Bel Esprit A Literary Newspaper |
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In case you missed it... Breaking News! Starting in October, we will be discontinuing this e-mail newsletter as you know it. We are streamlining all of our content distribution to two forms of newspaper: physical newspaper and digital newspaper. What this means for you: As a loyal newsletter reader, you will receive the first few editions of the digital newspaper for free. Come October, in order to gain continued access, you will have to subscribe to either the digital newspaper for $3/month, or our physical newspaper for $4/month. Both available for purchase below. I will still continue to send out a monthly e-mail, but it will only include the letter from the editor (me), and the table of contents for the current paper. The website will act as an archive and store only. For all new and supplemental content, you will have to subscribe. I am a one woman show and have never paid myself a cent for my work on Bel Esprit, however, there are costs associated with keeping this train running so I hope you'll remain on board. Editor in Chief, Emily Menges |
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Bel Esprit A Literary Newspaper Newsletter XXXV: September 2023 |
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Letter From The Editor Hello my people, It's September and wild fires are raging, the warming oceans are causing abnormal hurricane activity, and the swamp ass is less endearing than it was in June - in other words, we're all ready for Fall. But until then, we've got a hell of a September paper for you. First time contributor, Amber Marie shares her poem bathhouse with venus, a short and visual piece of inner beauty and those you choose to share it with. |
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First time contributor and featured writer, Tohm Bakelas offers up two poems for us, a declaration and no remedy. His short poems somehow drag us both into an existential spin while holding us firm in the present moment. At first they may seem pessimistic in nature, but when given a second look, they are more of an examination of the choices that face us as human beings. Jack Moody is back with another well-written and well chosen piece of literature you might have missed. This month he reviews, What Happened, by Mark SaFranko, a book of poetry in a world with an "oversaturation of bad poetry" that "consists of familiar themes told in unfamiliar ways." Instead of continuing to quote Jack, I'll just let you read the review. Speaking of familiar experiences told in unfamiliar ways, I wrote a poem about three friends tearing around Portland in their drunken days told from the perspective of one of the three looking back on that time. It's meant to be read aloud, and it will be available that way... once I record myself reading it. And finally, Michael McPhie's word of the month is Nostalgia, the crossword is titled "On Cloud, Nine" (take note of the helpfully placed comma), the Experts weigh in on "luck", and a new section called Our Latest Interest shares what your fellow readers, writers, and in this case Editor are up to. Happy reading. Until next month! Your grateful editor, Emily Menges |
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Bun Bun Photograph by Bear Bear A Fast, Gassed-Up Year and a Half of Obscenities Poem by Emily Menges bathhouse with venus Poem by Amber Marie a declaration Poem by Tohm Bakelas no remedy Poem by Tohm Bakelas |
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What Happened?, by Mark SaFranko Book Review by Jack Moody Introducing Tohm Bakelas Featured Artist Experts on Luck Lexicon - Nostalgia By Michael McPhie On Cloud, Nine September Crossword |
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