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!

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

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!

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

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.

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

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.

May 12, 2009. Changes and Tweakings.

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

-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.

March 9, 2009. Monday. Wee hours.

March 8, 2009. Sunday. Updated functionality

-Us

March 5, 2009. Thursday. Launch Day.

Jim and Katie

Katie Moore, The Lady in Question