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The latest "The First Line," and an ill literacy festival in Arkansas

11:47 AM Fri, Apr 18, 2008 |
Michael Merschel   E-mail   News tips

David LaBounty, publisher of The First Line, sends word from Plano that the journal's spring issue is available.

Their Web site explains what "The First Line" is all about: "Each issue contains short stories that stem from a common first line; it also provides a forum for discussing favorite first lines in literature." (For example, their summer edition -- you can submit until May 1 -- offers the prompt, "Nick had considered himself a lucky guy, until now." )

This marks the nationally distributed journal's 10th year, which is impressive for an independent literary magazine anywhere, much less in Plano. (Which is a fine city, but Collin Creek is not exactly the Left Bank of the Seine, right? Although there is that Barnes & Noble at Creekwalk Village ... )

Anyhow, to mark the occasion, the editors have released a fresh anthology, "The Best of The First Line, Editors' Picks: 2002 - 2006." I spent some time with that anthology last weekend. It's fun reading for writers. I was constantly surprised and amused at where the contributors' imaginations took them.

Finally -- if you want to find out what kind of dedication it takes to make something like this work, read David's dispatch from the Arkansas Literary Festival.



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