Burnside Review L.A...

...has finally arrived!!! Just picked up the issue from the printer and they look great. They'll go out to contributors and subscribers in the morning. It was a challenging issue, but the end product is as amazing as the process was. This is our 7th issue and certainly the one I'm most proud of.

Hopefully this isn't quite the end of the Burnside Review L.A. experience. I'm working with friend and contributor, Julie Gamberg, on doing a reading to help celebrate the issue this fall (October). We're looking at a couple different venues, but if any of you have any recommendations please send them my way. Also...we can't quite afford distribution, so if you know any L.A. bookstores who might be interested in carrying a few copies, please let me know. We hope to have the issue in as many hands as possible.

I'll pop on here from time to time, as the issue gets reviewed, as the reading approaches, etc., until the L.A. issue's 9 months are up.

Thanks to everyone who read and contributed to the the Burnside Review L.A. Story.

The Issue That Doesn't Want to Be

It's been absolutely one thing after another with this issue. We still don't have them in our trembling little hands. Hopefully by the beginning of next week and hopefully to the contributors by the end of the week. Many apologies. This is our first time being late, but we're certainly making up for lost time.

The Finish Line is Near

We just got the proofs back from the printer today. We'll copy edit over the weekend and be back to the printer on Monday. Should have the issue about a week from them and out to all the contributors by the 15th.

Back in Portland

So Claire and I returned to beautiful and rainy Portland last Thursday. We moved into one of our rental properties and have been going a mile a minute since our return. The place (near Alberta and NE 27th) is bordering on "dump". We already repainted most of the house, torn out the trim, replaced some of the trim and bought some new furniture. Still a long, long way to go.

Because of all this we're running a little behind in putting the issue together. Bill and I are meeting this Saturday to lay everything out. It will then go to our graphic designer. We hope to have proofs for both the contributors and printers in about 10-12 days. Doubtful that the issue will be out before July 4th, but miracles do happen. I beg for your patience.

Waylaid

Our return to Portland has been delayed by a middle aged bleach blond Laguna Beach woman with a five carat diamond ring who ran her $100,000 Mercedes over Claire's foot on PCH the other day and fractured two of her toes in the three places.

We were supposed to drive two separate vehicles back, but now I'll be driving with the animals, while Claire flies, and some of our stuff is shipped. If all goes well we should be back next Thursday.

Dios Mio

Claire and I returned yesterday from a wonderful 8 days down in Mexico--a lot of sun, shrimp and tequila.

I've been on the computer almost non-stop since our return. The issue is getting there. I sent out the final round of acceptances and rejections. The issue is going to come out to be over 90 pages, almost 20 pages more than ever before (good news for the our readers, bad news for our bank account). But I think the issue will really be great. I've worked harder on this issue than any issue previous. Regina Godfrey has supplied us with another stunning cover. Bill and I will lay the issue out after my return to Portland (on June 3rd). From there it's off to the graphic designer, then to the printer, then proofs to the contributor's, back to the graphic designer, then finally to the printer. All by June 30th? That's the goal. We'll see.

The poetry chapbook contest is also in full swing. Paul Guest is judging this year and the entries are starting to pour in.

We're also in the process of bringing some new readers on to screen submissions.

Claire and I will be up in L.A. on Friday for our final farewell to the city.

See You Later L.A.

We're out of here tomorrow. We've sold just about everything there is to sell, just a little packing and cleaning and left. My parents are coming up tomorrow to help us move down to O.C. for May. Unfortunately this week has been a waste. I came back from Big Bear with a stomach virus and was wiped out. It now seems as if Claire might finally be succumbing to it as well.

Here are just a few things I'm going to truly miss about L.A.

1. The Food-Even though Portland thinks it's a food town, it doesn't come close to L.A. I'll admit that as far as fine dining goes it might be a wash, but how often do you spend $100+ on a meal. The $10- or less options here are amazing--every nationality, every American classic, new discoveries on every block, at all hours, everyday. From In N' Out, to Lamonica's Pizza in Westwood, to taco stands everywhere, to Koreatown for bibimbap, to Philipe's for French dips, to Canter's pastrami , chopped liver and coleslaw on Rye, to Pink's chili-cheese dogs, to this little whole in the wall Japanese place in Los Feliz selling pork katsu for $3.60, to empanadas in Venice, the food here is amazing.

2. Hancock Park-Athene and I have spent on average 2 hours a day there, everyday, for the last 6 1/2 months. A wonderful, big, green park, surrounded by the La Brea tar pits. I've never once been hassled for having the dog off her leash. It's full of quiets spots where we can eat sticks and write.

3. LACMA-Claire and I got a membership when we first arrived (we live 6 blocks away). I've been there about 50 times and never get tired of it. They finished construction to the new building in February and doubled the size of the museum. The curators are constantly revolving exhibits (including an incredible one of James Ensor's work currently being shown). I've been working on series of poems based on a number of the pieces there.

4. Amount of things to do or not do on any given day.

5. Only working about 150 hours in the time I was here.

6. My good friend Toby Forrest

7. The number of beautiful women.

8. The sun.

What I won't miss-the traffic (the #1 worst thing out L.A.), parking, our asshole next door neighbor who bumps her fucking music all fucking day, the $$$ of just about everything.

Thank you to everybody who helped make this experience a great one for both Claire and myself. I'll keep updating the blog until the L.A. issue comes out late June/early July (we just got a poem from Ralph Angel!!) We're definitely sad to leave L.A., but who knows, maybe well shall return to stay.