From the Editor’s Desk
Illustration by Jenah Pelley
Ten years ago two New Yorkers with stars in their eyes and chicken pot pies in their stomachs sat in a diner in the west village and talked about starting a webzine. One said they should call it “Jonathantown” and the other suggested “Philelicious.” Luckily, they compromised and picked the name that sits on the masthead above. Some say “if you build it, they will come,” but we had our doubts. Would it last six months? A year? The internet, even then, was filled with a myriad of offerings and we weren’t certain a magazine devoted primarily to words had any chance of surviving. Thus, neither of us suspected that after a decade Ducts would still be going strong. But going strong it is, and if you’re reading this now, you owe yourself a pat on the back: you’ve help keep an independent literary web magazine alive. In this digital age, that’s no small feat. So I hope you’ll celebrate with us today, by diving into the latest essays, memoirs, fiction, art, humor and poetry. Since that’s what we hoped you’d do ten years ago, we thank you for continuing to return again and again.
Because Ducts.org was successful those many years ago, we took the next step, as many of you know, and formed our own small press, Greenpoint Press. This year, we’ve expanded our publishing arm and launched our own fiction imprint, Trumpet Fiction, and published Charles Salzberg’s literary detective caper, Swann’s Last Song. We’re very proud of this new book, so please visit the site and pick up a copy. And while there, don’t hesitate to look at our latest memoir by Doug Garr, Between Heaven and Earth. It’s filled with amazing stories from the early days of skydiving.
Ducts also continues to present the work of up and coming writers at our monthly reading series, also called Trumpet Fiction, which celebrated ten years of existence this year. Please come down to famed KGB Bar and say hello: we’re there the second Saturday of every month from October through June. We’d love to meet you.
As always, we continue to raise money as part of our effort to bring you the best personal stories on the web. If you enjoy the thought-provoking essays and memoirs, if you are captivated by our fiction, poetry and art, if you find a bit of succor in our humor, consider donating whatever amount you can. As a wise subway-goer once opined, “You don’t have to be Rockefeller to help a fella.”
Ducts is now on Facebook. Do be our friend!
Thank you once again for visiting with us every six months. We’re grateful and happy to continue bringing you the best personal stories on the web. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or to write us directly at vents@ducts.org. Enjoy!
-Jonathan Kravetz, Editor-in-Chief
This issue of Ducts is made possible with a regrant from the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, supported by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.