November/December rez Posted

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On the doorstep of the historic US elections, we fidget and pace, worried about what might soon be in store for Americans and the rest of the world. What better way to pass the time than to pick up this month’s issue of rez, which features some timely contributions.  Starting things off is One Small Step For (A) Man, setting forth Neil Armstrong’s prediction of the US Presidential Election.  Well, it’s not actually Neil Armstrong, but our favorite AI owl, Neruval, and his two candidates won’t be familiar to you either. We’ll just let Neruval sort it all out for you in his own hilarious style.  As always, we have some wonderful poetry and Shyla the Super Gecko’s One Tin Soldier shines brightly among them, urging helpful action over hate.  Will Blake always has some tricks up his sleeve and Recipe for Super Powers is no exception.  It’s a surprisingly dark and wonderful poem.  The Beginning is Dubhna Rhiadra’s charming fable about a world of cats.  Who better to bring that curious world to our eyes?  Cat Boccaccio contributes Scoops, which is a fascinating childhood memory of a teacher’s assignment and, yes - - it’s short short short.  Jullianna Juliesse brings us Genesis, an inspirational and uplifting poem celebrating girl power.  The Entrance is a magical short piece of fiction about a moment frozen in time at a local Starbucks.  Elysienne rounds out this month’s issue with a heartfelt poem of love and loss.  All in all, a wonderful collection of some of the best writers on the grid.  Enjoy, stay hydrated, sleep well, and above all, VOTE!

October rez Posted

read the October issue of rez in Joomag:

 

As we say goodbye to summer and all the relaxing days of reading, drifting off into other worlds of fantasy and fiction, images of beauty and sadness, the air cools but the sun still feels warm. In short, it’s Autumn, and damned if we’re not going to get some good reading in with this issue of rez.  Once again, we’re blessed with some of the most creative, energetic and….well….astounding voices you can find anywhere.  CybeleMoon starts us off with another of her magical tales, The Stolen Child, a sumptuous feast for the eyes and the soul.  Art Blue is back with TT. I See Art. I See Time, cautionary tale of futuristic musings about AI, art, time and a whole lot more. He shines a light to lead us into an uncertain, scary future. Rakshowes creates with lush images, in a very painterly The Wedding, where images of flowing bridal mermaid dresses blend with ancient rituals. In her ongoing and highly acclaimed Singer/Songwriter Series, Larkbird Parx interviews DennyMac and so eloquently shares with us his thoughts about music that we’re yearning to hear him sing. What can we say about the incomparable Cat Boccaccio, who this month shares another story about Leep, full of her characteristic lush imagery. RoseDrop Rust (or Rusty as we like to call him) toils in his garden of words and images and contributes The Reluctant Gardener this month and lucky we are to have such an illustrious writer share his poetry with us.  The Shadow People is Consuela Hypatia Caldwell’s latest poem and is full of strong, emotional imagery. One of her best poems to date, she is surely at the top of her game. Annie Mesmeriser knows a thing or two about Texas blues because she’s seen a thing or two. Annie’s Blues is chock full of anecdotes about musicians, singers, and in this piece, recording studios. Doesn’t it just make you want to signal the engineer to start rolling some tape? That’s it for this month. Enjoy!

September rez Posted

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As many count down the days until the American presidential election, at rez we’re counting down the days until the end of summer (21 days as of this writing). Why? If summer is over, so is summer reading season. Thankfully, there’s a fall reading season also. There’s enough wonderful writing in this month’s issue to keep you enthralled through both seasons. Dubhna Rhiadra starts things off with A Global Creation Myth, another of her splendid parables, this time telling the story of no less than the beginning of the world. It’s charming, spiritual, insightful and, as all her work, “wondrous.” Two of our favorite poets, Persephone Phoenix and Consuela Hypatia Caldwell, like jazz musicians trading fours, alternate their stanzas beautifully in Capitalist Speed Dial, and the result is impressive. Zymony Guyot is revered in our pages for his poetry’s musical feel, riffing in and out (always in perfect tune) of the most important issues of our day. A Reading From the Book of Karen is passionate and blunt. It’s also written with such style and voice, you just want to let it soak in and contemplate his “good trouble.” Also expressing the angst of our times, RoseDrop Rust’s The Verge is a very personal and evocative poem, putting words to our collective anxieties about, well, just about everything it seems. When we read Art Blue, we’re always challenged to go “off-page.” He sends us into another space/time digital dilemma with ARIADNE. Shine on You. It’s an extraordinary tale by Art (aren’t they all?) and you’ll enjoy it. Cat Boccaccio is brief and to a very wonderful point, and Oh, Bucket is another example of how Cat owns the micro-fiction world. Will Blake draws such unique and colorful connections in his poetry, and Fierce Blessings is no exception. He leaves us wanting more. Sister Echo is Zati Kodaly’s poetic response to our place in the universe. Finally, CR Torok captures the infatuations we all fall prey to (sooner or later), with Footsteps in Passing, a nice way to finish up another issue of rez. Enjoy the reading and the pretty pictures.

August rez Posted

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Here we are, stuck at home, right in the middle of the summer reading season. Let’s make the most of our quarantine by picking up the August issue of rez. We have so much to deal with, so it’s nice to have the best writers we know of interpreting all of it - - letting us know how it feels.  Rakshowes sets the tone for the entire issue with Torrent Cries, which is a gusher of emotions, a remarkable work. Family looms large, we yearn to be close to those closest to us. Shyla the Super Gecko captures that in Sometimes, Just Sometimes. If there’s a silver lining to missing our friends and family, we get to probe deeper into the futuristic mindset of Art Blue, who may for all we know have taken control of rez (we’re looking into it). George: Air on You is his answer to questions we’re still pondering. Wittgenstein was right (ask Art).  RoseDrop Rust, who has delighted us over the years with his powerful poetry, takes a turn at essay writing with In Our Lives, a sober examination of race relations. Hopefully, we’ll be reading more of Rusty’s essays in the near future.  Consuela Hypatia Caldwell and Persephone Phoenix are back to back in this issue, with Piano Bar Blues and Monsters, respectively.  Both great talents, it’s wonderful to be able to publish them side by side. Cat Boccaccio is up to her usual micro-fiction tricks, this time with The Accident, which tells how a single incident can change lives completely. Dearstluv Writer asks the very important question “What’s normal anymore?” in Back to Typical, a penetrating poem trying to make sense of the pandemic. Merope Madrigal shares a deeply personal poem on the same topic: loss in the age of Covid. Amy Inawe closes out this month’s offering with As the World Boils and Bends, a haunting poem about a world gone mad. Enjoy the issue and stay safe and sound.

July rez Posted

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Two of the most beautiful words in the English language:  Summer Reading!  And we have just the thing for you with this month’s issue of rez.  The black cover this month is simply a reminder that racial injustice is not something that people protest for a few weeks and then move on to the next item in the news cycle (like gun control advocates after a mass shooting).  This time it needs to be different and change, real change, is needed. Art Blue steps to the plate this month with George. Joy on You, a look into the first marathon and a $10,000 orange. Old Stone is Zymony Guyot’s timely poem that speaks to old prejudices and how some cling to them despite changing times.  In her heartfelt poem, I’m Sorry, Merope Madrigal expresses her deep sorrow so exquisitely. In the latest installment of her Singer/Songwriter Series, Larkbird Parx showcases the immense talent of Aubryn Melody, chanteuse extraordinaire, in Aubryn. Creator of some of the best micro-fiction around, our mistress of brevity, Cat Boccaccio, brings us Ungrateful Bees, which describes a foiled attempt to destroy a beehive, but draws us into a much more complicated world. We are excited to introduce a new feature this month with Annie’s Blues Notes, wherein Annie Mesmeriser spins a fascinating stream of consciousness focusing primarily on the blues, often of the Texas variety. Annie shares with us some of her more interesting experiences with local blues artists who made it big. Lynn Mimistrobell conducts a classical music salon inworld and her notes on a recent program featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony are so wonderful that she’s agreed to let us reprint them this month. Subtlefire’s heart is not quite ready to come out in the open again, as revealed in her poem Concrete Rose. Our talented poet, Jullianna Juliesse challenges our notions of white privilege in Cottonwood.  Neruval, the AI owl, must speak out about a turnout at a recent event in He Will Succeed. And Merope Madrigal closes out this month’s issue with another timely poem in her enchanting piece, Love in the Time of Covid-19, which depicts how love flourishes with the virus amongst us. There’s plenty to read and think about this month.

June rez Posted

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We are especially proud to publish the 100^th issue of rez Magazine, celebrating the virtual arts since 2011.  We are grateful for the support and contributions of countless artists, writers, musicians, designers and staff who have devoted themselves to the arts. While not everyone has the time to read lengthy pieces, rez offers succulent tidbits and timely reporting. We start the issue with Time For a Cure, Barbie Starr’s coverage of Sci-Fi Con 12, an annual sci-fi celebration in support of Relay For Life.  R. returns to our pages with a wonderful piece, Every Day Spent. Rakshowes shows us why she’s one of our favorite contributors with her stunning The Virus with the Crown. Art Blue pages through his holographic files and finds an orange for us in An Orange For You. RoseDrop Rust, our poet emeritus (because he’s contributed so many fine poems over the years), offers us Burlesque, leaving us laughing in the aisles. Zymony Guyot dazzles us with What Evs, renewing his copyright on happiness. Jullianna Juliesse encounters an old flame and is flooded with memories in Once, I Actually Dated a Lifeguard. Larkbird Parx returns with another in her Singer/Songwriter Series, this time profiling the wonderful work of Winston Ackland. Cat Boccaccio, who has graced our pages since the very first issue, delivers a poignant piece of micro-fiction, Mockingbird. And what can I say about the poetry of Dearstluv Writer, other than we’re honored to included her month after month. When? is her sad, but important work, mourning the trampling of our garden Earth. Thank you to all who have contributed to rez over the years, and thank you, dear readers, for supporting rez, the virtual arts and life magazine. Here’s to another hundred issues!

May rez Posted

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As we continue our seemingly endless quarantine, we do appreciate the added opportunity it provides for us to catch up on some reading.  The May issue of rez comes at a good time for that, full of enchanting stories and insightful poetry, just the sort of thing we all need right now.  So to start things off, Cybele Moon continues her wonderful parable, The Siren’s Bones, the second of a two-part series.  If you missed the first part, be sure to visit our blog, where all of our back issues are archived.  Zymony Guyot, with his bebop poetry, nails another hypocrisy on the head in his poem, Brother Dollar Bill.  Art Blue cuts a wide swath through so many different subjects in Viralo, exploring the responses to COVID-19 and a certain President’s response, among other things.  Loreen Aldrin is the subject of Larkbird Parx’s new “Singer/Songwriter Series” and it’s always a joy to catch up with such a talent as Loreen.  Cat Boccaccio, who does more with less than any other writer we know, contributes some dramatic micro-fiction with Stefan, the story of a femme fatale with ice in her veins.  RoseDrop Rust’s Elvis Christ Ultrastar concerns the return to SL of an erstwhile singer seeking to claim his birthright as a superstar.  Shyla the Super Gecko doesn’t pull any punches when she asks tough questions about gun violence.  Real Revolution by Consuela Hypatia Caldwell is her latest contribution, seeking meaning wherever it can be found.  And last but not least, Jullianna Juliesse has a brush with the virus and lives to tell the tale in Isolation.  All in all, it’s a wonderful issue that should fill some of your hours with some provocative thoughts.  Enjoy!

April rez Posted

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Our hearts are breaking for those who are struggling. We do what we can and for many of us, that’s just to stay indoors for now. I don’t have any inspirational message for you but to say that we’ll rejoice on the other side. In the meantime, we do what we do best: we reach out to our friends and loved ones; we urge them to be safe; and we worry for them. We’re nurturers at heart and now, more than ever, we need to nurture ourselves. How? We listen to our artists who put into words those feelings we all share but aren’t able to express as beautifully. Maybe we have a little extra free time at home. What better way to spend a few moments than to read. So find a comfy chair and open up this month’s issue and feel good about the immense talent that is all around us, and feel good about ourselves. We’re doing just fine. Keep it up.

March rez Posted

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As buds are beginning to appear on the green stalks outside (at least for some of us), our thoughts to some springtime reading. We have just the thing for you.  We start off the March issue with an exquisite poem by our dearest departed friend, enola em Vaher, called Word of Dream.  This is followed up by two equally lovely poems paying homage to enola: the first by Luna Branwen called change in a blink, and the other by Grail, called l’artiste grace a l’art.  Jami Mills does an in-depth exploration of one of the most exciting art galleries on the grid called The Lundy Gallery, owned and curated by Lee1 Olsen.  One could easily spend months exploring this expansive exhibition space, filled with the finest artists in SL.  Zymony Guyot had something he needed to get off his chest and we’re so happy that Shadow Cabinet was the exceptional result.  Merope Madrigal returns to our pages with a sumptuous poem, Night of the Iguana.  You can just feel the balmy breeze and the tropical rhythms.  We welcome Larkbird Parx as our new music writer, who starts things off with a wonderful piece about three talented instrumentalists, with accompanying interviews.  Very informative and sensational reading.  Cat Boccaccio is back with a very short but pithy piece of micro-fiction, Saving the World.  GameC.at warns us that even AIs can get viruses in The Black Hole.  Rakshowes contributes a sensual, almost erotic, poem about the secret dalliances of plant life with Passion Flowers. Our beloved Dearstluv Writer closes out this month’s issue with a poem that describes her gentle quest.  We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did bringing it to you.

February rez Posted

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It is with deep sadness that we dedicate this issue to the memory of Enola em Vaher, who devoted her life to the arts, both as an extraordinary poetess in her own right and as a patron supporter, breathing life into the Chelsea Hotel and all of its art exhibits and poetry readings. She will be missed. So it is fitting that we start with one of enola’s poems, Hope Bleeds, which we now read in a different light. Cybele Moon contributes Tales of the Caravanserai, a wonderful parable which she illustrated herself. Game Cat VR gives us a tutorial about a new way of reading in the digital age in Capture This. Our cub reporter, Barbie Starr, was looking for a subject related to the heart (February is American Heart Month), and settled on the Mayo Clinic and all it does to promote good health inworld and elsewhere. Her piece The Mayo Clinic Has Your Heart (Back) is informative and continues her work of supporting nonprofits in Second Life. Art Blue immerses himself in twin tales, EX dot G and The Afterlife, where he takes us into the world of printed hearts and Pong. Cat Boccaccio is well known for her micro-fiction and she contributes another fine example in Conquer. Eta Goldsmith joins our pages with an ode to a city dear to her heart in My Florence. Trinana Peach gives us another of her lovely poems, Home from the Sea, about an expectant bride, praying for the return of her sailor. RoseDrop Rust is never at a loss for words, and his Decadent Dream proves just that as he delves into exotic Berlin. And finally, Drover Mahogany closes our issue with a heartfelt poem of love lost.