I'm really very, very happy, and there's NOT ONE THING you can do about it. And it's my turn again.
Gwendolyn Pierce
Professor Cecily Howe to Gwendolyn Pierce, Oct. 31st
Delivered by Special Messenger
Well, Gwennie—
Very impressive. Ancient Egypt always was your favorite. Too bad the locusts decided to take matters into their own mouths, so to speak. Ancient curses can be quite tricky, one really must pay attention to detail. Shame about Roger's garden. I can't really blame him for moving out once he discovered the destruction of his beloved hedge maze was due to your mispronunciation of the hieroglyphic for devour.
And please accept my condolences; I'm so sorry your father's pilgrimage ended so badly. I had no idea cannibals were even still active in that part of the world. Except for dear, silent, mouldering June, you're quite all alone now, Gwennie.
I'll tell you a secret; I've been enjoying myself these past few months. There's nothing like a good scrap to get my blood going. You've proven to be a talented adversary, and as your teacher I'm really rather pleased with how well you've managed, devastated shrubbery notwithstanding. Now with JoJo gone and my position at the University terminated, I find myself at loose ends. I've decided to up the ante in our little game.
I'm taking a trip, Gwennie. It's a journey I've planned ever since my acquisition of a rather unique copy of The Inferno many years ago. Here's the really good news: you're coming with me. You'll be my companion again, my helper, my faithful, docile disciple. It'll be me at the tiller and you carrying the luggage, just like old times, before Roger came between us. You do know it was you I missed all along, don't you? Lovers come and go, but a competent assistant is hard to come by.
You may have noticed yourself feeling sleepy round about now. Please don't be alarmed. I've dusted this letter with a special concoction all my own, a mix of rare Amazon frog venom, powdered mummy, and cinnamon that should settle you down nicely until I arrive to collect you. I'm afraid June can't come with us—her virgin soul and all—so give her a kiss goodbye, and if you have the strength to write Roger one last loving floral-scented note, send him my regards. I wonder if he'll miss us. At least he'll have June to keep him company.
It's going to be like old times, Gwennie, just two girls out raising Hell. I can't wait to get started.
See you ‘round midnight.
Cecily
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Who Was That Masked Writer?
William Alexander lives in Minneapolis with spouse and cat. His stories have appeared in Zahir, Weird Tales, and Postscripts, and one will be reprinted in Fantasy: The Best of the Year 2008. He contributes to Rain Taxi Review of Books. In the summer of ‘06 he attended the Clarion Workshop. It was fun.
Miriam Allred has a BA in Comparative Literature and French from Brigham Young University and an MA in English from Cleveland State University. She lives in Salt Lake City, near many supportive friends and family members, where she earns a living writing about routers and wireless networks. She also writes stories.
Charlie Jane Anders blogs about science fiction and futurism for io9.com. She's the author of Choir Boy and the co-editor of She's Such A Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology & Other Nerdy Stuff. Her writing has appeared in Mother Jones, Salon, Sex For America, Paraspheres, and MonkeyBicycle. She's the co-founder of other magazine and the host of a reading series, Writers With Drinks, in San Francisco.
Gwenda Bond is writing young adult novels on a tin machine that has no internet access. (gwendabond.typepad.com).
Becca De La Rosa has recently had fiction published in Strange Horizons and the Fantasy Magazine anthology, among other places. She is currently studying English at an art college in Ireland.
Michael J. DeLuca has published fiction in Interfictions and Clockwork Phoenix. He makes beer and other libations in Massachusetts.
Abby Denson is a cartoonist and rock'n'roller in NYC. She is the creator of Tough Love: High School Confidential, Dolltopia, and Night Club, among others. She has scripted Powerpuff Girls and comics for Nickelodeon. She has webcomics on gurl.com and a dessert comic column, “The City Sweet Tooth” (citysweettooth.com) in The L Magazine. abbycomix.com
Kristine Dikeman lives in NYC. Her work has appeared in The Many Faces of Van Helsing, The Book of Final Flesh, Sybil's Garage, and All Hallows. She is working on a novel, Eating Manhattan, a lighthearted romp through New York, with zombies.
Carol Emshwiller's most recent books are a novel, The Secret City, and a collection, I Live with You. Recent awards include the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. She lives in New York City.
Eileen Gunn is the author of a collection, Stable Strategies and Others, and co-editor of The WisCon Chronicles Two. She is the publisher of the Infinite Matrix, and in the dead of night can hear it stomping around in the attic. For nearly 20 years, she has been on the board of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and she thinks it's time for someone else to take over.
Alex Dally MacFarlane has been writing ever since the discovery of computer games made her think that if stories could be found on a 32-bit cartridge, why not in the mind of an 11-year-old girl? Her short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Electric Velocipede, Shimmer, Sybil's Garage, Farrago's Wainscot, and a few other places. Her longer fiction is still being kick-polished.
Maureen F. McHugh's most recent book is a collection of short stories, Mothers & Other Monsters. She writes novels and Alternate Reality Games. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Jeremie McKnight was born under the restless skies of Ohio farm-country where he began his storytelling at an early age. By high school he was a published and award-winning author. And then he stopped. He now lives in Pittsburgh PA., and this is his first story in over a decade. It has made him very happy.
Mark Rigney is the author of Deaf Side Story: Deaf Sharks, Hearing Jets and a Classic American Musical. His short fiction has appeared in Shadow Regions, Talebones, The Bellevue Literary Review, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, &c. His plays for the stage have won national contests and been performed in six states. Having worked as a zookeeper, he is now proud to be a stay-at-home father.
David J. Schwartz is all around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship. His first novel, Superpowers, is in stores as you are reading this. He blogs at snurri.livejournal.com, and is allergic to midichlorians.
Cara Spindler likes apples, broccoli, and eel, but hates ham and cantaloupe. She likes strolling, running, swimming—but hates to sit. And she still has five continents to visit before she dies.
Jodi Lynn Villers has her MFA from North Carolina State University. She lives in downtown Raleigh with a beagle named Turtle and has written a novella about a rehabilitation camp for girls who have killed their parents. Her short-shorts have also appeared in Staccato and Quick Fiction.
Caleb Wilson's fiction has appeared in places like Diagram, Weird Tales, and The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror. He and his wife life in Illinois. His alter-ego works in a bookstore.
* * *
Visit www.lcrw.net for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Table of Contents
fiction
Love Might Be Too Strong a Word
Going to France
American Dreamers
Dear Aunt Gwenda
Mike's Place
The Camera & the Octopus
Escape
Away
Vinegar and Brown Paper
Self Story
Snowdrops
The Honeymoon Suite
To a Child Who Is Still a FAQ
To the Moon Alice
Portfolio
Dearest Cecily
Who Was That Masked Writer?
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