Psychedelia Gothique

Seven Great Reasons to Become a Small Press Publisher/Editor The chance to present your taste and “vision” to the world. Publishing/editing books and magazines gives you an opportunity to do that – albeit with the presentation of other people’s work rather than your own. The chance to help others achieve their literary/artistic dreams. A chance to piggyback on the successes of those you have published. When a book or story you have published is longlisted, shortlisted, declared the winner of recognized awards; or when a story you’ve published is selected or receives honorable mention for in a respected Best Of anthology – it adds prestige and credibility to you and to every other author you publish.   The chance to not only become a part of the writing community – but to become a hub. The centrepoint, around which an entire community can accrete or revolve. If you enjoy being respected, this is potentially a great route to that goal. The chance to become a tastemaker and ...

I awakened as the muscle-bound hero, having ravaged the gate and infiltrated the city. Still carrying the darkness of night under my heavy cloak of responsibility I stumbled down the hall into the kitchen, my bristling weapons knocking over knick knacks in my wake. My swollen pecs and biceps made it awkward to butter my toast and fill the reservoir on the coffee machine. And I barely fit through the bathroom door when I went to brush my teeth. Shaking my great, shaggy head in front of the mirror I peeled off my armour as I bent forward To inspect a spot on my forehead No contusion, this - merely a new liver spot I sighed with relief, as my proportions deflated in the triple glare of the vanity lights and I finally washed away the dream with soapy water, smiling as my Herculean task swirled down the drain. My belly and receding hairline suddenly didn’t seem so bad – my wrinkles and imperfections being infinitely better than bloody bandages...

The New Year is a time when all the newspapers and magazines focus on milestones and since we don’t have any idea who is going to be great from the moment they are born, media tends to focus on all the folks who died in the previous year.   It’s supposed to be a moment of sad reflection…sigh. Screw that! I can’t think of a better time to celebrate the people who are still going strong! The other day a happy tune entered my head for the first time since I was a teenager and for days I hummed “Wear your love like… wear your love like… wear your love like Heaven.”   I was delighted to look Donovan up online and discover that not only is he still going strong at 72, he has kept releasing some pretty cool stuff over the years!   Going back through his oeuvre, I remembered just how much I loved his music and his whole flower power aesthetic   – from the beautiful folk of “Change the Wind” and “Lelena;” to the trippy psychedelia of “Sunshine Superman”   and “Hu...