Wednesday, November 8, 2017

November/December rez Posted

Read the November/December of rez in Issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/november-december_202017



















In keeping with rez tradition, we’re combining the November and December issues into a single “holiday” issue to give our tireless staff a much needed break. But that just means that this issue is that much better. Art Blue is up to his old tricks again with his tribute to Blade Runner, Rawsand.  It’s so hard to keep up with Art’s imaginative vision, but we all know by now that his futuristic world is both fascinating and thought provoking. Cat Boccaccio, who is known for her economy of words with her incomparable micro-fiction, stretches out a little bit this month with Rescue, where she tells a story of an excruciatingly awkward family gathering. Speaking of brevity, Monsters, by RoseDrop Rust, is undoubtedly the shortest piece of fiction ever to appear in rez, but believe me, it packs a punch. Long time contributor, Consuela Hypatia Caldwell, offers us Empty Night, one of her finest poems to date, a pensive piece about quite desperation.  We are happy to feature a lovely piece by Trinana Peach, titled Landscape of a Memory, a brooding poem about remembrances of things past. Our phenomenally talented Jullianna Juliesse gives us an achingly thoughtful reflection about endings and new beginnings with Finally Free.  And lastly, RoseDrop Rust composes an enigmatic message for the always nonjudgmental answering machine in Violent Means.  On behalf of the entire rez staff, we wish you joyful holidays filled with love and laughter. We’ll see you next year!

Sunday, October 1, 2017

October rez Posted

Read the October issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/october_2017



















Circuses and trained animal shows seem to be a vanishing breed these days, as we’re becoming more sensitized to the mistreatment of animals. Barnum and Bailey is gone and SeaWorld is not far behind. But there’s one way to experience the mysteries of the circus without harming a soul. Want to smell the hot roasted peanuts and popcorn, while bearded ladies, lion tamers, contortionists, ghoulish clowns, and fortune telling felines wander around? Want to pose with a giant squid who is more than happy to oblige just for the sheer pleasure of it? I’m referring, of course, to Iliana Cerise’s and Kitty (aka Vinje Resident)’s wonderful and dazzling party this month.  It’s hard not to notice them.  Iliana is the beautiful DJ in full circus regalia, spinning circus-inspired music, and Kitty, well…Kitty’s the cigar chomping impresario in the natty black top hat, with a button reminding us that “Sinners Are Winners.”  These two have been putting on the best parties on the grid for some time now (see the July 2017 issue of rez for their Space Party). Jami Mills gives us her impressions and some lush photographs of the affair in Freak Show! Be sure you don’t miss their upcoming Halloween party, which promises to be epic. Amy Inawe (SJW) teamed up with Frankie Rockett this month to bring us a fascinating article, Art Box, which describes the amazing installation produced by Frankie Rockett and Violet Sweetwater, where you are placed in the center of countless classic works of art, like The Scream and American Gothic, becoming a part of the piece.  A superb poet, Amy is every bit the consummate prose writer as well, and we’re glad she keeps coming back to our pages. Someone named VV #007 has contributed a bizarre piece called The Follovver, about a service one can hire to have someone follow you at a discreet distance and send you a photo of yourself.  The writing style is strangely familiar to regular readers of rez, and the subject matter is nothing if not creepy. Cat Boccaccio has contributed another of her fine examples of the best micro-fiction anywhere, hands down, with It, which reminds us of how we teach our children by example, and how precious is their innocence. DearsLuv Writer has brought us a very emotional poem this month, Divorce, which describes, in painful verse, how hearts aren’t broken, they’re ripped and shredded, by divorce. And last but certainly not least, the incomparable Jullianna Juliesse gives us her impressions on her move to the Midwest, in Diary of an Ex-Suburban Housewife Written From Exile in the Midwest. Pull up a chair and have a read.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

September rez Posted

Read the September issue of rez in Issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/september_2017























When we think of September, we can’t avoid thinking about going back to school. Most of us are far removed from classes, but we remember those heady days of pursuing intellectual interests for the sheer joy of it, mixed with a cocktail of hormones and consumables.  We may be out of school now, but we’re not too old to learn a few new tricks. And those come this month in the form of great writing and grand creative entertainments.  We’re told how important it is to “stay young” and “feed your brain.” Well, with this month’s issue, you’ll feel like a kid again and your brain will buzz.  The Monarchs have brought us such popular productions as Imagine! and Imagine Too!, both Disney-inspired spectacles, and this past month they unveiled Atlantis Rising, their latest fabulous enterprise. They’re back with their ever-popular mix of family fun and sensuality (even Disney had his moments). Families bring their children and gather their relatives online for one of their amazing shows. Watch them “sink a sim,” as Atlantis submerges evermore under the waves, now littered with shipwrecks and mermaids. The Monarchs will be back for a Halloween show that promises to be epic.  We have a bounty of rich poetry this month, with Jullianna Juliesse’s That Moment I Realized, which shows off Julie at her finest – in love and risking everything. Amy Inawe returns to our pages with a superb pantoum, I Fear the World Has Regressed. Technically astute and soulful at the same time.  Art Blue is up to his antics again, but this time as a cub reporter, giving his thoughts on the new grid, SANSAR. This is not his usual futuristic foray. This is now, and SANSAR is taking its first baby steps. See Art’s first impressions of this new world. RoseDrop Rust is back with Anger Face, where he captures moods and images effortlessly. His words are just liquid. Cat Boccaccio, who must have played with doll houses as a child, because she miniaturizes her prose, has brought us one beautiful piece of micro-fiction after another.  This month, she delves into the politics of yesteryear with Veep.  She always makes us wish we could have just a wee bit more. Buddhist Spiders is Mario Zecca’s latest poem, which not only features sharp observations so eloquently stated, but we also show off his artwork, which accompanies his beautiful writing.  Consuela Hypatia Caldwell is back in our pages with a lovely poem, Indelible. Each word carefully chosen, this is a fine example of Consuela’s beautiful wandering mind.  All in all, wonderful tidbits to feed our brain and keep us young while we get ready for everyone’s favorite season, autumn.  

Thursday, August 3, 2017

August rez Posted

Read the August issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/august_2017



















Thank you, Caesar Augustus.  This month wouldn’t feel quite the same without you.  One thing that does feel the same is the breadth of talent in this month’s summer issue.  Jami Mills introduces our readers to the best kept secret on the grid with her piece Eclectic/Electric.  You don’t need to be a jazz fan to spend a delightful evening at Monday night’s Jazz Salon at The Brown Note.  Musical wunderkind, Allison Widdershins, dazzles each week with a dizzying array of new and old music, spanning decades of great performances.  You also might just become a jazz fan in the offing. Art Blue tells it like it is (or was) (or will be).  When you remove time from any equation, things really start to get interesting, as Mr. Blue well knows.  A follow-up to his piece last month, The Salesman, Dream of Eden is the ultimate wish fulfillment. Jullianna Juliesse gives us another of her powerful poems this month with Lady Daedelus, with images raw and exciting.  Jullianna has a book of poetry that has just come out in RL, and is one of our favorite poets.  Erudite, witty, soulful - - all that. Mariner Trilling returns from a brief hiatus with two offerings this month:  Pendulum (who can even consider this word without thinking of Poe), and Opium Dreams.  Each one is an out of body experience, transporting us into Mariner’s exotic and exciting world. Flannex Northmead reminisces about simpler times with The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress, a frolic compared to some of the darker themes this month.  A wonderful display of a poet in full command of her craft. Speaking of dark, I get shivers every time I read Merope Madrigal’s poem, The Summary Execution of Mary Surratt.  What skill she brings to bear to capture the moments of ineffable terror before a woman’s ultimate demise. Dark though her work may be, we still call her Merry. Cat Boccaccio has a knack of finding a singular moment in a day in the life, and letting the reader fill in the before and after.  Her gift is in full bloom with Hilda’s Birthday, which takes a glimpse into the mundane and leaves us with deeper thoughts.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

July rez Posted

Read the July issue of rez in issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/july_2017

Time for some summer reading, isn’t it?  Some trashy, mindless pulp?  Sorry, we don’t have any of that in this month’s issue.  Just the work of some of the best writers on the grid, covering flights of fancy and the creativity that’s rampant if you just take the time to look around you.  This month’s cover story started innocuously enough.  “Jami, would you please take some shots for me at an upcoming party?  It might be epic.”  That’s how Iliana Cerise began the discussion.  And look what it turned into!  Space Party is a peek into that glorious event, and we wanted to make sure we preserved it for the ages.  Iliana and Kitty are to be commended for a fabulous idea, and they pulled it off with aplomb.  The incorrigible futurist, Art Blue, is back with The Salesman, a very funny take on, well, I’m not exactly sure.  With the help of his AI, Neruval, he is light years ahead of us.  Consuela Hypatia Caldwell contributes, It Isn’t Sex.  (If it ain’t sex, then what is it?)  Consuela has been a regular contributor over the years, and never fails to touch us deeply.  If there’s a better micro fiction writer on the grid than Cat Boccaccio, I’d like to meet them.  Nine Toes gives me reason to believe that such a person does not exist.  This hilarious tale of intrusive salespeople takes us beyond the pale, and as you know, that’s where Cat lives….Still buzzing from attending Bitch Slap, TerpsiCorps’ latest magnificent production (it’s playing again during the month of July, so make sure you see it!).  And who better to take us behind the scenes than Cassie Parker, who with Chrissy Rhiano, is the brainchildren of this production.  But as Cassie reminds us, it wouldn’t exist but for the incredible talent and dedication of the performers.  This superbly written chronicle of the production reveals so much about the arts here, and everywhere.  RoseDrop Rust (or Rusty to his friends) helps us imagine the exquisite sensation of strapping on, plugging in, and turning up.  Strapped is another of Rusty’s famed poems that gives us the visceral excitement of actually being there.  And bringing the July issue to a conclusion is a lovely poem by Adrian Blair, who has given us so many amazing works, and this is one of his best.  So time to read some trashy novel, you say?  I say, no!  Pick up the July issue of rez Magazine instead, and treat yourself to some real summer reading!

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

June rez Posted

Read the June issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/june_2017



















In this June issue of rez Magazine, we once again are blessed with some remarkable writing.  Dubhna Rhiadra continues to spin her tale of love, passion and intrigue with the second installment of her truly wonderful parable, The Moonlight Prince.  Please dig back into our website’s archives to read the first installment in the May issue.  There’s not a better example of storytelling that I know of.  Jullianna Juliesse brings us another of her wonderful poems, this time Litha, which proves she’s one of the most enchanting poets we have.  And equally remarkable is the extended treatise, The Anthropic Principle, a pithy bit of fiction from Gem Preiz, who has brought us some of the most tantalizing images we’ve ever seen, from God knows where.  Cat Boccaccio did a beautiful job with her graphics on Gem’s piece.  You will be richly rewarded for giving Gem’s piece your serious attention.   Give Cat Boccaccio a single word in her contribution, Qualm, and watch one of our treasured writers take it from there, dazzling us with her sense of whimsy.  Ray Blue contributes one of the finest examples of the space/time continuum to date in Insanlar (hint: turn it up!).  In the eighth installment of Footfalls Echo (8. Sunrise), Drover Mahogany takes us inside an Australian nature preserve in the magical hour just before the dawn, when Nature is in its most enigmatic state.  OMG is a fantastic poem by Mario Zecca, who shares his thoughts about the world’s diverse religions and leaves us in a state of grace.  And finally, in her piece Chelsea, Consuela Hypatia Caldwell pays tribute to the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, a bastion of artistic exuberance.  All in all, a wonderful issue that we bring to you, mindful of our duty to entertain, but also to inspire.

Friday, May 5, 2017

May rez Posted

Read the May issue of rez in issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/may_2017
 
 

















This month's issue of rez Magazine is particularly wonderful thanks to Dubhna Rhiadra's breathtaking parable, Moonlight Prince, which we publish in two parts.  This is storytelling at its finest and we're fortunate to have the likes of Dubhna spinning more tales for us.  Amy Inawe spins a tale of her own with The Stiletto Gang, an inspired story that is beautifully represented by Cat Boccaccio's stellar graphics.  Cat has been itching to get back into design and the results speak for themselves.  Welcome home, Cat.  Jullianna Juliesse has given us one of her strongest poems yet with The Dream Play, an enlightened contribution from a great talent.  Only a page away is another wonderful poem, Landscape, by Julie's partner in crime, Mariner Trilling, who explores how opposites aren't always so different in. Average Resident comes out of nowhere with a surprisingly average story called I Am Average.  The entire piece makes you question not only what's average, but just about everything else too.  Cat Boccaccio sure can write, and her micro-fiction is unparalleled.  This month, she takes us into a dystopian future and opens up a new world to our eyes with The Body.  Art Blue seems to be on a roll lately, writing inspired prose.  This month, he contributes a short observation about the work of the talented Gem Preiz.  The Anthropic Principle is Art's succinct take on Gem's LEA installment, which you all should see.  Pretty Pictures is Mario Zecca's most recent poem, which disguises some very powerful imagery behind the innocence of child-like drawings.  Drover Mahogany offers his seventh installment of the always insightful series, Footfalls Echo.  This month Drover reveals the value of listening in 7. Talking.  Flynt Firebrand returns to our pages with a lovely, dynamic piece called The One That Declined to Get Away, which spectacularly rounds out this month's issue.  We hope you enjoy reading this month's issue as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.  Remember, if you only have time to read one thing this month, make it rez.

 
 

   



Tuesday, April 4, 2017

April rez Posted

Read the April issue of rez in issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/april_2017

This month’s issue of rez Magazine brings us an abundance of talented writers and their exquisite prose, short fiction, and poetry.  Art Blue teaches us the fine points of “the top of the top” coding in his wonderful piece, Swordcoder.  Art takes us back into the past, then careens headlong into the future.  Fasten your seatbelts.  Cat Boccaccio captures a wonderful scene of generosity, love and Fate in Highway Revisited.  As only she can, Cat opens a window on another world and then gently closes it again before we ever really get to know it.   We’ve been waiting for just the right moment to publish RoseDrop Rust’s epic poem, and we do mean “epic,” Dragon’s Host.  Rusty is at the top of his game in this nod to Joss Whedon’s cult classic, Firefly.  Once you start this brilliant piece, you won’t be able to put it down.  In the sixth installment of Footfalls Echo, Drover Mahogany shares his intimate thoughts on his daily walks in the Australian countryside, this time in Waiting, about the many faces of love and a “Reserved” sign on quiet corner table.  Zymony Guyot returns to our pages with Flowers, his musings about the inspiration of Nature.  And finally, in The Beast, JadeSecret Quan descends into the belly of the beast and describes the rawness of its longings.  Please enjoy this month’s compendium of fine writing and photography.  Remember, if you only have one thing to read this month, make it rez!

Thursday, March 2, 2017

March rez Posted

Read the March issue of rez in Issuu:
 
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/march_2017



As buds begin to show their faces, as the ice thaws and reservoirs fill, there’s a pervasive sense of rebirth.  Happens every year ‘bout this time.  A number of the finest artists in any medium or grid have contributed the fruits of their continuing rebirth to this month’s issue of rez.  You can feel the excitement of the new environment.  This month, Cassie Parker reveals in Whitechapel Rising more about the new virtual world of Whitechapel – Victorian London, which opens March 4th at LEA 10. Stopping by this magnificent experiment, with live readings, art galleries filled with some of the most influential artists, machinima, several spectacular theaters, all in the backdrop of Jack the Ripper’s London, it’s a must see.  Cyberphoria visits us again in Art is Born, telling us she’s received plates with fractals on them, and then proceeding to reveal the truth about black holes and Moses Simulators.  Jullianna Juliesse rises up and puts on her pussy ears and tells it like it is, in She Persisted.  Cat Boccaccio, who is familiar to most of you as rez’s favorite micro-fiction author, pulls the curtain back on some very local entertainment, in Circus. For his fifth installment in the Footfalls Echo series, Drover Mahogany continues his morning walks, which puts him in just the right mood to share with us his most recent musing, Intimacy. In Encounter in a Parking Garage, Mariner Trilling gets quite a surprise in the most unlikely place: a parking garage.  Consuela Hypatia Caldwell is back this month with Ridiculous Thoughts, but her articulation of those ridiculous thoughts is quite wonderful. Lastly, in The Obligatory Smiley, Huckleberry Hax punctuates his thoughts (and this wonderful issue) with a great big smiley face. That’s it for March and we hope you enjoy it!





Friday, February 3, 2017

February rez Posted

Read the February issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/february_2017


Another month has rolled around and we’re proud to present a very strong slate of gifted writers and artists in our February issue.  Nothing makes us happier than to highlight the best and the brightest from the virtual worlds, and that’s just who we have to offer in this month’s issue.  Starting with our cover story about Gem Preiz’s outstanding exhibit, No Frontiers (now showing at LEA16), our very own Art Blue guides us through Gem’s 16 “salles” (Gem resides in everyone’s favorite city, Paris), each one with an exquisite, monumental work like nothing else you’ve ever seen before.  We’re also fortunate to incorporate an insightful interview with the artist, as well as several shots of his stunning work.  Our poetry editors, Julllianna Juliesse and Mariner Trilling, are now betrothed and one of our favorite contributors, Merope Madrigal, commemorates this blessed event in her romantic ode, This is How.  Something very exciting is coming together on LEA10, where Cassie Parker and Chrissy Rhiano are reimagining Victorian London (specifically the Whitechapel area, the scene of Jack the Ripper’s murderous rampage).  In Tales of the City, Cassie takes us behind the scenes every step of the way as she and Chrissy scurry from the first kernel of an idea about Penny Dreadfuls, to an empty sim, to a finished London, replete with period shops and a live performance theater.  When it opens, take a friend - - the streets may not be completely safe!  Mariner Trilling’s Safe in the Arms of Yahweh demonstrates his peculiar gift of blending the sacred and the profane, and we know you’ll enjoy this irreverent bit of mischief.  Jullianna Juliesse takes to the streets and reminds us that democracy is safe so long as We, the People, remain vigilant and raise our voices when necessary.  Her poem, Day One, implores each of us to actively participate in our own futures.  Also, Cat Boccaccio has a secret that she’s not telling, in her micro-fiction gem, Secrets.  We love how Cat is able to capture in so few words an entire lifetime of meaning.  Meanwhile, Drover Mahogany wanders through the hills of Australia, and by no means aimlessly.  In fact, if he’s lost at all, he’s lost in his own thoughts, richly recalling past epiphanies in Footfalls Echo:  Epiphany, his fourth in a series of musings about life.  If you only have a moment left, spend it reading Tamera Boberg’s evocative Spring Morning After Berry would be our suggestion.  This is Tamera’s first piece to appear in rez, and you’re about to find out why we hope there will be many more in coming issues.  Put another log on the fire, curl up, and enjoy this month’s issue.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

January rez Posted


read the January issue of rez in Issuu:



rez Magazine rings in the new year with an unusually stellar collection of prose and poetry this month from some of the most gifted writers on the grid.  And from the look of it, this trend is sure to continue for the balance of the year.  We begin 2017 with the monthly reprinting of select pages from Molly Bloom’s classic 2017 calendar, The Queen is Not Amused.  As we did earlier with Bryn Oh’s 2015 calendar, each month we’ll excerpt a month from Molly’s hilarious and always original collection of 3-D motifs.   As for literature, Cyberphoria is back with this month’s lead story, Art is Born, which opens with a quote from Art Blue:  If you control time, you control knowledge.”  If going back to Victorian England is in a sense controlling time, then we have Cassie Parker to thank for that.  She not only illuminates the LEA grant process for eager artists and even more eager audiences, but also lifts the curtain on TerpsiCorps’ own upcoming LEA installation, which will bring back to life the illustrious world of Penny Dreadfuls.  With a single word “Hope,” Huckleberry Hax exquisitely describes how we’ve wrestled with the term over the past eight years.  And what issue would be complete without one of Cat Boccaccio’s amazing short short fiction pieces.  This month’s The Cave Dweller is an eerie glimpse into the world of solitary confinement.  With no apologies to Disney, Flint Firebrand’s Frozen brings a wintry chill to our pages, as you can close your eyes and hear the ice cracking beneath your feet.  I Cried a Tear on a Cornflake is DonJuan Writer’s epic poem about the devastation of a house fire and some of the surprising things that are forgotten in the damage assessment.  Drover Mahogany’s third installment of his beautiful and insightful introspections, Footfalls Echo, is about learning – in this case, coaxing out the mysteries of the ancient Chinese board game, Go, with his devoted and always bewildered pupil.  Our own Jullianna Juliesse dazzles us again with her vision, telescoping into the heavens and bringing us back down to earth with the pigeons in Bryant Park.  And finally, newcomer Coquette Montague provides an apt close to our January issue with her examination of the puzzling intricacies of virtual romance.  We look forward to hearing from Coquette again soon.  As we like to say at rez, if you only have time to read one thing this month, read rez.  Enjoy!