the word around to others.

If we do well in this poll, it's because YOU, our readers
believe in what we are doing here enough to take some of
your precious time to help us out. The poll gives us
good exposure to new readers, and writers.

Won't you take a moment and vote?

Thanks in advance,

Barb Quinn, Kat Magendie, Angie Ledbetter,
Cesar Garza, Wil Hough(the P&E team,
and all the rest of the Editors at The Rose & Thorn Ezine

_______________________________________________

THE ROSE & THORN
NEWSLETTER
________________________________________________

From: The
Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine

http://www.theroseandthornezine.com


December
2008
________________________________________________
“Firelight will not
let you read fine stories but it’s warm and you
won’t see the dust on the
floor. “ —Irish Proverb

________________________________________________
This mailing is
available only by subscription and is never sent
unsolicited. Subscribers'
addresses are kept strictly confidential. The
Rose & Thorn showcases
emerging and established writers and provides a
resource for writers, media
professionals, and
readers.
________________________________________________
AOL MEMBERS: You
can read this newsletter on the web with hyperlinks
intact. Go to:
http://www.topica.com/lists/theroseandthorn/read
________________________________________________
NOT
GETTING YOUR R & T NEWSLETTER?
Or know someone who
isn't?
---------------------------------------
Make sure you send a valid
e-mail address to theroseandthorn@topica.com,
and then check both your inbox
and your junk mail folder for an opt-in
invite from Topica. Without
responding to the opt-in invite, Topica will
never know you have indeed
subscribed to the R & T
newsletter.
________________________________________________
SPONSOR
SPOT
----------------------------------------
TOM HOWARD/JOHN H. REID
SHORT STORY CONTEST –
NOW OPEN

Postmark Deadline: March 31,
2009

17th year. Prizes of $2,000, $1,000, $500 and $250 will be awarded,
plus
five High Distinction awards of $200 each and five Most Highly
Commended
Awards of $100 each. Submit any type of short story, essay or
other work
of prose, up to 5,000 words. You may submit work that has been
published
or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the online publication

rights. $15 entry fee. Submit online or by mail. Early submission

encouraged. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this

contest. Judges: John H. Reid and Dee C. Konrad. See the complete

guidelines and past
winners:

http://www.winningwriters.com/tomstory
______________________________________________
NEWSLETTER
CONTENTS
---------------------------------------
* From the Newsletter
Editor's Pen
* From the Co-Managing Editor’s Pen
* Special
Announcements
* Of Literary Note
* Markets & Contests
* Author
Interviews
* Book Reviews
* The Readers' Mailbag
* What We Are Up
To
* Masthead
________________________________________________
FROM THE
NEWSLETTER EDITOR'S PEN
Kathryn
Magendie
----------------------------------------
Dear
Readers,

It’s hard to believe another year is almost to an end. But the
great
thing about an ending is the beginning it produces. And, we do
celebrate
the ending of the year with our New Year’s Eve parties and the
promises
we make to ourselves and others on the New Year’s Day. Beginnings
and
endings create a perfect circle (despite the seeming imperfect nature of

our nature). This fine mountain morning, I think about another perfect

circle: the performer and its appreciator.

There is a fire glowing
with the occasional pops and crackles that
personify a really great fire.
The birds are flocking to the feeders, as
they always do when it turns
chilly and bugs, seeds, and berries become
scarce. It is a silent morning,
other than the nature sounds, and that
fire. And, of course, the click of my
fingers tapping against the laptop
keys. I rarely pay attention to that
sound, but it is a constant one in
my little log house tucked in a cove at
Killian Knob. I do, however, pay
attention to Readers and how important they
are, for I am only a small
arc in that circle; you all, dear Readers, are
necessary to the
completion.

I’m hoping you will take the time to
read in the “downtime” of your busy
lives. When is the last time you picked
up a book, opened its cover, and
dived in to enter the world your favorite
writer (or perhaps a new
writer you’ve never tried before) has crafted for
you? Writer’s need
readers. We don’t write in a vacuum. Though writers will
say, and mean
it, “I will write despite …” we all know that without you
readers, our
words can echo hollow and lonely. The next time you read a
book, a short
story, a poem, an essay, a magazine, think about how the
writer, poet,
photographer, artist, and editorial staff has You in mind as
they
crafted the work. Artists need an audience. You may not see our faces,

but there is a world of Thanks there for those who appreciate what we

give to you. We love you and want to make you happy. We want you to love

us back.

The Rose & Thorn’s fall issue is still live. If you
haven’t visited and
read the poetry and prose, please stop by and do so at
this link:
http://...com/5k9zcy. Soon, our winter issue will go live;
come
back and visit us in January. Our writers need you. We require
you.

I wish you all good things this holiday season, and beyond.


Complete the circle.

Kat
Co-Managing Editor/Senior Newsletter
Editor
http://www.kathrynmagendie.com
Feel free to email me:
kmtrain@hotmail.com
________________________________________________
FROM
THE CO-MANAGING EDITOR’S PEN
Angie
Ledbetter
----------------------------------------
Dear
Readers,

Now that the turkey is nothing but a carcass (great for gumbo!)
and the
Christmas decorations are being hauled from the attic, it's time to
make
our preliminary holiday gift shopping lists.

With all the bad
news pouring from the publishing industry of late, have
you considered
buying books for your favorite people this year? Our
holiday purchases can
give a boost to sagging retail figures.
Bookstores, both online and brick
and mortar types, are exploding with
holiday specials and great selections.
Bigger stores always have sales
tables, so it's easy to grab a beautiful
book of poetry, an anthology or
novel, and be on our way. I never leave
empty handed when I patronize my
favorite independent book seller or big
daddy chains for gift-giving
occasions. When I'm unsure of someone's reading
tastes, store gift cards
are a great solution. And I dearly love the free
gift wrapping some
stores offer.

Speaking of the holidays, I hope
your December is full of opportunities
to curl up with a snuggly blanket,
book and favorite warm beverage,
hours of quiet reading stretched before
you. And if you're a writer or
poet, may the winter months provide you with
leisurely hours at your
computer happily working away at your craft.


As always, we appreciate your attention to the love and care The Rose
&
Thorn Literary e-zine staffers and Publisher Barbara Quinn put forth
to
share the magic of good words.

Angie

http://angie-ledbetter.blogspot.com/

________________________________________________
THE ROSE & THORN
SUPPORTS OUR TROOPS

Send a free printed postcard to U.S. military
personnel overseas:
http://www.letssaythanks.com   

Want to send
help to our soldiers who do not receive mail or goodies?

http://www.anysoldier.com

----------------------------------------
CHECK
OUT OUR NEW MASTHEAD

After all these years, you finally get to look upon
the roses & thorns
of your favorite online publication. Check out our
new masthead page at:

http://pratt.edu/~cgarza/

----------------------------------------
R&T
IS A PAYING MARKET

For each piece of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction The
Rose &
Thorn publishes, we will pay $5 via PayPal. Yes, we'd love to pay
more.
Donate, take out an ad, and fill our coffers.

Do submit.
Guidelines are at the
site—
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com

----------------------------------------
HELP
WANTED

Seeking strong, upbeat individuals who love all things
literary.

Volunteer for a great site. Why? For the experience, for the
pleasure of
learning and doing something you love; but most of all, to
enhance our
global literary community of which you are an important part. We
have
several staff positions available at The Rose & Thorn.

Want
to help us become a presence on youtube? Or facebook?

We need
YOU!
Contact Barbara Quinn at
BAQuinn@aol.com

----------------------------------------
WHY NOT
DONATE?

The award-winning Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine welcomes YOUR
donations.
No amount is too small and all funds are used to keep this site
going.

Did you know that we've been listed as one of Writer's Digest's
Top 30
Short Story Markets, as one of their 101 Best Places for Writers, and
as
an "Internet Envy" Site too? Or that we've been a Preditors & Editors

Truly Useful site? (Visit our awards page to see more.)

Please
donate by clicking
http://...com/2zxn63

________________________________________________
SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS
----------------------------------------
CONGRATULATIONS TO
OUR NOMINEES
--------
Congratulations to The Rose & Thorn Literary
e-zine nominees for the
2008 Pushcart Prize:

POETRY:

"You're
Dead Joe"
http://...com/6mzfly

"M&Ms" by Kelley
White
http://...com/5jk6zf

"The Big
Bang"
http://...com/677dms

--------
PROSE:

Kinky Norm
by Anne Goodwin
http://...com/5cybtp

Ugly by Emily
Kissell
http://...com/5mfzsr

"Three Abundance" by Kathryn
Magendie
http://...com/675ng8

---------------------------------------
THE
ROSE & THORN PODCASTS

Stop reading, rest your eyes, and LISTEN to The
Rose & Thorn's stories
and poems.

Who says thorny flowers can't
speak? The Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine
has entered the podcasting age.
Beginning with its Pushcart nominees
from years past, R&T offers you its
best fiction, poetry, and essays as
downloadable podcasts. Visit our
official podcast directory at
http://rosethorn.podbean.com  to listen as
authors and staffers bring to
life our best publications.

Also, don't
forget to subscribe using iTunes, RSS feed, or any other
option available at
http://rosethorn.podbean.com.

----------------------------------------
TWITTER—WHAT
ARE WE DOING?

Want to know when submissions reopen or a new issue is
posted? Follow us
on Twitter. Want to know when we are looking for essays or
flash or a
particular genre? Follow us on Twitter. Want to know who we are

nominating for the Pushcart or other awards? Yep…Follow us on Twitter

at:
https://twitter.com/RoseandThorn

----------------------------------------
THE
COMMUNITY FORUM

Dear Readers,

For both readers and writers
interested in sharing work and interactive
commentary, be sure to visit our
updated Community Forums. There, you
will discover folders for all forms of
fiction, personal experiences,
poetry, and more. For those students bogged
down with creative or essay
writing, this is the place to ask for help. Of
course, the emphasis is
on interactive so, while you are not required to
provide commentary, it
is welcomed and encouraged.

Access is
available by clicking on the Community Forum hyperlink located
on the Rose
& Thorn entry page (and below).

Please note that the site depends on
individual action to make it work.
Every explosion of applause begins with
the first pair of hands serving
as a
catalyst.

http://forum.uponfurtherreview.com/

Wil Hough
Senior
Editor & Community Forum
Manager
___________________________________________
OF LITERARY
NOTE
----------------------------------------
BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL
AWARD

Amazon and Penguin will sponsor a second annual Amazon Breakthrough

Novel Award. The competition will launch on February 2, 2009. Between

then and February 8, writers with an unpublished English-language novel

manuscript can submit their work at http://www.amazon.com/abna. As they

did last year, PW reviewers will participate in the review process. Last

year’s competition awarded Bill Loehfelm with the grand prize, from a

pool of 5,000 entrants. Putnam published Loehfelm’s novel, Fresh Kills,

in August 2008.

----------------------------------------
MICRO
AWARD

This December, submissions will be taken for the 2nd Annual Micro
Award,
an award for previously published fiction not over 1000 words. Any

member of the reading public may submit one story published in 2008.

Rules are posted at the Micro Award Official Website at

http://www.microaward.com

Note that our submission address has
changed and that submission fees
have been abolished.

Robert
Laughlin, Micro Award
Administrator
______________________________________________
THE
BUZZ
---------------------------------------
POETRY COLLECTION RELEASE:
ALL OF ME

Booksmyth Press is pleased to announce the release of ALL OF
ME, a
collection of poems by the poet, Lea Banks. Of this startling fresh

poetic voice Alicia Ostriker has remarked: “Read Lea Banks for vitality,

read her for velocity. Dance with her if you dare, catch her if you can.

But beware—Banks is a poet of a thousand whirling metaphors. You’ll have

to move fast.” Poet and critic Carol Frost says of this remarkable

poet's first chapbook: “Carnival, whirlpool, God’s fierce whimsy,

beauty’s blackout, hot color, Devil: they all belong to Lea Banks. She

invokes the phenomenal, and from behind parted fingers her readers peek.

The poems in ALL OF ME are brave-spirited and they make all of us

braver.”  This is an exceptional talent and this is her first foray into

publication with ALL OF ME. Banks explores, with a leopard's fearless

grace and glide, the many shadowed corners of the soul's jungled depths

- none who follow in her wake will fail to be inspired by the piercing

beauty of this poet's courageous clarity.

http://www.leabanks.com/Home_Page.php
______________________________________________
MARKETS
AND CONTESTS
---------------------------------------
Readers should make
sure to check sources carefully and to inquire about
references when
appropriate. The Rose & Thorn cannot assume
responsibility for the sites
and services mentioned
below.
----------------------------------------
2RIVER

Since 1996,
2River (http://www.2river.org/) has been a site of poetry,
art, and theory,
quarterly publishing The 2River View and occasionally
publishing individual
authors in the 2River Chapbook Series, and, more
recently, podcasting poems
and commentary from Muddy Bank, the 2River
blog. All publications first
appear on-line and afterwards in print.
Before submitting to 2River, please
read the guidelines. 2River is a
member of the Council of Little Magazines
and Presses and is listed in
the Literary Magazine and Press
Directory.

2River considers unpublished poems only. An unpublished poem
is one that
has not appeared in any form of print or digital media,
including
personal or public blogs. A poem from a private, online workshop,

however, would be considered, as long as the final version of the poem

does not appear in a public space. For more guidelines, click:

http://www.2river.org/office/submit.html

----------------------------------------
34th
PARALLEL

34thParallel (http://www.34thparallel.net/) seeks to promote and
publish
the exceptional writing of new and emerging writers rejected and or

overlooked by large commercial publishing houses and mainstream presses.

We believe that rejections are not necessarily an indication of the

merit of an author’s work.

Consequently, because we are also
writers, we strive to work with
authors, nurturing their talent, always
respecting individual creative
vision rather than only considering the
potential for profit. With this
in mind, we hope to publish books that may
not fit in mainstream
categories and that experiment with and test
boundaries.

Print Magazine Specifics:
Fiction—1500 to 3500
words;
Poetry—1 poem at a time;
Artwork/Photography—500k file (in
attachment)

Online Specifics:
Fiction—1500 words max;
Poetry—1 poem
at a time;
Artwork/Photography—500k file (in attachment)

For
guidelines, click:
http://www.34thparallel.net/submit.html

----------------------------------------

XENITH

Xenith (http://www.xenith.net/) began its life as a ‘zine in
1997 as a
showcase for the writing of Generation Y. It matured as the
generation
did.

Today, Xenith has grown into a creative collective
that serves as a home
base for some of this generation’s most promising
talent. Our recently
revived literary magazine serves as a showcase both for
this community
and our talented guests.

We accept most forms and
genres of writing: poetry, fiction, flash
fiction, plays, creative
nonfiction, graphic novels, comics and comic
scripts, unsent letters,
experimental, sci-fi, literary mainstream,
whatever. The type of writing
doesn’t matter, but the quality of writing
does.

There are mild
length restrictions to keep in mind, however. Your
writing can be as short
as you’d like, but submitted pieces should be no
longer than 8,000 words.
Those with longer pieces should query first.
For more guidelines, click:
http://www.xenith.net/submissions/

----------------------------------------
ELLEN
MELOY FUND: DESERT WRITER’S AWARD

A prize of $2,000 is given annually to
enable creative nonfiction
writers to spend creative time in a desert
environment. Submit up to 10
pages of creative nonfiction, a project
description, and a biography via
e-mail by December 31. There is no entry
fee. http://www.ellenmeloy.com/
Ellen Meloy Fund, Desert Writers Award, P.O.
Box 484, Bluff, UT 84512.

The Fund supports writing that combines an
engaging individual voice,
literary sensibility, imagination and
intellectual rigor to bring new
perspectives and deeper meaning to the body
of desert literature. All
applications will be reviewed through a peer-panel
process. 

Considerations in the selection process will be:
the
writing sample’s artistic excellence and desert literacy,
the proposal’s
strength, the biography’s ability to demonstrate a
history and future of
writing and desert experience.

Deadline: December 31, 2008

For
complete guidelines,
visit:
http://www.ellenmeloy.com/emfund_application.htm

----------------------------------------
NORTHWEST
PERSPECTIVES ESSAY CONTEST

Open and Student Categories

Oregon
Quarterly invites entries to the 2009 Northwest Perspectives
Essay Contest
in both student and open categories. Entries should
address ideas that
affect the Northwest. The Oregon Quarterly staff will
select finalists and
the contest judge will choose the top three winners
in each category.


First place essays will appear in Oregon Quarterly. A selection of top

essays will be featured in a springtime public reading on the UO
campus.

PRIZES:
Open Category

First place: $750
Second
place: $300
Third place: $100
Student Category

First place:
$500
Second place: $200
Third place: $75

There is no entry
fee.

Postmark deadline is January 31, 2009

For more information
and guidelines,
visit:
http://www.oregonquarterly.com/essay.php

----------------------------------------
THE
BINNACLE ULTRA-SHORT COMPETITION

The Binnacle will sponsor its Fifth
International Ultra-Short
Competition in the 2008-2009 academic year. We are
looking for poetry of
sixteen lines or fewer and prose works of 150 words or
fewer.

All submissions should be made via email to
ummbinnacle@maine.edu.
Please include the work in the body of the email
message, if possible.
If you would like to send it via attachment, we prefer
.doc, .txt, or
.rtf files.

A minimum of $300 in cash prizes will be
awarded, with a minimum prize
of $50. At least one of the prizes will go to
a UMM student.

Please submit no more than two works total, prose and/or
poetry. When
you submit your work, please be sure to include your postal
address as
well as a thirty-five to fifty word self-description.


There is no submission fee. Submissions will be accepted beginning on

December 1, 2008. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2009.

Notifications will be made around May 15, 2009. Publication date will be

May, 2009, but printing may not be completed until October, 2009 (maybe

even a bit later). Awards will be made at the time of publication. For

more guidelines, click:
http://...com/5qaxvb

______________________________________________
AUTHOR
INTERVIEWS
----------------------------------------
DR. PAUL AUSTIN:
SOMETHING FOR THE PAIN:

One Doctor’s Account of Life and Death in the
ER
Interview by Kathryn Magendie

Dr. Paul Austin has been “knee-deep
in emergencies” for his entire adult
life. In his twenties, he was a
full-time firefighter, and since then he
has worked in emergency rooms as a
nursing assistant, a medical student,
a resident physician, and most
recently, as an attending physician. Dr.
Austin spent three years in
residency training in emergency medicine,
and then two years as an assistant
professor of emergency medicine. For
the past fourteen years, Austin worked
in a group that serves a hospital
that sees fifty-eight thousand patients a
year…. For the interview,
click: http://...com/5vmvm4 (There is a link
to a review of Dr.
Austin’s work there, as
well).
________________________________________________
BOOK REVIEWS

----------------------------------------
BROAD STREET
By Christine
Weiser

Reviewed by Michelle Wittle

In Broad Street, Christine
Weiser looks to the city of Philadelphia in
the 1990s to set the stage for
her debut novel. In a time when music is
turning from the bubble gum pop
sound of the ’80s and moving forward
towards the sounds of local bands who
use the same three or four chords
in all their songs, Weiser’s main
character, Kit, is also making a
transformation from a chick with the band
to a chick in the band…

For the rest of the review, click:
http://...com/63tlj5

---------
THE MOON CRACKS OPEN AND OTHER
POEMS
by Marc Beaudin

Reviewed by Yu-Han Chao

In The Moon
Cracks Open, Marc Beaudin writes of magpies who “talk”
endlessly and silent
mountains in the morning, and how he tries to “grab
hold of something that
lies between the two” (Beaudin 38). And in many
poems in this collection, he
succeeds in this task, portraying vivid,
memorable images as well as
expressing meaningful readings of landscape
and living beings, mostly
birds…

For the rest of the review, click:
http://...com/5esxpb

---------
THE DEVIL CAN WAIT: A SAM HARPER
CRIME MYSTERY
By Marta Stephens

Reviewed by Kathryn
Magendie

When the bodies of three teenagers wash ashore, each killed in a
unique
and ritualistic way, detective Sam Harper steps on the job. As he

plunges into the mystery surrounding these murders, things aren’t always

as they first appear. Then, there is another murder, but this one seems

to be a copycat—or is it?, for while evidence can lead astray, a “dead

body never lies.” There are strange goings-on in the city of Chandler,

and the bodies will multiply if Harper doesn’t find answers. Add to the

mix lack of sleep, pressure from community leaders and colleagues, a

snarl in witnesses and the evidence, and Harper’s frustration
deepens.

For the rest of the review, click:
http://...com/5s8py4

----------------------------------------
More
reviews by your favorite staffers are available

http://www.roseandthornreviews.blogspot.com/
(Under the label: Book
Reviews/Author
Interviews)
________________________________________________
THE READER'S
MAIL BAG
---------------------------------------
Your feedback is welcome.
Letters to the editor should be sent by
clicking "Reply" to this
newsletter.
---------------------------------------
______________________________________________
WHAT
WE'RE UP TO
---------------------------------------
When the staff of The
Rose & Thorn isn't slaving away over prose and
poetry, or at their day
jobs, they're scribbling their own musings and
submitting to other worthy
publications.

-------------
BACK TO THE CLASSROOM

Assistant
Editor Michelle Wittle is going back into the classroom,
teaching 5th
graders. She will also be hosting an online writers group
for Philadelphia
Stories, and if things work out, she’ll be teaching a
Creative Writing Book
camp class for them as well.

She says, “I am still hacking away at my own
blog (which no one comes to
and I cry myself to sleep every night) at

http://www.mwittle.wordpress.com and I still blog for Philadelphia

Stories. I am still putting stories out there and people still tell me I

suck.”

Congrats on the new job and opportunities,
Michelle!

---------------------------------------
NANOWRIMO

Prose
Editor Andrea Middendorf is right in the middle of NaNoWriMo, with
up to
50,000 words already written.

Go Andrea; keep on
writing!

-------------------------
NOVEL COMPLETED

Assistant
Editor Laurel Fuller has just finished writing a novel that
she’s been
working on for the better part of three years. She says, 
“I've put it
through two manuscript-length drafts myself, and now I'm
having some
literary-minded friends look it over and send it back to me
with their
opinions, and I'm on the hunt for an agent to get it
published. It's a very
exciting time for me, and it's been a long time
coming.”

Good Luck
to Laurel in her search for an
agent!

---------------------------------------
NUPTIALS
ANNOUNCEMENT

Who: Deborah Laws married to Michael Freeland
Where:
Orlando, FL, Citrus Club
When: November 8, 2008
After: honeymoon in Los
Cabos, Mexico

Congratulations to our Blog Manager Deborah and her new
husband,
Michael.

---------------------------------------
THEATER
OPENING & NEW WEBSITE

Assistant Poetry Editor Megan Roth has a new
website displaying her
portfolio for illustrating and cartooning. (She is
trying to segue into
children’s literature.) Visit her site at

http://www.mrothillustration.com

As well, Megan wrote a short play
entitled "Around the Block," and it is
being produced in a show called
"Miami Vignettes" by a Miami theater
company, The Krane. Megan says, “I plan
to do more theatrical work with
The Krane. If you want to link their
website, it's
http://www.thekrane.com.”

Exciting News,
Megan!

---------------------------------------
PUBLISHING
SUCCESSES

Kat Magendie’s photograph “Peek of Oregon’s Pacific Coast” will
be
published in the winter issue of OCEAN magazine.

Her essay, “Come
as you are, leave different” will be published in the
winter issue of New
Southerner Magazine

Her humor piece “Moonshine and Santy Claus” is in the
December issue of
Vagabondage Press The Battered
Suitcase
________________________________________________
YOUR AD CAN BE
HERE
---------------------------------------
Do you have a writing
service, contest, publication, or product you'd
like to share with our
sophisticated and talented readers? Why not take
an ad out in The Rose &
Thorn? Our ads are most reasonable and start at
$20.

Advertise with
The Rose & Thorn.
---------------------------------------
DREAM QUEST
ONE WRITING COMPETITION NOW OPEN!

Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on
any subject or write a short
story, five pages maximum, single or double
line spacing, on any subject
or theme, fiction or non-fiction. Multiple
entries are accepted.
Postmark Deadline: December 31, 2008. Awards: Writing
Contest First
Prize is $500; Second: $250; Third: $100. Poetry Contest First
Prize:
$250; Second: $125; Third: $50. All contest winners will be published

online in the Dare to Dream pages, on January 31, 2009. Entry fees:

Writing Contest: $10 per short story. Poetry Contest: $5 per poem. Info:

Include title of poem or story, name, address, phone#, email, brief

biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself) on the coversheet.

Entry fees payable to: “DREAMQUESTONE.COM”- Mail to: Dream Quest One

Poetry & Writing Contest, P.O. Box 3141, Chicago, IL 60654. Visit

http://www.dreamquestone.com for details and to
enter!

________________________________________________
FEEDBACK AND
WORD OF MOUSE WELCOME
---------------------------------------
If you like
the e-zine and its contents, feel free to forward the link
to your
associates and friends who might enjoy the same.

As always, thanks!
Comments or questions? Email us. We love to hear your
feedback so drop us a
line.

Until next time. Happy Reading!

The Staff of The Rose &
Thorn.

==============================================
If this message
was forwarded to you, then please do yourself (and me) a
favor by
subscribing. It's easy and it's no charge. Just send a blank
email
to:

theroseandthornezine@topica.com
_____________________________________________
STAFF
----------------------------------------
B.A.
Quinn, Managing Editor and Publisher
Angie Ledbetter, Co-Managing
Editor/Newsletter Editor
Kathryn Magendie, Co-Managing Editor/Senior
Newsletter Editor
Cesar Garza, Senior Editor, Blog Administrator
W.
Hough, Poetry Editor, Senior Graphics Manager, Community Forum Chief

Administrator
Sandra Merz, Poetry Editor, Book Reviews
Eric Giere,
Chief Webmaster
Liam Wilkinson, Cover Commentator
Jason Fryer, Content
Producer and Interviewer
Dallas D’Angelo-Gary, Editor, Announcement
Newsletter, Procedure Manual
Nora Capocy, Prose Editor
Karen Reiser, Prose
Editor
Andrea Middendorf, Prose Editor
Patresa Hartman, Assistant Prose
Editor, YOG contributor
Erin McKnight, Assistant Prose Editor
Megan Roth,
Assistant Poetry Editor
Cynthia Toups, Assistant Poetry Editor
Sheri
Whitlock, MySpace Manager, Awards Staff
Samella McClary Brown, Community
Forum, Award Staff
Deborah Laws, Blog Manager
Yu-Han Chao, Asst. Blog
Manager
Adnan Mahmutovic, Asst Blog Manager, Podcast Manager
Maggie
Grinnell, Assistant Blog Manager
Cathy Biribauer, Assistant Editor, Book
Reviews
Laurel Fuller, Assistant Editor, Book Reviews
Michelle Wittle,
Assistant Editor, Book Reviews, Awards Staff
Peter Kirchikov, Community
Forum, Squidoo
________________________________________________
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friend about The Rose & Thorn Newsletter.
It's available at no charge to
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professionals.

You're encouraged to
re-circulate the newsletter in
its
entirety.
________________________________________________
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GREEN! READ THE ROSE & THORN E-ZINE
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________________________________________________
SPONSOR/ADVERTISING
INFORMATION
E-mail Kat at:
kmtrain@hotmail.com
________________________________________________
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--^----------------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations and Good Luck to The Rose & Thorn Literary e-zine nominees
for the 2008 Pushcart Prize:

POETRY:

"You're Dead
Joe" by Jadon Rempel
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Fall08/Joe.html

"M&Mʼs"
by Kelley White http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Summer08/MM.html

"The
Big Bang"
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Summer08/Bigbang.html

PROSE:

Kinky
Norm by Anne Goodwin
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Fall08/Kinkynorm.html

Ugly
by Emily Kissell
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Fall08/Ugly.html

"Three
Abundance" by Kathryn Magendie
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Summer08/Abundance.html

(Many apologies for taking so long to post these. Computers are sometimes very fickle creatures and mine is no exception.)

Our new  Autumn issue is up and waiting for you.

POETRY

Beach, Summer 1980 by Amanda McQuade
Leaving the Paper House by Stephanie N. Anderson
You’re Dead Joe by Jadon Rempel
Every Ten Years by William Doreski
Umbrella + Sewing Machine = ? by Cristiano Montanari

MAINSTREAM

Kinky Norm by Anne Goodwin


FANTASY

Ugly by Emily Kissell
A Partnership Made in Heaven by Eric Lenhart

SCIENCE FICTION

A Soul Without Instructions by Mark Joseph Kiewlak


ESSAY

The Happiest Day of My Life by Michael Smith
Boba Fett Blues by John Gorman 


FLASH

The Story of Thomas, The Twin by Paul Lewellan


HUMOR

An Author's Guide to Cover Letters by Resha Caner


ROMANCE

Now and For the Moment by Maureen Wilkinson


INTERVIEWS

Danielle Younge-Ullman by Kathryn Magendie
Anne Stuessy by Robert Friedman

Also, don't forget to check out our  blog  Roses & Thorns,  our latest podcasts, YOG (A Year of Gratitude blog), and what we're up to on Twitter.

As always, we hope you enjoy!