Gargoyle, Issue #41, Richard Peabody, editor
Paycock Press, 1998
Gargoyle Issue #41 is a diverse collection of well-known and unknown authors, poets and photographers from around the world. Published by the same people who run Atticus Books & Music in Washington, DC, Gargoyle is a hefty literary publication that is sure to keep you happily occupied.
Poetry ranges from short, avant-garde pieces to longer, more formal works. The same can be said of the short stories featured in this issue. I am usually quite unimpressed with most contemporary short stories I read. I find them to be typically depressing, or vulgar or crude just for the sake of startling their readers. I do not believe there is much "value" in shock for the sake of shock. However, Gargoyle has collected some terrific authors who prove that not every short story has to be disturbing to be good, that avant-garde does not necessarily mean vulgar.
Gargoyle even includes some works of non-fiction which range from memoir, to an essay on artist-writer Sheri Martinelli.
If you are a fan of contemporary fiction and poetry, I urge you to seek out a copy of Gargoyle. You will not be disappointed.
Some of the featured poets and authors from Issue #41: Nicole Blackman, Billy Childish, Denise Duhamel, John Hegley, Brian Hinton, Lyn Lifshin, Helen Schulman and Tim Turnbull.
