disappear

One month ago today, we published our September issue of Halfway Down the Stairs.  And I forgot to tell you.

As Paul Simon says:

“I know a man
He came from my home town
He wore his passion for his woman
Like a thorny crown
He said 'Dolores
I live in fear
My love for you's so overpowering
I'm afraid that I will disappear'” 

Check it out.  We've got some lovely writing on that site this quarter.

And if you're the writing sort, we have a deadline coming up on November 1, for our December issue, which is themed "Puzzle".  What does that theme mean to you?  Please show us.

"Would you like an adventure now...

... or shall we have our tea first?"

Is what Peter Pan said to Wendy, John and Michael.

And our latest (26th!!!) issue of Halfway Down the Stairs is out now, themed "Adventure".

 We really hope you like it.

If you are something of a wordsmith, you might like to consider submitting some work to us.  Submission guidelines are here.  Our next issue (June 2014) is themed "Possession" - should be interesting seeing what comes our way!

the flower to the painter

September is here, and with it a new edition of Halfway Down the Stairs!

See my Surviving History blog post for all my favourites and recommendations.

My contribution to Halfway Down the Stairs this time was a review of Gary Inbinder's new novel, The Flower to the Painter.

Gary is one of our previous authors. His story 'Her Reflection' was published in 'Time', our June issue of HDtS, and he kindly sent me a copy of his novel to enjoy and review.

It's the story of a young American woman in the late 1870s, who is left destitute in Italy after she is fired by the family which employed her as governess. Armed with nothing but her wits, she agrees to impersonate a man in order to apply for a job as an assistant to another American, an author called Arthur Wolcott.

As a woman, her artistic skills were never allowed to be more than "quite pretty", but when Wolcott discovers her talent, it becomes clear that her skills are much more valuable when she is disguised as a man. Wolcott leads her around Italy, France and England, introducing her to influential artists and wealthy patrons, and for a time it seems like she will become the "next big thing".

You can read my full review here.

I give the book three stars.

haunted

Warning: Halfway Down the Stairs is haunted. In our new March issue, you will find ghosts of many kinds - both kindly and menacing - and in a number of forms. You may even find hauntings of the mind, a slightly more abstract form.

I love this issue and am so glad we chose such a fun theme. There's plenty of beautiful poetry, as always - and as a fiction editor I am very happy with the selection of stories we have on offer this time. I particularly like Ken Teutsch's "The Storm on Promise Land Road" and Eliza Granville's "The Villa on Tumatawarea Street", but voted yes enthusiastically for all of them, really.

My contribution this time has been a review of Roma Tearne's The Swimmer, which I reviewed a few weeks ago on here. The earthquake has prevented me from finishing my review of Sue Orr's From Under the Overcoat, but I intend to be a little bit naughty and add it to the site in a couple of weeks, if the other editors do not object, because I loved this new collection of short stories, and really want to review it on HDtS before June.

If you are so inclined, we are looking for a new poetry editor. Details here on how to apply.

plugging...

I am on the staff for literature magazine Halfway Down the Stairs, so this post will be a shameless use of this space for HDtS-promotion!

1. You should visit it. I really think it's worth reading.

2. You should submit your own work, if you are a writing type of person. See our submissions page for guidelines. Our next issue is "Haunted" - plenty of scope for creativity! - and it comes out on March 1. Deadline for submissions is February 15.

3. If you are a poet, a fan of poetry, or know someone who is - we are looking for a new poetry editor!
This is a volunteer position which requires processing of poetry submissions, and contribution to the 'zine at least twice a year in any genre. It will also probably involve critiquing within the editorial team of personal work. Applications should be sent to inquiries at halfwaydownthestairs dot net, containing at least three examples of your work (at least two of which must be poetry). Previous publication is not necessary (though a bonus).

zombie romance

The December issue of Halfway Down the Stairs is out! HDtS is a quarterly e-zine which I help edit, and this time around I decided to review Isaac Marion's very new novel, Warm Bodies. This is a novel about a zombie who falls in love with a girl.


As you will see if you read the review, I didn't expect much from it. And there were a few small issues with it that I felt I had to mention. All the same, I ended up loving it and I don't think the issues mattered that much by the end - a surprising experience for me. The sum of this book was more than its parts (although it has some lovely parts).

Definitely check this book out if it's available on bookstore shelves near you. I am no fan of zombie stuff in general, but it's one of those genre books that is accessible to a wider audience than its genre normally commands. It's a fun read, a thoughtful read, and ultimately quite a sweet (though suitably grisly) read. I give it three and a half stars.

It's not coming out in the US until March next year but is already being sold in the UK (and obviously New Zealand, since I got a review copy).