Tuesday, December 31, 2019

January rez Posted

Read the January issue of rez in Issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/january_2020



















Kick off the new year properly with a resolution to read more good writing. The January issue of rez Magazine has just the lineup to help you keep this resolution, and it’s cheaper than a gym membership. Ervare takes a deep dive into Sansar and almost doesn’t return, maybe because he wasn’t wearing his swim goggles. Find out how Bryn Oh tried to steer him to safety.  Jami Mills contributes a short story, Confessions of Dr. K, about a stranger who, for the thrill of it, cons his way into the most prestigious hospital in Boston, only to find himself in the OR. In her piece called S.O.S.!, our intrepid cub reporter, Barbie Starr, tells us about Survivors of Suicide, a group here in SL that supports those who are suffering and thought about or have been affected by suicide. A difficult but nonetheless important topic in these troubled times. Dearstluv Writer returns to our pages with a lovely poem, Morality, challenging our notion of the right thing to do. Our writer Cat Boccaccio, who says more with less, tells a tale of desperation that ends suddenly, in her micro-fiction powerhouse, The Perfect Way. We can’t get enough of rakshowes’s superlative poetry, and her current offering, The Season, the Season, looks a little deeper into the true meaning of Christmas. In One Breath to Next, Drover Mahogany takes us into deeper and deeper levels of emotion with profound effect. Poetess Jullianna Juliesse contributes Insomniac this month, which will keep you up all night if you’re not careful. Newcomer Brian Berlin brings us The Door, which is an unsettling piece about the tricks our brains play on us. In Smart Australia, Neruval, the owl AI, describes the great fire that destroyed Sydney and bemoans the loss of the Great Barrier Reef to the ravages of climate change, something that will surely affect the migratory patterns of owls for years to come. And finally, in A Short Life, Art Blue asks whether it is better to live a short exciting life or a long dull one. He answers that question as you might expect.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

November/December rez Posted

read the November/December issue of rez in Issuu:



















In keeping with tradition for the past few years, we’ve combined the November and December issues of rez into a gala holiday issue. With so many days off from our work schedules, we hope you have some time to peruse our pages, where you’ll find some wonderfully compelling fiction, poetry and other articles of interest. We start off our holiday issue with The Jami Chronicles: East Africa by Jami Mills, who takes us along on her Land Cruiser through the wilds of Kenya and Tanzania. Not only does Jami describe her adventures in words, she also includes some lovely photographs of nature’s most beautiful animals to bring everything to life. Cat Boccaccio, whose micro-fiction is so powerful, contributes Roman Summer, a glimpse into adolescent love in Rome, Italy. Q Symphony looks ahead to the Afterlife Developer’s Conference – way ahead. It’s not until 2037. Rakshowes sizzles with an erotic poem about the sensual art of shibari. Cybele Moon joins our pages in stunning fashion with her piece A Canticle for Meg, a brilliant family story that turns tragic. Our favorite, Zymony Guyot, pens The Nth and tries to make some sense of our irrational world. In her second installment of her masterful star poems, Merope Madrigal brings us Even Planets Are Stars You Know, and in so doing, she shines as bright as any star in the galaxy. In The Wrong Biennale, Art Blue discusses the digital art show that runs through March 2020, which streams art to tablets and iPhones. And finally, RoseDrop Rust anchors our holiday issue with his poem, Love Loves Us, where he contrasts love and desire in a beautiful poem that questions the durability of romance. What better time to catch up on your reading than the upcoming holidays, which all of us at rez Magazine wish bring you and your families good tidings.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

October rez Posted

Read the October issue of rez in Issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/october_2019



















As the days get shorter and our favorite season is upon us, have no regrets about the summer reading you never got around to. We have an answer for that with this month’s issue of rez.  Starting things off is Substance D’s Tua Culpa (Your Fault), who addresses fundamental issues of truth and falsity in today’s universe and comes to some surprising conclusions.  Rakshowes is back this month with a light, fun poem, The Shoot, and she deftly brings us into the photographer’s studio while her model cavorts before the snapping of the randy photographer’s camera. Our beat writer, Barbie Starr, covers one of Second Life’s most important charity events in Rock Your Rack, and gives us an informative look at the history of the quest to find a cure for breast cancer. Dearstluv Writer contributes an astounding poem, Defeated, which overflows with anguish – a difficult but important poem from one of SL’s most beautiful voices. Cat Boccaccio is back again with another piece of micro-fiction, A Good Daddy, a hard-hitting piece about the sins of a father being visited upon the son. Faithless is RoseDrop Rust’s contribution this month and it is a stunning rebuke of those who fail to deliver on promises of artistic freedom and support. Art Blue, who follows American culture more closely than most Americans, explores some futuristic television themes in Reclaiming Art. Merope Madrigal looks to the stars in the first of her “Star Poems” with What’s In A Nebula?,” an other-worldly look at our relative insignificance. We’re also pleased to have Drover Mahogany back (you may remember his stunning Footfalls Echo series) with an insightful look into the ultimate act of creativity. And finally, Consuela Hypatia Caldwell brings our issue to a happy close with an ode to those heady days of the 60s at Yasgur’s farm with Woodstock. Enjoy your new autumn reading list!

Monday, September 2, 2019

September rez Posted

Read the September issue of rez in Issuu:
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/september__19



















As summer chugs along, we’re all making our way through our summer reading list. And here’s the September issue of rez just in the nick of time.  We start this month’s issue off with a bang: Singh Albatros returns to us with a remarkable parable about a boy and a bird. The Boy That Would Be Bird is beautifully written and deeply moving. In The New Linden Home Saga, our intrepid cub reporter, Barbie Starr, investigates the intrigue of obtaining a free Linden home with the new Premium membership and takes us step by step through the arduous process. No issue of rez would be complete without an offering by RoseDrop Rust. This month, Rusty visits the anguish of another mass shooting in America with a powerful poem El Paso – A Sacrifice of Hippies. It’s difficult to read, but read it we must. rakshowes adds a brilliant poem Fire that is full of passion, heat and energy. You’ll be seeing more of rakshowes in future issues. With The Uplink: Under Control, Seclifer brings us an essay on Making Lies Great Again, Code, ancient Greece, and much, much more. In another powerful and personal poem, Sunday Morning, Jullianna Juliesse comes to terms with a failed relationship with such grace and resolve. On a lighter note, Trinana Peach brings us Peppermints and Butterflies, a happy poem about frolicking youth and how it passes all too soon.  TimAqua, who writes so beautifully about so many subjects turns his attention to the subject of love in Love Will Find Her Way.  Simply breathtaking. And last and perhaps fittingly, Art Blue asks Why Not Nuke Them All? With Hurricane Dorian bearing down on the Eastern Seaboard, it’s a timely question.  Please enjoy reading this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed publishing it.  Until next month, have fun reading!

Sunday, August 4, 2019

August rez Posted

read the August issue of rez in Issuu
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/august_2019



















Into the heart of the summer we go with plenty of summer reading to sustain us. Leading off this month’s issue is Barbie Starr’s preview of the eighth annual celebration of H.P. Lovecraft at Lovefest later in August. Barbie gives us some of the history of the event and the sims that hold it. We challenged RoseDrop Rust to take a crack at short story writing and man did he deliver with Elvis, Snow White, and the Princess Bunny, a hilarious mashup of some of our favorite stories. TimAqua is new to our magazine and writes a powerful ode to those who stood up to injustice at Standing Rock. We look forward to hearing his strong voice in future issues. Jullianna Juliesse contributes a heartfelt poem about her dying father and a missed opportunity in Daddy’s Almost Haircut. Zymony Guyot is back this month with a tale of wreckage and healing called In Our Doom. SL celebrates its 16th birthday this year at SL16b and cub reporter Barbie Starr was there to cover it, with a 50s theme this time around. Cat Boccaccio’s micro-fiction keeps getting better and better and this month’s piece Fight or Flight is the best evidence. Mom Said is a visceral poem about the ravages of aging by one of our finest poets, Dearstluv Writer. Lastly, Shyla the Super Gecko cries tears over how we’ve abused and mistreated our collective home, Planet Earth. Enjoy the summer reading!

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

July rez Posted

read the July issue of rez in Issuu:
 
https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/july_2019_today



Now that we’re past the summer solstice, it’s time for some great summer reading and that’s just what we have in store for you this month. We start off with Celebrating Diversity Virtual Reality Style, written by our intrepid reporter, Barbie Starr, who covers Second Pride, the annual celebration of diversity. Barbie delves into the history of the movement and in the process, educates us and entertains us in equal measure. Consuela Hypatia Caldwell returns to our pages with a powerful poem, Vultures From Above, that reminds us of the forces set against the very diversity that Second Pride celebrates. Jami Mills returns to her musical roots and reviews a new, up and coming singer/songwriter, Hunson Abadeer, and is fortunate enough to have him sit for a fascinating interview as well. Jullianna Juliesse pens a poem, Daddy’s Almost Haircut, about what she might have done differently had she only known that her time was limited. With The Sky is Burning, enola em Vaher gives us a haunting tale of the apocalypse, bringing home the banality of our own demise. In The Enchanted Villa, Cat Boccaccio stretches out a little more than usual with a story of a wedding party stranded in a nightmare. One of our most cherished writers, Dearstluv Writer, shares a stunning poem, Tethered to the Vine, about the slow strangulation of intolerance. And finally, RoseDrop Rust contributes a hilarious poem, Snortle, which describes in great detail the unique qualities of a snortle. Enjoy!

Saturday, June 1, 2019

June rez Posted

Read the June issue of rez in issu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/june_2019



















In this month’s feature article, Sci-Fi Con Unveiled!, Barbie Starr gives us a detailed look at the annual event that celebrates all things Sci-Fi, but more importantly, raises money for Relay For Life, the organization that’s done so much to fight the scourge of cancer. This year was a record-breaking fundraiser and Barbie shows us who we should be thanking for putting on this extravagant and very successful event.  Trinana Peach gives us a poignant poem, Things I’ll Never Do Again, that looks back with some sadness over so many of the things that have make a life joyful.  The Swizzles is a humorous short story by Jami Mills, who ventures into the jungles of New Guinea to answer the question, “Where do swizzle sticks come from?” Singh Albatros is back in our pages with a stunner of a poem, The Village That Women Built, about oppressed women throughout the world. We’re so happy to welcome back Singh’s wonderful voice. In his poem, SLT, Flint Firebrand examines matters of luck, life and death in a remarkable poem full of his deep insights into the human condition.  Hans8 (is that his “real” name?) questions the morality of Artificial Intelligence in the fascinating essay, Why Max Must Be Caged, in which he suggests how humans may hope to interface with their superior thinking machines.  No one explores the awkwardness of social interactions better than our fave micro-fiction writer, Cat Boccaccio, and in Seasonal Mushrooms, she outdoes herself. One of our favorite poets, Dearstluv Writer, brings this month’s issue to an exciting close with her fabulous poem, Does It Matter? In Dearstluv’s case, it certainly does.  Enjoy!https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/june_2019

Sunday, May 5, 2019

May rez Posted

Read the May issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/may_2019



















Now that spring has sprung, we begin to think about our summer reading lineup. But before you go there, we have a lineup of our own this month that is wonderful, breezy reading.  Jami Mills covers this year’s iteration of the timeless classic SL entertainment, Le Cirque de la Nuit, the steampunk black and white extravaganza put on by Idle Rogue Productions. This year features more dance than circus, but was nonetheless a wonderful evening in the theater.  Unknown UUID contributed Wintergewinn, a tale that combines German history with modern day musings.  Zymony Guyot is back this month with a serious piece, E Pluribus Shooter, which takes our gun culture to task. Cat Boccaccio proves once again that less is more with her fine piece of micro-fiction, Home Alone. This month we reprint from December 2011 the political thriller, Bravo Red, which includes some topical observations about the perils of the US Presidency.  Fabric is Dearstluv Writer’s contribution this month, and one of her most provocative and beautifully written poems.  What issue would be complete without at least one poem by the incomparable RoseDrop Rust, who walks us through the ineffable seasons with Multi-Seasonal. And rounding out this month’s collection of wonderful prose and poetry is Shayna ThetiSheri’s Our Love, a poignant love poem for the ages.  After you finish this month’s issue of rez, then you can finish up that summer reading list.  Enjoy!

Monday, April 1, 2019

April rez Posted

Read the April issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/april__19



















As we thaw out in early spring, our thoughts turn to a good read on a lazy, sunny weekend.  We have just the thing for you: another issue of rez Magazine, chock full of timely articles, short stories and superb poetry by some of the finest poets in any realm.  Barbie Starr starts us off Glimpsing the World of Diawa Bellic, a peek into the career of the illustrious dancer, Diawa Bellic, who shares some of her personal thoughts about the current state of dance in SL.  Art Blue dazzles (us as only he can) with The Holy Follower, a story about how he started his own church, replete with monsignors and devoted Followers.  Inspired by the Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring, performed by the Boston Symphony, Merope Madrigal delivers a beautiful poem, Appalachian Synesthesia.  Morgue McMillan-Storeland brings us Mittelschmerz, a sensitive coming of age poem about newfound awareness.  Our favorite “less is more” writer, Cat Boccaccio, describes an ugly encounter in a high-end restaurant that prompts her to ponder civility (or the lack thereof).  Neruval, the erudite AI owl, contributes Gulliver’s Dream, which takes us along for a discussion with Art Blue, virtual artist, Gem Preiz, and Juliette Surreal-D about the intricacies of tinies and virtual technology.  Not Doing is RoseDrop Rust’s poem this month, wondering whether doing nothing might actually be better than doing something.  And last but not least, Dearstluv Writer scares us with her poem, Stalker, but in the scaring we’re hopefully better prepared for the stalker among us.

Saturday, March 2, 2019

March rez Posted

Read the March issue of rez in Issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/march_2019



















As winter drags on way too long, we sometimes yearn for something good to read by the crackling fire.  Well, you’ve come to the right place. This month’s issue features Barbie Starr’s piece One Billion Rising about the very worthy event of the same name.  Her well researched piece focuses our attention on the issue of violence against women.  Barbie sheds light on just how this organization conducts its important work.  Ervare contributes I Got Bigger Fish to Fry, in which he enlists the help of none other than the philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, in Ervare’s long-standing battle with Amazon. Cat Boccaccio brings us another one of her fabulous short, short stories, Happy Time.  Shyla the Super Gecko, whom you all know from her work here in rez, writes of a young girl’s innocence and its inevitable demise in Summer Salts.  And what would you do if a cat burglar suddenly appeared in your bedroom? Well, Persephone Phoenix tells us in her poem The Bedroom Fedora.  RoseDrop (“Rusty”) Rust describes his long-time idol, the enigmatic, sexy, strutting singer in his poem Jim Morrison. One of our favorite poets, Dearstluv Writer, ponders the choices we make between good and evil in her poem Impact.  B dot Red is sent to restore History in The Last Kingdom, and ends up criticizing the manner in which Albert Einstein’s brain has been preserved. The incomparable Jullianna Juliesse completes the March issue with Our Corner of Heaven Will Be Throwing Beer Cans at the Puritans, in which she hilariously describes her own lineage and their probable reaction to the events of the day.  Get comfortable and pull the blanket up over you and dive in to this month’s issue.  Enjoy!

Saturday, February 2, 2019

February rez Posted

read the February issue of rez in issuu:


https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/february_2019




















Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary, appeared today and didn’t see his shadow, which, as legend goes, means we’re in for an early spring.  Forget that historically, PP’s prognostications have only been right 39% of the time. What has been proven month after month, however, is that 100% of the time rez Magazine has presented the grid’s finest writers, be it micro-fiction, short stories, virtual news reporting, or world-class poetry.  This February's issue is no exception.  We’ve reprised Jami Mills’s short story, The Farm, featuring a sensitive young girl who stands up for what she believes in.  Zymony Guyot delivers a powerful punch this month with his poem, Dodging Bullets, which simply takes our breath away. No one describes more artfully than Consuela Hypatia Caldwell when two lovers blend into one, in her beautiful poem, Two Hues. Where in the world has Art Blue been?  Right at your backdoor, urging us to get a much needed update, in his short piece, Backdoor.  Cat Boccaccio, who always says more with less, contributes Callexis, a magical story about a mask like no other.  The Blank Theorem finds its way into our pages and makes us question what is and what is not, thanks to another Art Blue thought piece.  Rounding out this wonderful issue is our favorite poet, RoseDrop Rust, who dissects his way through the most profound of thoughts with his poem, The Anatomical Display. Just because Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow shouldn’t give us any false hope.  But the February issue of rez is as close to a sure thing as there is.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

January rez Posted

read the January issue of rez in issuu:

https://issuu.com/rezslmagazine/docs/january_2019





















We ring in the new year with a bounty of wonderful writing from around the globe. Embarking on a new year is always exciting, and fueling it this month is the mastery our contributing writers have over their craft, from reportage, to fiction, to poetry. When we add up our blessings at the end of the year, we come up with a staggering total. We start off the January issue with Burn2, a piece by our intrepid reporter, Barbie Starr, who tells the compelling story of how Burn2 came into being, all the way back to the burning of a giant male effigy in the California desert. Jullianna Juliesse pens a passionate poem, Mojo Boots, in which she spies a pair of “must have” boots - - and you don’t want to get between Julie and the object of her desire when that happens.  Jami Mills reprises Dear Sophie, her story of a jazz-loving, down on her luck, alcoholic Miss Lonelyhearts writer living in the Lower East Side. Karli Daviau contributes Frank’s, a hilarious poem that shows the predictability of some of the most familiar virtual pickup lines. Cat Boccaccio is at it again in Too Many Stops, where she explores the anguish of a broken family. In another of his brilliant poems, Multi-Seasonal, RoseDrop Rust treats us to his examination of the four seasons, giving us new insights into each. Art Blue does a deep dive into American music culture and differentiates between red, blue, green and black in Buddy Holly. Bringing it all to a wonderful conclusion is Will Blake, who takes our breath away with No Other Way, connecting words and images as only he can. From all the staff at rez Magazine, Happy New Year and Happy Reading!