Archive for October, 2011

Issue Seven!!

Posted in Issue Seven with tags , on October 31, 2011 by mohawko

Happy Halloween, and welcome back to the party that never ends. We’re here with none other than Issue Seven. Amazing. Who would’ve thought we’d last this long? Stream today’s upbeat and punky radio show from WECI’s website at 4 PM EST (use the Amarok streaming # in iTunes to more reliably avoid abject failure). Next week we take New York. So now then.

ISSUE SEVEN (10/31/11):

featuring

On My Spaceship

by Doug Paul Case

Operative: Simon (Richmond, IN)

About the author: Doug Paul Case recently graduated from Emerson College, where he edited The Emerson Review. His work has appeared in PANKAnnalemmaWord Riot, and others. He is an MFA candidate in poetry at Indiana University.

He Cast A Spell On Y’all Fools: Issue Six Action Shot #3

Posted in Action Photos!, Issue Six with tags , , on October 30, 2011 by mohawko

This scene was captured after a stilted collegiate performance of a Tom Stoppard play. The other cat in this photo is none other than G. Nissen, forthcoming operative, primary SPR photographer, and ongoing author of the story “Raccoon Corpse Excavation.”

GARGOYLES!

Note the glowing red demon eyes. He’s about to swallow a soul (it could be yours).


Photo by H. G. Fox.

Fun & Friends With A Staplegun: Dual-Action Shots from Issue Six

Posted in Action Photos!, Issue Six with tags , , on October 27, 2011 by mohawko

The Literalist

Here on offer are two quite unique Action Photos of David James Keaton’s fine story, now gracing Issue Six. The first is a fairly literal interpretation of the story, taken out back-campus (look at that telephone pole!). The second comes from that chaotic hub of hubs, the single, campus cafeteria, during the heat of lunch hour, probably the most concentrated group of students (and, therefore, readers) to gather in one single place on a given day. (That shocked-looking fellow in the foreground is in my journalism class.)

Shocked & Amazed

I’ll just say again how much inspiration I take from all of your kind words about the Safety Pin Review. It gives me the confidence to ignore certain unfriendly aspects of the college experience and march headfirst into this exciting venture… If I could hug each and every one of you, I would. If we ever meet, I will.

Also… a particularly nice plug from Nat’l Book Award- and PEN/Faulkner-winner Sherman Alexie, a writer I’ve admired since my fiction-writing life began (senior year of high school), who wrote a really awesome post on his website about us. Check it out, read War Dances. Perhaps one day we’ll feature one of his stories…

Hopefully I’ll collect more photos to post throughout the week.


(First photo by T. Balcerzak, second by the markedly hairier E. Kranz.)

Issue Six!!

Posted in Issue Six with tags , on October 24, 2011 by mohawko

IMMORTALITY. We’ve reached issue six. Listen to some wonderful, ambient creepiness, along with this story and others, today at 4 PM EST on “Centerpiece,” which can be streamed (use the Amarok # for iTunes) at WECIradio.org. Now then:

ISSUE SIX (10/24/11):

featuring

But It Made Them Easy to Climb

by David James Keaton

Operative: Simon (Richmond, IN)

About the author: David James Keaton‘s fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Pulp Modern, Needle, and Crime Factory, among others, and he’s the editor of Flywheel Magazine, which will soon contain a lot more wheels.

(Photo credit T. Balcerzak.)

“Caveat Emptor”: Issue Five Action Photos

Posted in Action Photos!, Issue Five with tags , , on October 23, 2011 by mohawko

Tomorrow, I’ll begin wearing the Safety Pin Review’s sixth consecutive story.  This is a lot of me. Probably much more than is healthy and/or valuable for this zine. Especially because, all things considered, in terms of the outside world, I do very little. I’m a cloistered, reclusive college student who rarely ventures out into sunlight.

In retrospect, I might not have been the right person to have the idea for the Safety Pin Review.

Continuing Trends (Dayton, OH)

But! I did, so be it. And I am finding others to wear issues in the future, to offer more exposure for the brilliant stories that we showcase (forthcoming, two NYC’s and one Chicago). The stories we wear aren’t permanently retired after they’ve served their week—they are meant to travel, to go elsewhere, randomly. I’m trying to send them out with other people. It’s an ongoing process.

When there’s no operative, the stories go with me. And they’ll continue going with me as I make my way. One guy wrote on his site that he wants to see some “mosh pit lit”—I’m working on it. We’ll get there. I’m still finding my footing on this thing. Bear with me, patient people.

Product Placement (Dayton, OH)

People are slinging around a lot of nice words about the SPR; all of the credit has to go to the authors. So stay tuned, we ain’t going anywhere. Just keep sending great submissions, I’ll keep painting them onto patches and wearing them and/or sending them to awesome people who lead far more attractive and interesting lives than I do (starting, for example, with Brian Hurley, who will be wearing Issue Eight, starting November 7). It’ll be a blast.

Lights in the Sky (Dayton, OH)

I apologize for the blurry quality of these photos. This is what happens when (a) your primary camera dies 50 miles from its charger, and (b) when you entrust photographer duties to a literary critic (these AP photos credited to Mygüel; he’s the one with the long hair).

Love,
Simon

Issue Five!!

Posted in Issue Five with tags , on October 17, 2011 by mohawko

WE JUST DON’T STOP. Issue Five is here. Listen to the radio show Monday at 4 PM EST– widely rumored to be the best ever– via streaming at WECI’s website (use the Amarok number for iTunes). Peace.

ISSUE FIVE (10/17/11):

featuring

High Five

by Brian Hurley

Operative: Simon (Richmond, IN)

About the author: Brian Hurley is the editor of fictionadvocate.com, a staff writer for Hipster Book Club, and a columnist for The Outlet. His short fiction has been published in Kill Author, Vestal Review, Gigantic, and other magazines.

(Photo credit Gnissen, thanks.)

 

The Organist’s Revenge

Posted in Action Photos!, Issue Four with tags , , on October 16, 2011 by mohawko

Action Photos (!) of this week’s story, about smashing trees in the dark.

Introducing…

Location: Dayton, OH

These preceding two credit T. Balcerzak.

Repose (Dayton, OH)

“Well. That’s… Something.”

Battling on the Homefront

I was taken by the shoulders and swiveled around six (6) times in the last 48 hours to facilitate reading of Helen’s story.

LOOK AT THIS GREGARITY.

Last three credit J. Jacobs (we’re related).

Issue Four!!

Posted in Issue Four with tags , on October 10, 2011 by mohawko

Yes, please. Here once more with Issue Four. We’re practically eternal. Listen to “Centerpiece” Monday afternoon from 4-5 PM EST, hosted by the editor and featuring this week’s story. Stream it here (a little bird told me to use the Amarok number in iTunes for a better chance at success). Anyways, without further ado:

ISSUE FOUR (10/10/11):

featuring

They All Look Like Mother

by Helen Vitoria

Operative: Simon (Richmond, IN)

About the author: Helen Vitoria’s poems can be found in elimae, PANK, MudLuscious Press>kill authorFRIGG Magazine and others.  Her poetry collection, Corn Exchange, is forthcoming from Scrambler Books, Winter 2011. Find her here: helenvitoria-lexis.blogspot.com.

(Photo credit T. Balcerzak.)

1994 & the Art of the Pop Single (Action Shots! 1-3 of Issue Three)

Posted in Action Photos!, Announcements, Issue Three with tags , , on October 5, 2011 by mohawko

Three fair action photos of this week’s story by the wonderful and peerless Len Kuntz. And you can now listen to this week’s installment of “Centerpiece” (featuring Len’s story, thrice) via download.

Discovering that he is just not that into you

I am aware that these photos are probably beginning to seem somewhat repetitive; understand that this is the cost of living on a very, very small college campus, and that we are working on spreading our live message to a more geographically diverse audience. We have already acquired the services of several out-of-state operatives who will be wearing stories next month, and will gradually move out from there. Pardon as us we gain momentum.

Walking Billboard

In the meantime, please enjoy these lovely, nostalgically blurred photos, courtesy of T. Pry, once again (thanks for putting up with me, man).

Blur vs. Oasis

And lastly, a thank you, from the few of us here to the many of you out here. The subs, the tweets, the likes, the comments. We love you all.

Issue Three!!

Posted in Issue Three with tags , on October 3, 2011 by mohawko

Again again again. We’re back with another revelatory issue. Listen to “Centerpiece”– hosted by the editor, featuring this week’s story– at 4 PM EST today.

ISSUE THREE (10/3/11):

featuring

After My Morning Shower, the Old Man in the Mirror

by Len Kuntz

Operative: Simon (Richmond, IN)

About the author:  Len Kuntz is a writer from Washington State.  His work appears widely in print and online at such places as Juked, The Camel Saloon, In Between Altered States and The Cricket Online Review.  Every few days he writes about nothing at lenkuntz.blogspot.com.