EAP and FAIRY TALES
by the Editor
This month's our Fairy Tale issue, mainly because next year EAP's planning on having a Fairy Tale year, and publishing a trio of 'em, of different sizes, shapes, and colors. And since this mag's the place where we throw things out and see how they spin, where we play with stuff and see what comes of it, this month's a little of that throwing and spinning and playing.
In fact, you can watch one of the books taking shape and see what it does next. It's an experiment. We were kicking around some ideas and laughing about them, and then came the idea to ask Danbert Nobacon, one of the founding members of the anarchist rock group Chumbawamba and a terrific writer, to have a go at an anarchist fairy tale. Alex and I were talking about how anarchism has gotten a completely bum rap as a result of being an underfunded, naive attempt at social equity that just let itself get smeared by powers that not only knew better but did it because they knew better…so we were mulling over that, and I said "Danbert!", and Alex laughed and said he'd do the pictures if Danbert did the book.
So Danbert started the fairy tale. Mind you, this is the first draft. After a few chapters, Alex said he wanted MONSTERS, because that's what he draws best, and as one of Dan's songs ends Al's film, REPO CHICK, which Al's been busily editing in his hut in the meadow, he suggested Dan do at least part of the book in rhyme "Because he's so damn good at them." So I mentioned that to Dan, and he went off in a different direction from what you can read this month. That's what he'll try next.
I have no idea where this experiment is headed. I await all developments with intense interest. And you can see all the stops and starts and pitfalls and edits, and it all starts here, if you want.
And in the meantime, I wouldn't want you to miss Dick Bentley's Godel, Friedman, Marx–An Eternal Banana-skin. I really think it's the most super exposition of why thinking you're right about anything is a guarantee of a complete cock-up–and that this is not just a moral law, but a physical one, immutable, unchangeable, and governing all our pratfalls of culture, as well. Dick's alter ego is Hunt N. Peck, who writes GREENBEARD (which, as a matter of fact, will also be published by EAP in 2010, in its Fairy Tale year), and the next chapter of that will be up next issue.
By the way, EAP now renews itself every two months rather than every one, so look for all new stuff come November.
And remember, fairy tales are true. They do happen to you. And to me, too.
Welcome back.
(by the way, for the next issue, EAP's ace intern Jessica Johnson will take over the inputting of material, and this should mark a tremendous improvement on my own rather slapdash/I don't have any more time to deal with this one/isn't it time for a glass of wine yet? editing. something for us all to look forward to. thank you, Jess.)