The world is in shock. The planet suffers. We as a collective consciousness are battered and injured. Instant, mass communication made almost every person on earth aware of the tragedies in America within hours after the terrorists struck. The human race as a whole is “bruised” from this numbing injury—an injury inflicted on all humankind.
On January 22, 1892, Edvard Munch wrote the following in his diary:
I
was walking along the road with two friends.
The sun was setting.
I felt a breath
of melancholy—
Suddenly the sky
turned blood-red.
I stopped, and leaned
against the railing, deathly tired—
looking out across
the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword
over the blue-black
fjord and town.
My friends walked
on—I stood there, trembling with fear.
And I sensed a great,
infinite scream pass through nature.
Munch, of course, created the famous painting “The Scream,” one of the influences in the naming of this magazine. His prophetic words are especially chilling in light of recent events. This issue of TheScreamOnline was almost complete and work had begun on the next when the tragedies of September 11 occurred. While this magazine had never intended to be political beyond some fun with the editorials and an occasional current event issue or two, we cannot remain silent on the horrific and cowardly acts perpetrated on humanity. The editorial, intended for a later issue, has been revamped, and we are hopeful that it will be received in the spirit in which it was intended: one of hope and unity as a global people. Having said that, this issue is dedicated to all the victims of September 11, 2001, and those they left behind.
A lot of thought was put in to determine the "tenor" of this issue—do we keep the cartoons? do we suspend all humor?—and it was decided that, although we as a nation are in a time of grief, humor can be an instrument of healing. It would be good to chuckle again. One of the great qualities in the make-up of the American character is a unique sense of humor. In that light, the Cartoon Page remains. Please visit . . . and feel good about a laugh or two.
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This magazine has proven to be a unique vehicle for the creative people within. Each issue features a large variety of talent which has been assembled to travel to the computers of potentially every person on the planet. Judging from the fan mail, TheScreamOnline has a global audience from the U.S. to Nepal, from Australia to Mexico to Russia and everywhere in between, reading its content from home, the work place, laptops, and Internet cafés. Cable and DSL connections are becoming more common and will soon be the standard, allowing for fast—if not immediate—site downloading. For those of you with fast connections, clicking on a link can be just like turning the page of a magazine.
The most gratifying aspect of this website is how it has affected the artists, photographers, and writers who have been chosen to be a part of TheScreamOnline’s globe-trotting journey. For some, it has inspired them to dust off old, unfinished works and approach them with a new eye. Others have been kick-started into beginning new projects—maybe something that otherwise would have never existed at all. For each, it has certainly been a ride to places never imagined, and those of you who partake of their talent are all the richer for it.
Keep in mind that the Past Issues Archives link provides access to all previous issues so that at any time one can always go back and reread favorite articles or simply catch up on issues missed. So, first up we have...
ART
“Chinese
folk art is a world of mystery and aesthetics. It originates from ancient
primitive art forms which symbolize the mysterious and haunting power of the
supernatural.”
The paintings of Shanye Huang
retell the legends, themes, and customs of his people in this most colorful
feature, with text by Eva Tang.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
In
this world of disposable everything, longevity is an anachronism. In the worlds
of photography and art, longevity is paramount and great efforts are made
to use archival inks, papers, emulsions, and mat boards to create works that
will endure the destruction of time. Arizona photographer Gary
Auerbach uses the longer-lasting platinum in place of silver in his emulsions,
and his large-format works are the subject of this month’s Photography
feature.
Gary
Goss plays perhaps the most difficult musical instrument of all time, a 1897
vintage set of Deagan Chimes. Stuart Vail presents the sights and sounds in
a photo essay from the Santa
Monica Pier.
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EDITORIAL
“Living in Rhythm”
proposes one way of uniting the entire planet—a fantasy, admittedly,
but something we desperately need to do before we blast ourselves out of existence.
Oh, and by the way, flying planes into buildings will not reserve you
a seat in Paradise.
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COMMENTARY
“If
there is to be a memorial, let it not be of stone and steel.” Read “Make
it Green,” by Roger Ebert.
In “Day of Mourning,” retired Canadian minister Don Murray says that “we must painfully reëxamine the values we live by,” and calls for understanding and love amidst the atrocities of today’s darkest hour.
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ESSAYS
Faithful readers
of TheScreamOnline are quite familiar with our “open season” policy
on those who ravage, pillage, and rape (known as RPR) the English language
in their everyday speech. New York writer Maggie Balistreri sums it all up
with “The Evasion-English Dictionary.”
Jesse Walker, associate editor of Reason magazine, offers “What Happens Next?—Six options beyond war and peace.”
Also . . .We are a society of unethical used-car salesmen, chain-saw sculptors, fix-it-with-a-band aid repairmen, and defense lawyers arguing about the meaning of the word “is.” Ouch. The editor challenges modern integrity and craftsmanship via his attack on Gorilla Gardeners in “Blow & Go.”
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POETRY
For
35 years Lewis Bruser has written a rich output of stories and poems chronicling
his family, friends, and travels. With “Inconsequentia
from the Fourth Dementia” we
see the world from his quirky, humorous, and very well-read perspective.
Widely-published, award-winning poet Helen Degen Cohen is the cofounder/editor of Rhino Magazine and contributes six pieces from her vast repertoire. [I love her phrase “...autumn is all I know of spring."—Ed.]
Returning poet Wendy Hall sent in two items from the road: “Loran C” and “Muse.” Ever-on-the-move and peregrinatious, her exact whereabouts are unknown, but she remains tethered to that umbilical e-mail link and assures us that her poetrie is alive and well.
View Poet Index for access to all poets in every issue.
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FICTION
Since 1997 Frank Macchia and Tracy London have written and produced five CD’s
called “Little Evil Things,” a collection of “Bite Size Tales
of Terror to Chill Your Bones.” Not only are they professionally narrated
by actors, composer/musician/writer Frank has written music to accompany each
story, using Hollywood session musicians and none other than the Moscow Symphony
Orchestra. Read (and hear an excerpt of) “The
Violin’s Curse.”
Also, some stories from our poet Lewis Bruser who, in his inimitable style, had his tongue surgically planted in-cheek with his “Tales of Three Rivers.” O, cry me a tale of sticks.
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EPIPHANIES
There couldn’t have been a better time for the author’s father,
driving a tractor with steel cutting blades, to have listened to his “inner
voice.”
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TECHNOLOGY
A
cross between Kylie Minogue, Carol Vorderman, and Posh Spice, Ananova
is the world’s first virtual newscaster. In an ever-alienating world
of unfeeling, impersonal, and faceless e-communications, “she” brings
a touch of virtual “humanity”—if you will—to how Internet
news is delivered to your computer’s doorstep.
A new item, The Tech Page, will provide answers to some common questions about your computer. This issue deals with the mysterious and illusive topic of browser cache. Also, need the latest version of Netscape? Internet Explorer? Quicktime? Go to Downloads.
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CARTOONS
More
zany humor from the ever-irreverent
archives of TheScreamOnline: a hairpiece, Dali's dolly, dachshund training
wheels, music notation, and more.
•
BOOKS
Want some suggestions for good reading? Check out TheScreamOnline
Bookshelf.
FAVORITE LINKS
Wonder where TheScreamOnline crew surfs during downtime? Click
here to view our favorite places.
ARTISTS
& WRITERS INDEX
View
an alphabetical list of TheScreamOnline talent
with links to all articles in every issue.
SPLASH
PAGE GALLERY
Each new issue
of TheScreamOnline brings a new splash page—the page you first see when
entering the site. We have received so many compliments about the artwork
that we decided to create a “Splash
Page Gallery.”
“Life
is more complicated than we think,
yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine.”
—Lawrence Durrell, The Alexandria Quartet
“The
world is now too dangerous for anything but truth,
too small for anything but brotherhood.”
—Arthur Powell Davies
Don't
miss an issue. Want to be put on the mailing list?
Type your address here:
|
The Fine Print Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Contributors: |
Correspondence: |
Entrance
page art:
"Laughing Clown" ©2001 Joanne
Warfield
Pen & ink sketches ©2001 Mary N. Balcomb
"Home
Sweet Home" (at the top of this page)
©2001 Stuart Vail
Art
Direction & Site Design:
Vail Graphics
Creative Consultant: Joanne Warfield
The ScreamOnline
logo, images, and written material are
©2001 Stuart Vail unless stated otherwise.
All artists and writers retain their own copyrights.
The copying or distribution of any material for commercial gain
is strictly prohibited unless authorized by the webmaster.
All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: While we applaud innovative ideas and concepts, opinions expressed by articles in TheScreamOnline do not necessarily reflect those of the editor/publisher, staff, or anyone connected with the magazine. We fully respect those who have an opposing point-of-view and welcome any feedback by concerned readers who wish to communicate accordingly. Vive le difference!
TheScreamOnline
regretfully cannot accept
unsolicited submissions of any kind.
Publication in this magazine is by invitation only.
We
shamelessly recommend:
Dreamweaver Web Design Software
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