The spring issue marks an important transition for Double Dare Press. Call it the seven-year itch, but changes are afoot. The summer issue will debut with a new layout and design that reflects the fact that there have been dramatic improvements in the past seven years. We're excited to make the leap. This issue is a perfect example of what we do best, fantastic fiction and amazing visual art. We are thrilled to present Exley Steward's genius work of fragmented fiction titled Snapshots: The medium and the short of it. In keeping with the awkward syntax, we offer the delightful ruminations of jp Rodriguez's On a train, off a train. Of thought. (Authors write the titles, folks, we just cut and paste 'em). Don't miss Kenneth Abdo's hilariously vivid story about vision titled Thelma. Also sure to delight and distract is Ann Tinkham's Fourth Step Tango. A hilarious piece by another combo of the 'j' and the 'p', is Snow Snow by JP Pollard that utterly defies description. Our poet for this issue is the utterly amazing Claudia Grinnell. She will break your heart and crack open your mind. Visual art for this issue comes from Lino Divas out of Buenos Aires. Also, in our sketchbook section we have Zlatko Vasic from the former Yugoslavia. Rebecca Haven's musical review looks at the world of Celtic bands. Mary Shelley's life and work is the subject of Suzanne Nielsen's Cool Dead People and the Zodiac Killer stalks the mind of our own Adam Kane. Kim Rush writes a guest editorial about America's love fest with the boob tube. M. Laurel Walsh will make you laugh and maybe make you a little nauseous with her dietary tale of woe in the humor department. Enjoy the end of a wonderful era as our little literary art forum that could moves onto the next stage. Savor this final flavor of the little ezine that could, come on, we double dare you!

Featured Stories

Snapshots: The medium and the short of it By Exley Steward "Oh father, when can we give up and stop caring about the world?" "Soon Charlie - soon. But now I need to concentrate if I ever want to finish this model airplane." ..

On a train, off a train. Of Thought-- by jp Rodriguez   In turgid disgust he threw to the dirty floor the ragsheet he'd taken from a vacant seat, then with a kick sent the leering nymph on the cover sailing into the shadows under the seat across from him. "My God, Ben." "What?" "The news, Ben!" "...Go on." "It's finally done my fucking head in." .

Thelma by Kenneth Abdo     The orange Ford Taurus hesitantly pulls into the cracked driveway. The two passengers sit idle as the car sputters exhaust in the air. "Are you going to shut off the car?" Sara asks her older brother. "What do you think she will be like now? Seventy-nine years without vision. She practically raised us, and with only her ears to help," Bryan worries. .

New Voices

Forth Step Tango by Ann Tinkham My freshman-year boyfriend was a theater major from Fort Worth, Texas who did a southern preacher revival bit. His daddy was a rich oil man and Beauregard thought he could buy his way into anything. Unfortunately no amount of money could buy acting talent. Beauregard wasn't good at any parts but the preacher, and deep down, he knew it. In his various college productions, his character dying of AIDS was cloying; his melancholic writer was whiny; his cowboy was giddy minus the up +     Snow Snow By JP Pollard   Every morning I wake up and put on my favorite barrett, that's the one with the little bunny of in. Next I choose my clothes for the day, Michelle says that it doesn't matter what blouse I wear because the apron Michel's makes us wear covers it, but it matters to me, I put on my red tee-shirt with a froggy on it. I love frogs. Uh-oh, it looks cloudy out, better grab an umbrella. My car doesn't smell as fresh as I like it too. I'm glad I took my mom's advice and kept extra Yankee candle air fresheners in the glove box, I like the cinnamon bun ones. I could smell those little guys all day, but I'd probably get a headache!

Poetry

Late Charges By Claudia Grinnell     I'm the one who will knock at your door one night It won't be cold yet But leaves have been falling Pine needles pile in corners Parts of her body are exposed: nipples, Thighs, the place where her thighs meet, I imagine the cluster bombs.