The Legendary - Editors' Notes

November (Almost), 2011. We wouldn't be us if we weren't late.

If anyone sees our fiction guy, please tell him to phone home.

Meanwhile, read the words. They rock!

October 29, 2011. Enjoying the new issue?

Hello readers, writers, critics, and stumblers! We hope you're enjoying Issue 32! It was a pleasure to build, even if we...in our infinite laziness...only managed to get the new author pages up today. We love each and every word that went in to this one, as always. If you don't feel the same way, let us know and we'll send you a dime for your time. Wow...unintentional rhyme. Are we high?

Go on, enjoy it.

-The Editors

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October. A message from us.

September (Sorta), 2011. Really it's about the middle of October, but at least we don't give up!

You know how life sometimes decides that slapping you in the face is exactly the right thing to do? You know how sometimes life gets fixated and just keeps on slapping? Life and us have been having some issues, as I'm sure you've noticed. We've been even more chronically late and scattered than usual, and we want to apologize for that. You, our readers and writers, deserve better. We're going to do our best to give it to you...but, you know, we'll probably fail a little. It's us, after all.

One point we feel compelled to voice in our own defense... This issue, late as it is, rocks! We'll be extending the date of the release of our next issue by five days. It's just our way of apologizing to the writers this month who have not yet had the opportunity to promote their work in this issue. After all, this is about getting the good words out there.

The Poetry section is just full of masterful wordsmithing, dripping with the ache and chuckle of modern verse. We're honored to bring you work by, among others, Derrick Brown of Write Bloody Publishing...who is sorta out idol, so we're pretty giddy about it. Fiction turned out to be a smaller than usual selection this time around, but there were no compromises made in the quality department. Every story is both excellent and entertaining. As for Non-Fic...wow.

There are big things on the horizon for us. We're currently working on an Android App so you can read us anywhere, and also formulating a plan to launch our print arm, DownDirty WordPress. We'll be adding soon, for a limited time, an option for our fans to send us small donations if they would like to speed up our entrance into the hand help and on paper game. We're also working on some marketing kitsch. We're Legendary, you're Legendary, why not wear it on a T-shirt?

Again, we apologize for our lack of organization and time management. Issue 32 should be up promptly on October 25th. Please do consider clicking Like on our facebook page for ease of updates and to get the news from TL first. Also, look for us on Twitter. We have a Twitter...somewhere.

-The Editors

The Legendary | Promote Your Page Too

September (Sorta), 2011.

Well, we never said we were punctual...

July 20, 2011. It's that time again, and this time it's ON TIME!

Yeah, we might have to throw a party. Getting an issue out on time has become a big challenge, a big amazing rewarding challenge. We're proud. The writers who made this issue so special should be proud, and you readers who have chosen such a great place to read should be proud as well!

We can't pick a favorite page this month, so we won't even try. Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fic are all stellar collections of wordsmithing genius. Poetry might have more chuckles, Non-Fic might have a few tears, and Fiction might just defy description.

Don't forget to check out your horoscope while you're here. The stars are always entertaining!

Just a small reminder, we do accept submissions of art from writers previously published in The Legendary. We haven't had any in awhile, so bring it on guys! We know you're all multi-talented! Send art submissions, and of course poetry/fiction/non-fic, to submit@downdirtyword.com.

Enjoy!

-The Editors

The Legendary | Promote Your Page Too

July 12, 2011. Just checking in.

Well, we've been on a bit of an unexpected hiatus. Recently, several of our staff embarked on a cohabitation adventure. The Legendary is now being primarily built at a cluttered desk in a beautiful house, surrounded by four adults, at least two kids, three problematic dogs, and three laid back cats. It's both awesome and insane, like all the best things...like The Legendary itself. (In our opinion.)

Anyway, we're back now! The May issue is finally complete, so we're skipping over June and right on to July. Issue 29 will post promptly on the 20th of this month.

Thanks to everyone who has sent in submissions while we've been off the grid. You keep us busy, and we love that!

May-ish. Issue 28. Finally.

Well, the bones are all here. Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fic are all up. Illustrations and author pages are forthcoming, but coming very soon.

May 3, 2011. Issue 27, Getting closer...

Wow, it's like Mother Nature vs. The Legendary this issue. We've been busy building an ark, and also getting those author pages up, adding a new link, and fixing the glitches as we find them.

That review of Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente is still coming soon... It's coming sooner than before.

We hope you're all enjoying the issue! Please don't hesitate to let us know if you spot a glitch. We need all the help we can get this time around!

-The Editors

The Legendary | Promote Your Page Too

April 27, 2011. Issue 27, Almost.

Well, we're finally almost there. Our Fiction, Poetry, and Non-Fic sections are finally up for Issue 27.

We're still working on getting the individual author pages for this issue all uploaded, and we'll be adding a review of Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente soon.

We blame the delay on the weather. When the power is out it's awful hard to churn out an online publication!

More to come, and things come together.

For quicker updates please consider being our fan on facebook. Links below.

-The Editors

The Legendary | Promote Your Page Too

March 20, 2011. The Wee Hours. A Pre-Issue Hello.

Hello. The SLAM & FLASH Issue is almost here. It's big head is a bit stuck in the birth canal, but labor is progressing.

With 26 poets, 19 writers of fiction, 2 non-fic stunners, 2 book reviews, and a ton of audio/video entertainment, Issue 26 is--without a doubt--our biggest and most kickass issue EVER.

We're hard at work now, and we know you'll love these words as much as we do!

While you're waiting, check out your Horoscopes. (I am loving mine! - Katie)

-The Editors

The Legendary | Promote Your Page Too

February 20, 2011. Issue 25. Love is in the air, and we love Issue 25!

Click HERE for information about our SLAM & FLASH Issue. Deadline March, 10 2011.

Issue 25 is waiting for you. Quit wasting time and go read! It's all good, even great, and that's all we really have to say about it. New works in Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fic, and Art this month, more than enough to keep you busy and happy all day.

Don't forget to check your Horoscope. The stars are waiting!

Keep those submissions coming! We love every one. submit@downdirtyword.com.

January 20, 2011. Issue 24. Happy one year closer to the end of the world!

Scroll down for info about our special SLAM & FLASH Issue!

We can't think of a better way to start 2011 than with the superior talent of the writers in Issue 24. These guys (and ladies) are truly an entertaining bunch. The !Pimp Alert! this month is hot, very hot. We're also pleased to announce an upcoming themed issue, but more about that later...

In Poetry this month we have the performance meets page stylings of K Ruckus, Dain Michael Down, our own Jane Cassady, and several other members of SLAM and performance communities. These folks know how to rock with words. Frank Hinton brings us some delightfully manic prose poetry, Susie Swanton makes us laugh, and Truth Thomas moves us... But really, we think they're all wonderful.

This may be our best Fiction section ever. Each of these stories makes us feel something strong, not always something good. We love this job. We're the lucky ones. We get to fall it love with characters, plot lines, quirks, experiments, and nuanced combinations of words. Then we get to share our favorites with our readers. It's good to be us, especially when we would take a bullet for every single story in this issue. Don't skip one, just read.

Non-Fiction is going to make you cry, but then it will make you laugh, and then we'll tell you about a book you need. We're pimping "Hot Teen Slut" by the lovely and hilarious Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz this month, and we feel like...well, like pimps. Yeah, like that. Our pimp hands are strong.

Also, we've finally updated our Links page. Sorry about that, we slacked. We aren't quite done yet, but it's a start. Please feel free to send any link recommendations to katie@downdirtyword.com.

Now for the big news!

March is the anniversary of the launch of The Legendary as you know it. We're rounding out year two and sprinting into three, so naturally we want to do something special to celebrate. We considered sky diving, a trip to the Bunny Ranch, or possibly holding a black mass, but decided on a themed issue. March 20, 2011 will not just give birth to Issue 26, but to The SLAM & FLASH Issue.

Why? Because we love flash fiction and spoken word poetry, and also because it sounds really fucking cool.

Submissions for The SLAM & FLASH Issue will open the minute you read this and close on March 10, 2011 at Midnight (whatever your Midnight is, we'll be nice like that). We will still be accepting regular submissions of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction during this time. We'll be needing some for next month!

Guidelines for Flash: Please send 1-3 pieces of fiction, each no longer than 1000 words, to submit@downdirtyword.com. Please paste the stories in the body of the e-mail, as well as send them in a single .doc, .docx, or .rtf file. Include a cover letter and a third person bio. Try to keep the bio in the short and witty department. Your subject line should read Submission - (Your Name) - Flash.

Guidelines for Slam: Please send 1-3 pieces of Slam or spoken word poetry, poetry written to be performed, read aloud, and experienced. Please paste the poems in the body of the e-mail, as well as send them in a single .doc, .docx, or .rtf file. Include a cover letter and a third person bio. Try to keep the bio in the short and witty department. Your subject line should read Submission - (Your Name) - Slam. *Please let us know at the time of submission if recordings (audio or video) of your poems are available, should they be chosen for publication. Recordings aren't required, but we would like to have as many as possible.*

All submissions for this special issue will be answered by the 16th of March.

There is no prize, since this is a themed issue and not a contest. However, we are considering a limited print edition of the resulting amazingness that will be issue 26. Should we decide to put this plan into action, all writers appearing in The Slam & Flash Issue will receive a free print copy.

We can't wait to see what you send us!

Enjoy Issue 24! We're off to read it again...

-The Editors

PS- Don't forget to come back to check out your Horoscope tomorrow!

December 20, 2010. Issue 23, and Happy Holidays!

Happy Yule! Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Joyful Kwanzaa! May your Winter Solstice be wonderful and your Saturnalia slutty! Happy Birthday Mithras! Etc... Whatever holiday you're celebrating these days, even if it's just a debaucherous bout of commercialism, we hope it's awesome!

Issue 23 is our little literary gift to all of you. With the help of those brave souls who offer up their words for your reading, we've managed to bring together a collection of fiction, non-fic, and poetry that might just be even more fun than usual.

These words need no introduction.

That said, go read them!

Enjoy!

-The Editors

November 20, 2010. We're Back! Issue 22 Brings the New!

We'd like to first apologize again for taking last month off. We're dreadfully sorry, but now we're back!

Issue 22 marks the beginning of new things for The Legendary.

First, our new Horoscope section. Authored by Jane Cassady, these horoscopes are different. They combine pop culture with the literary world to bring the future, and the funny. We adore Jane, and her contribution to our little slice of the web! The horoscopes will come out fresh, every Satyrday, for your divinatory pleasure. Enjoy them!

Second, you've probably noticed that we've added an ad to our pages. Yes, an ad. It's sprinkled here and there throughout The Legendary. Well, it's a program we believe in and we're all about supporting the things we believe in. Plus, it's not expensive! In the writing world, that's important. Check it out!

Finally, our Bios page has been redesigned for easier navigation.

Now for the Issue itself.

Poetry is amazing this month, full of stellar performers and poets of the page and stage. Laura Yes Yes, Ian Khadan, and Isabel Kestner, just to name a few. We're delighted to bring you poetry we can't stop reading, and reading again.

Non-Fic is for Vegas, for tributes, and for those little slices of life we love so much. Each piece reflects the diversity of the human experience.

Fiction brings the eclectic spirit we strive for, and brings it hard. From Elvis impersonators and dead mice, to sunsets and strange births, this selection of stories is excellently entertaining. We have a feeling that once you start reading, stopping won't be possible.

We hope you enjoy the issue! Because we know just how good it is, we're sure you will.

Our love to all our readers and writers! Keep those submissions coming submit@downdirtyword.com.

-The Editors

October 19, 2010. The Issue That Wasn't.

Due to health problems within our editorial staff, we have been forced to go into hiatus for the month of October. Never fear, we will be back next month and better, harder, stronger than ever. Thank you for your patience. We regret this necessity greatly.

-The Editors.

September 20, 2010. Issue 21!

Issue 21 is here! We're completely in love with it!

First, an announcement.

That whole thing about not taking simultaneous submissions anymore...Yeah, well, we changed our minds. Send in those subs, sim or not, to submit@downdirtyword.com. We do still promise to hit as close to a two week max response time as possible.

Now back to the good stuff!

More Art! Issue 21 is blessed with the return of Bl Pawelek. His images are vibrant. This man has a way with color. We're lucky enough to include two of his poems in this issue as well.

In Fiction this month we have new to The Legendary voices like Laura Garrison and Michael Berger, familiar names like Terry Pearce and Daniel Gallik, and so much more. We have ladies creeped out by babies, imaginary husbands, and pruned skin. It is all the very opposite of boring.

Our Poetry page is making is extra happy. Doc Luben, Stevie Edwards, and Denis Joe rock our socks off to start, and it just stays so good.

Non-Fic is full of lessons learned and moments captured. We love writing about real life.

This is our favorite part of the job, bring a new treasure trove of incredible wordsmithing online for our readers. Now we get to do the second favorite part of our job. It's a very close second. We're off to read for Issue 22, out on October 20th.

Send us something good, maybe something creepy. We can't wait to read you!

-The Editors

August 25, 2010. Issue 20! Some actual thoughts, and news.

This issue makes us happy. We should have told you about it sooner, but we've been busy celebrating the existence of words.

We're delighted to bring you a new featured artist for Issue 20. To view the work of William D. Hicks visit our Art page, and check out his poetry as well!

Also on our Poetry page, April Michelle Bratten, Steve Subrizi, and Robert James Russell head up an amazing array of lyrical images and gut wrenching poetics. We love poets, they're all so weird!

In Fiction this month, we have some truly odd tales. I mean, really odd...even for us. The scary part is that odd is beginning to seem more like reality every day. There's also a bit of sweet, a touch of the tragic comedy, and some good old fashioned wordsmithing.

Non-Fic brings you two little tales of adventure abroad, a near death experience and an important game of charades.

While writing this little note, I'm revisiting and re-loving every word. The world is good, people. The word is best.

Now for the news.

Simultaneous Submissions will no longer be accepted. It's simply causing too many communication blunders and hitches in getting out each issue on time. It simply isn't working. In return, to thank you for your support, we are vowing to allow no more than a two week period of time between when you send your submission and when you receive our answer. In most cases, it will be within the week.

Please keep those submissions coming, to submit@downdirtyword.com, and know that you won't have to wait long!

We do still accept reprints, on the condition that the work is fucking amazing.

Thank you for reading, for writing, and for giving us something so delightful to do with our time.

-The Editors

August 20, 2010. Issue 20!

Almost totally there...almost...

July 20, 2010. Issue 19 Arrives!! (Almost totally on time.)

Dear Readers,

We are warning you, this issue is almost too wonderful to imagine. We can barely believe it ourselves.

In Issue 19, The Legendary is proud to offer you Fiction by the TRULY legendary Hugh Fox. We'd even call ourselves honored. Other fiction offerings include work from Thomas Kearnes, Annam Manthiram, Jeremy Grace, and many more. We are also proud to give a home to the very first publication by the twisted and promising Maggie Lawson. We love the virgins!

For Poetry this month, we're going out-there and everywhere. We lead with John C. Mannone and Ash Krafton, and it's all so veryvery good. Mmmmm...poooeeetttrrrryyyy.

It's a rare treat to have so much stellar Non-Fic all in one issue. From philosophy, to fashion, to classrooms, and all the way to getting busted in South Africa. Don't miss these true tales. Sometimes truth is at least as good as fiction!

Don't forget to visit our Bios page, and read all about these delightful wordsmiths. Clicking on the names in the Bios page will take you to their author page, where we archive all work published by The Legendary.

Dear Writers,

Thank you, all of you. You make this issue, the past issues, and surely the future issues as well...truly great. Thank you for letting us house your words. We feel blessed!

In case you are wondering how to link directly to your own work at The Legendary, it looks something like this:

http://www.downdirtyword.com/authors/hughfox.html

Just substitute in your own name, and you'll have it.

(Ahem. If your author page is not working by 6AM EST on the 21st, please send an email. Before that, we are probably asleep at the desk after too much coffee and too many editorial all-nighters.)

Happy reading! Keep those submissions coming! And fan our facebook page, if you're into that sort of thing!

-The Editors

June 20, 2010.

Happy Fathers Day! We forgot. Sorry Dad.

June 20, 2010. Issue 18!

TO DO:

Illustrate - Check!

Author Pages - Check!

Polish Book Review - Check!

Announce

Get Very Drunk

June 20, 2010. Issue 18! 4:23 AM

Tired. Sleep now. You read. Talk soon.

-Eds

May 26, 2010. Technical Difficulties Finally Resolved!

We have finally ironed out the remainder of those pesky kinks. The issue is now fully illustrated, and all of the author pages should be working. If you find one that isn't, or any other issue, drop us a line at katie@downdirtyword.com and we will fix it immediately.

The Poetry page tickles us as much as when we first posted it, but Fiction and Non-Fic are amazing as well. Between them we have shit in a bag, suicide, sex, sickness, surrealism, and street food. Also many more things that do not start with 's'. We are absolutely certain that you will enjoy the read! If you don't...you're mistaken...you do!

Remember, while we don't accept normal submissions of art, we make an exception for our writers! If you have been published in The Legendary, EVER, and would like us to showcase your art in our Art page, contact Katie. Her email address is up there. (Look up!) It's been awhile since we've featured and new artist, and we'd love to change it up for June.

We'll be taking a break from the contests over the Summer, but that should give us plenty of time to dream up something fun for Fall.

*We owe you prizes. Well, some of you. We're sorry for this delay as well. They will all be mailed out as soon as they are all here. We will keep you posted and email you when they are on the way to you.

As always, please remember to fan our facebook page for early updates and general hilarious commentary. It's also a great way to tell us what you like or don't like, and what you want from us. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legendary/13878365

May 20, 2010. Issue 17. Letter Poetry! and...Technical Difficulties.

Issue 17 is...getting there! We are so very sorry for the delay in bringing you this extra amazing issue, filled with simply stellar work. The delay is caused by a myriad of evils, from poor internet service to mental illness, global warming to PMS, noisy yard tools to feral cats.

At the moment we are excited to post our Poetry page, filled with winners and other wonders. Of all the contests we've had fun with so far, the Letter Poetry Contest has been our favorite. It was a pleasure to read all of the entries, and we honestly enjoyed even those we were not able to accept. You guys fucking rock!

More soon...very, very soon.

-The Editors

April 20, 2010. Issue 16. Poe, Poe, Poe.

Issue 16 is here!

Congratulations to the winners of our Poe Contest for Fiction! They are: Seamus Watson in 1st, Paul Rehac in 2nd, Ryan Burden in 3rd, and our Honorable Mention, Jess Dunn. It was a very tough decision, and we thank everyone who sent us their Poe inspired tales. Find Poe stories and more in our Fiction page. They are truly strange this time. We know you love that as much as we do!

Poetry and Non-Fic are just as strange and delightful, and this month brings you our second Pimp Alert! This time we're reviewing Racing Hummingbirds, by the ultra vixen Jeanann Verlee.

We hope you enjoy reading the issue as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.

Don't forget that our Letter Poetry Contest is open until April 30th. Get those submissions in! Send them to submit@downdirtyword.com. You can find more info on our Contests page, and don't forget to check our Submissions guidelines!

Happy 420!

-The Editors

March 20, 2010. Issue 15! The DirtyDirty!

Our special DirtyDirty Issue 15 is here!

Congratulations to Bruce Boynton, winner of our Dirty Limerick Mini Contest!

This month we bring you many interpretations of the word "dirty." We have sex, for sure, and lots of it. But there are also a few surprises, some deeply reflective moments, and a lot of laughs. We've even snuck in a few breaks from the dirty, just to give you readers a breather.

I don't want to give too much away, but Poetry is extra amazing this month. We have limericks, orgasms, new vocabulary, and even dinosaurs doing the anal. In Fiction, we take you to places...strange places where cats talk. We have BDSM, first fights, polyamory, death...and more Our Non-Fiction page this month is full of goodness. True-ish tales, from coital conversations, to crack head in-laws, to abortion, and beyond!

Now, on to the news...

Two Contests remain OPEN! The Poe Contest for Fiction will be open until March 31st. The Letter Poetry Contest is open until April 30th. Click here for more info!

We need more Art! Remember, if we've published your words we'd love to check out your art! Send art submissions to submit@downdirtyword.com with a subject line that looks like this: Submission - Art - Your Name.

Our inbox is overflowing! We will never be closed to your submissions, but please be patient. We will be with you shortly!

We hope you enjoy the issue!

-The Editors

February 20, 2010. Issue 14!

Oh, Issue 14! How do we love thee? Let us count the ways...

First, we love the authors who contributed to this issue. Each section is a paradise of variety.

This month in Non-Fiction we debut our Pimp Alerts! We are also deeply honored to feature the work of Sonya Lea. This piece will touch you, if not rip your heart out and hug it. She is our only non-fic author this month, and for good reason. Her bravery, eloquence, and optimism deserve to stand alone in the spotlight. If you read Creation Story and don't immediately want to kiss someone you love, we'll send you a sticker...and consider you heartless.

In Poetry we bring you a much lighter, lustier, nerdier, dirtier fare. We kick off with the seriously-talented-poetic-powerhouse, Rusty Barnes. Following, we bring you some deliciously dorky nerd poetry from performers like Jaime Martin, Omar Holmon, and Jared Singer. We bring you names you might know, like Corey Mesler and J de Salvo; and names you might not, yet, like Suzanne White. And that's just a taste! The poetry is so good this time that even we enjoy reading it again, for the 9th time.

Fiction this month is a journey. Our authors take you from paisley sheets, to naughty teachers; from snow in L.A., to the gym. We have a story about a bar, and a story from the perspective of a bar. We have a very long story that's every bit worth the read, and a very short story that needs not one more word. This month we'd like to again thank our newest Legendary Editor, Jon Thrower. It was his first issue, and he did a great job!

We're certain you'll enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you!

In other news!

That Poetry Contest we promised you is here! We love letters, so write them, but make them poems, and send them to us! Letters to your mother, your rapist, your first love, your left nipple, your favorite cartoon character, your cat, the president, your drug dealer, that hooker you killed...whatever! Submissions will be open until April 30th, and we will publish your Letter Poems in our May Issue. Our editors Katie Moore and John Hancock will be making a rare appearance on the May poetry page, since they just can't resist a call to write a good poetic letter. For more info, like prizes, see our Contests page. And don't forget to check those Submission Guidelines.

Submissions for our DirtyDirty themed March issue are OPEN until March 5th. We would love to see more dirty limmericks, and more experimental definitions of this "dirty" concept! Remember, the best dirty limmerick wins a secret prize!

Submissions for our Poe Contest for Fiction are OPEN until March 31st. The prizes will be:

1st: A bottle of absinthe (the real stuff, big bottle), a Legendary Poe notebook designed by our Allison Hancock, The Legendary stickers, and our undying love.

2nd: A Legendary Poe notebook designed by our Allison Hancock, The Legendary stickers, and our lifelong love.

3rd: The Legendary stickers, and our deep platonic affection.

Well, we've kept you long enough. Go read!

-The Editors

January 20, 2010. Issue 13!

We hope you are all having wonderful new years! We most certainly are.

We have a lot of news for you this time. A contest, an upcoming themed issue, a new editing badass joining the team, and our foray into book reviewing. But more about that later.

This issue is incredible. We don't even know how we got so lucky. It feels great to bring you so many amazing words. We have a fictional letter to Ted Bundy, the most insane rebirth story ever, an angry working girl, slugs, and more. And that's just on the Fiction page.

In Poetry we bring you some seriously strong shit. This is the kind of poetry that will make you say "Damn," out loud, for real. Jason Carney, a veritable God of the performance scene, Jeanann Verlee, perhaps one of the baddest of all badass chick poets, and Lisa Zaran, another supreme badass, head it up; followed by a selection of amazing words from amazing voices.

We're delighted to bring you vibrant new Art from Ethan Swage, who is also one of our fiction authors this month.

And don't forget Non-Fic. Reading about the crazy/sad/weird/wonderous lives of other writers is always a treat.

And now for the news!

We are pissing ourselves with spasmodic glee to announce the addition of Jon Thrower to our editorial staff! He has an aesthetic like an old school punk fucking a prissy french aristocrat in an alley on Lent, and then he meets your parents and they love him. We love him, and we're absolutely sure you will as well.

This month we're announcing a new Contest! This one is for fiction, and it's inspired by and dedicated to Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. This ain't any old Poe contest. It's OUR Poe contest. Please, please, read the guidelines. Deadline for submission: March 31, 2010. Prize: TBA. (It'll be good, we swear.)

Don't worry poets, we'll be announcing a contest for you guys next month.

Something new for us! The March 20th issue, Issue 15, will be themed! We're calling it the DirtyDirty Issue. Dirty stories, poems, and non-fic! Send us your smut! We are particularly interested in dirty limmericks, and the best one will win a prize. You'll have to win to find out what the prize is. We request that submissions for this issue be sent by March 5th. Please send submissions, marked "Dirty Submission - Fiction/Poetry", to submit@downdirtyword.com. As usual, all normal Guidelines apply. We can't wait to read your work...naked...in the dark.

Because we love our writers, who thrill us by allowing us to share their words, we like to pimp them whenever possible. This will now be known as the PIMP ALERT! If you have a new book out, are going on tour, or have some otherwise amazing accomplishment you'd like us to pimp, send e-mail to pimpme@downdirtyword.com. Be aware, we will review your book honestly when we have the opportunity to review it. If we hate it we will say so. But, we probably won't hate it. Tell us how to buy a copy, or be a doll and send one to us. Remember, this is for Big Deal stuff only! We don't care if you took a shit and it looked like Oscar Wilde. Well...no, we do care...but you can submit that story through normal means.

Starting next month you will be able to find our PIMP ALERT! and Book Reviews in the Non-Fic section.

Our first PIMP ALERT! recipient is the lovely and fantastic Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz! Her new book, Everything is Everything, is out through Write Bloody Publishing. Find out about it and for heavens sake, BUY IT, here: http://www.writebloody.com/loveletter/january.html. Our copy should be arriving in the mail any day now. Since we were lucky enough to have previously published one of the poems in Everything is Everything, the delightful Crack Squirrels...we feel maybe even more incredibly happy for Cristin. She has been a treasured supporter of The Legendary, and if we weren't all separated by so much land we would throw her a debaucherous party with a fog machine and backrub fairies. Our editors, Katie Moore and John Hancock, will be reviewing her book in the February 20th issue of The Legendary. Cristen, we're so glad to give you the gift of our book review virginity.

Also, Our Links page has been updated. Not as much as we'd like, but it is a start.

Please remember to fan our facebook page for early updates and general hilarious commentary. It's also a great way to tell us what you like or don't like, and what you want from us. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legendary/13878365

Whew. That was a long one! We hope you enjoy the issue!

-The Editors

December 28, 2009. Issue 12, updates, and thank yous!

Whew, Holidays! Now that we're in the lull between HoHoHo! and Happy New Year!... We hope you are all enjoying the new issue! Don't worry, we didn't succumb to the holiday spirit and soften things up. This issue is as hardcore and delightful as ever!

Peotry by Shappy Seasholtz and Colin Gilbert, to name just a couple. Fiction full of realistic depths and dregs...We're certainly glad that some of it is only fiction! Of course, we didn't forget to include some laughs to break the tension. Non-Fic is fun this month, with poetry and a loving, off-beat tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

This issue marks the anniversary of the collaboration between The Legendary Jim Parks and the tenacious Katie Moore. This collaboration gave birth to The Legendary as you know it now. Happy Birthday to Us! We would like to thank the other editors we've had the honor to work with this year, Brad Green - it was a pleasure, even if too short, and John Hancock - you, sir, are a treasure. A special thank you, as well, to our web goddess Allison Hancock - without you, nada. And last, but most absolutely not least, thanks to our fans - the readers and the writers who give us the joy of publishing such amazing work!

In the new year we'll keep going strong, hard, and deep. That's how everyone likes it, right?

We have some amazing reading already lined up for Issue 13, out on January 20th. We'll also be announcing a couple of new contests and making a brilliant addition to our masthead!

We will also be compiling our first print anthology of the most talked about work from The Legendary 2009!

Enjoy the words! We'll see you in 2010!

Don't forget to fan our facebook page! It's a lot easier to keep up with our goings on. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legendary/13878365

-The Legendary Editors

December 20, 2009. Issue 12! Happy Holidays, or A Very Merry Un-Birthday to You!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

November 24, 2009. Issue 11 is finally fully functional!

It took us a little more time than usual to get our 11th issue just right, but now that it's all come together we couldn't be happier. And we hope you, our writers and readers, agree!

This month we feature some truly amazing poetry from Wess Mongo Jolley, vibrant new art from Bl Pawelek, and seriously stellar fiction from Otis Black. Every piece of writing in this issue gives you a decadent glimpse of life to help you get your voyeur on. These worde WILL leave a taste in your mouth, it's up to you to decide if you like it.

If you do like it, or if you don't, let us know! Feel free to send any comments to katie@downdirtyword.com. They may justappear on the site one day.

In other news, we're on facebook! We would love to have you, our very reason for existence, as fans. Please visit,
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legendary/13878365 and click the button!

What's next? Well, Issue 12 on December 20th! Also, we're revamping our links page and cooking up another contest for you. Keep those submissions coming, they keep us going!

Authors, if you would like to add a bio image to your author page, just send it to katie@downdirtyword.com. They really make the pages look sharp.

We hope you enjoy the issue! And please, try to survive the holiday without killing your family members. Write about it instead...We know a mag that likes just that sort of thing...

-The Legendary Editors
Jim Parks
Katie Moore
John Hancock
Allison Hancock

October 20, 2009. Read the winning Bukowski Contest entries...

And a TON of other amazing writing! I know we say it a lot, but this really is our best issue yet. It's also our biggest! Thank you so much, to everyone who submitted work or entered the Bukowski Contest! Without you guys we'd just be, well...pointless and really underworked.

This issue comes fully illustrated, straight out of the digi-box. And, as a special treat, the photography of John Kay will remain our Art feature for another month. Next month, something new!

In our Non-Fic section we have everything from memories of Bukowski himself to sexual psychosis, and it's all delightful. Fiction offers a wide selection of oddities and touching moments. Speaking of odd, can you count the stories involving lice? Weird! Poetry is absolutely fantastic this month, it would be a shame to miss a single word.

The contest was such a great success, you can expect another soon. Prizes for the winners are in the mail!

In other news, we've nominated the work of Rusty Barnes, Timothy Gager, and Jeff Lair for Dzanc Books' Best of the Web. Fingers crossed! Congrats guys, we love your words!

Also in other news, now you can fan us on facebook! We love fans. Who doesn't?

Keep sending your submissions and reading The Legendary! We appreciate every visitor and every e-mail. Mad literary love!

-The Editors

October 10, 2009. Results are in!

Visit our Contests page for the results of our first fabulous contest! And check back on the 20th to see the winners in digital print.

September 19,2009. Oops! We have a small...issue with our new issue.

Not a big issue, just a little issue. Unfortunately Issue 9 of The Legendary will be one day late. This is the result of one of those Murphy's Law software snafu's.

BUT!

Don't worry, the new issue of the mag is amazing, and will be well worth the wait. We've got major fiction, poetry, and non-fic for you. It's also been a good month for art, and we're bringing you six of the best images we've seen.

You still have until the 30th to get those Bukowski Contest entries in. Don't forget!

In order to compensate for a lost day of exposure to the world, we're willing to happily offer each of our Issue 9 writers a nifty The Legendary sticker from my personal stash of vandalism goodies. And, of course, we archive all work for all time on our individual author pages.

We greatly apologize for the delay, but we know you'll enjoy reading Issue 9 on Monday. What else are work days for, anyway?

-Katie Moore

August 20, 2009. Issue 8.

Eight is great! Not only is this our 8th issue, it's our 6th month of life outside our craniums! Thanks, weird word people, for making it happen!

This is one odd issue, and we LOVE that! We have very angry poetry, fiction a la txt msg, and some seriously stellar non-fic. We have murder, drugs, and fucking... Well, we do ALWAYS have murder, drugs, and fucking.

We very much hope you enjoy the issue!

I'm pleased to announce that, with the round of stickers mailing this Friday, we will have NO MORE STICKERS! That's 1000 stickers across the U.S. and UK! Thanks guys, your support and vandal advertising means so very much to us!

Our Bukowski Contest is open until September 30th. Get those submissions in!

Authors! Please keep sending those bio images! katie@downdirtyword.com

And always, keep sending us your gritty, gutsy, gorgeous words! (Submission guidelines are good. Follow them)

-Katie & Jim

July 20, 2009. Issue 7.

Lucky number 7 is here!

This issue launches our first Contest, and as always, features some amazing talent.

We're adding to our list of international writers once again with work from Poland. Our non-fic runs the gamut from birth stories, to drugs, and back around to civil liberties. We try to bring our readers the best writing around, and this month we've really done it. Just check out our poetry and fiction pages for the proof!

Authors! Please keep sending those bio images. katie@downdirtyword.com

And if you would like a sticker, or a few, let us know!

Enjoy!

Jim & Katie

June 20, 2009. Issue 6.

This might just be our best issue ever. We are proud to feature writers from around the world. India, Australia, and Wales are represented, to name a few. We are even more proud to bring you the very best fiction, poetry, and non-fiction we could dig up, unleash, and discover.

This month, our fiction and non-fic pages come fully illustrated, straight out of the digital box. We've decided not to illustrate our poetry page unless requested by individual authors. A poem on a page is art all by itself, after all.

Speaking of art, you might notice a new icon for art on our site. We are not accepting regular submissions for artwork at this time, however if we publish your words, we'd also love to publish your art! If any of you wonderful wordsmiths, published in Issues 1-6 or accepted for 7, would like to share your art with the world send an e-mail to katie@downdirtyword.com.

This month we're proud to show off brilliant words and art by Tye Doudy.

Another new icon you'll see is for contests. They're coming soon and we promise they'll be both fun and rewarding.

We've decided to do a bit of grassroots advertising. What better than a sticker, and they're ready to go. Designed by the same lovely and brilliant lady responsible for our site, they are amazing! In fact, I'll show you...

If you'd like one, or a few, or enough to plaster all the busses in your hood...send e-mail to katie@downdirtyword.com.

We'd like to thank our authors, our webby Goddess, and the over 7,000 unique visitors our little site averages each month, for giving us a reason to do what we do, and keep on loving it.

Please keep sending us those bio images! They really make your author pages look sharp.

-Jim and Katie

May 20, 2009. Issue 5.

We are pleased to bring you an incredible new issue! Watch as it becomes illustrated right before your eyes. It's like magic, but slightly more work.

Authors! Please send your bio images to katie@downdirtyword.com.

May 12, 2009. Changes and Tweakings.

In order to bring you, our readers, the best poetry, fiction, and non-fiction we can find, we have decided to change our publication schedule. We will now be publishing once a month, on the 20th.

Our April 24th issue is now fully illustrated.

We hope you enjoy these changes. Our next all new issue is May 20th.

Keep reading, keep sending those submissions, and accepted authors keep those bio images coming!

Thanks,

-Jim and Katie

PS- Very few of the photo credits are known. If I use an image that happens to be yours, please let me know and I will either add your credit, or remove the image. - Katie katie@crystalballcreative.com

April 24, 2009. New Moon. Issue 4

Well, here we are again. You'll notice more illustrations in the issue. The Fiction page is fully illustrated and the others will fill in right before your eyes. As always, the quality of work is amazing. Thank you to all the wonderful submitters!

We're about to make some changes to our publication schedule and decide on our first contest, so check back often.

Enjoy!

PS- Please send your bio images to katie@crystalballcreative.com

April 9, 2009. Full Pink Moon. Issue 3

We would like to welcome the sharp-eyed Brad Green to our editorial staff. Watch out, he has very high standards. We're so pleased to have him aboard!

And now, we bring you Issue 3!!! I'm not telling you anything about it. You'll just have to read it and be amazed.

If you poke around the site you'll begin to notice a sprinkling of illustrations and bio images. Pretty soon we'll be all graphical and gorgeous.

Authors! If we've accepted your work and you'd like an image to accompany your bio, please send it to katie@downdirtyword.com. And be quick about it!

Th next issue is scheduled for April 24th. Don't forget to send us your best work!

-Jim, Katie, and Brad

March 26, 2009. New Moon. Issue 2

Issue 2 is here! We hope you love it as much as we do! This New Moon Issue features amazing poetry, moving fiction, and enlightening non-fic. We've also updated our Links page, and of course our author Bios.

Also new: Author Pages! Click on any author name, in the Bios page or accompanying their work, to go to a page of all the work they have published with The Legendary, their bio, and soon their picture! (Authors! Send a small bio-worthy image to katie@downdirtyword.com)

We love feedback! Do you like us? Do you hate us? Brilliant ideas? Let us know at thelegendary@downdirtyword.com!

Our next Issue will roll out April 9th. Keep those submissions coming! We love reading them almost as much as we love publishing them.

-Jim and Katie

March 16, 2009. Monday. Ahh, the updates.

We've decided to do things a bit differently and publish by the moon, sorta Farmers Almanac stlye.

Our NEXT ISSUE is New Moon, March 26th. This amazing issue will feature: FICTION by Kenneth Weene, Robert Jadah, xtx, selections from our beloved old blogspot, and others; POETRY by Corey Mesler, David Kowalczyk, J.A. Tyler, and many brilliant others; NON-FIC that will open your eyes and rock you in your socks.

Our publication schedule for the next six months will be:

April 9 Full Pink Moon
April 24 New Moon

May 9 Full Milk Moon
May 24 New Moon

June 7 Full Hot Moon
June 22 New Moon

July 7 Full Buck Moon
July 21 New Moon

August 5 Full Grain Moon
August 20 New Moon

September 4 Full Corn Moon
September 18 New Moon

March 9, 2009. Monday. Wee hours.

Now you can subscribe to The Legendary at any of the following services:

RSS Atom Newsgator Rojo Pluck

March 8, 2009. Sunday. Updated functionality

We have added Tables of Contents to the Poetry, Fiction, and Non-Fic pages. This will allow our authors to link directly to their work, and sweeten the experience for our readers.

We've tweaked our submission guidelines and added a few links, but look for more in the coming days. Also on the horizon, individual author pages linked from their bios, RSS feed, illustrations, and our publication schedule. If we contine to receive so many wonderful submissions, we'll be coming at you twice a month!

We are still offering our contributors free [yourname]@downdirtyword.com e-mail addresses. Send a message, subject: e-mail address, to katie@downdirtyword.com if we've published you, or accepted you, and you're interested.

-Us

March 5, 2009. Thursday. Launch Day.

We have to give oodles of thanks to Allison Hancock of Crystal Ball Creative for the beautiful website. Woman, you make web design look like an art form. *wink*

If you would like to be notified of site updates, special calls for submissions, contests, and promotions please send an e-mail to katie@downdirtyword.com with the Subject: [mailing list].

Jim and Katie

We are going to print the rawest, most incisive and invasive fiction, news and poetry available or we will know the reason why and raise hell about it.

Either way, we promise not to be boring, arty or literary. This jazz comes from the streets and alleys, the hobo jungles and the thickets - and any place a scribbler has seen the sunset, felt the winds or been lashed by the rains. We will accept nothing less.

The Legendary, Jim Parks

We're here to inspire the uncommon common man to want to read again, to long for the next fix of words, to shake and shudder when he's been off the fiction too long.

We will do this simply by printing real words for real people without censorship or mainstream sensibilities. Long live the New Literary Revolution!

Katie Moore, The Lady in Question