Dusty Dog Reviews The whole project is hip, anti-academic, the poetry of reluctant grown-ups, picking noses in church. An enjoyable romp! Though also serious. |
Nick DiSpoldo, Small Press Review (on Children, Churches and Daddies, April 1997) Children, Churches and Daddies is eclectic, alive and is as contemporary as tomorrows news. |
janet, by paul weinman across the room ebbing around peoples form sometimes flowing forward between couples and singles pausing or pressing in your pulsing sometimes disappearing as if sinking beneath bodies only to reappear where I hadnt expected as if some agreed-upon game of visual hide and go seek had been struk between us but with you always being my goal you always the prey within this party of my predation your flesh implores my grasp skin calling out through eyes that skim just barely touch mine in tempting taunting me with skin in stretch of face and arms and breasts that body bobbing between the others is not janet but my lust come to shore BEAGLES HE SAYS, by lyn lifshin I try to shove them on the Jehovah Witnesses. Why not, they come and stumble in in their twenty dollar cotton dresses want me to buy what they are selling. I give them addresses of sinners worse than me. Then, since the dogs, the beagles were what I got and what will save me, sustain me, get me where I dream of going, it makes as much sense for me to con vince them they need a beagle, figure they are as crazy for my dogs as I am about what they are peddling in sickness and for worse, by lois ann morrison in sickness and for worse
Muzak played softly in the background, James Galways flute with Henry Mancinis Days of Wine and Roses. Other tunes followed one after the other unannounced and hardly noticed, just skimming the edges of conscious thought, long-ago songs like muted memories fading with time but never completely forgotten. nopoem I, by c ra mcguirt is this sake hot? some would say its warm some would say its lukewarm Buddha says yip! nopoem II, by c ra mcguirt to yawn is not to sleep to pay attention is not to pay respect nopoem III, by c ra mcguirt i sorrow for the things i have not lost you brought a wineglass into my Temple and a careless elbow broke it. nopoem IV, by c ra mcguirt you still drink bitterness from that glass... SMASH against the Temple wall perfect, by Janet Kuypers once when i was in florida visiting mom and dad (i think it was a sunday) mom asked me, what do you want for dinner tuesday? and i thought, i dont know what i want for dinner tonight, or even if i want to eat, much less what i want for dinner two days from now i wanted to tell her to relax, not to worry about me, and i thought, there she goes again making sure everything is perfect poker face, by Janet Kuypers every once in a while mom would play cards with us but her poker face is just awful shed draw a card, one she evidently wanted look at it down her bifocals raise her eyebrows ooh, ooh, ooh!! shed say we all knew then we should fold how men should put their pants on, by james sullivan
Theres a proper way to put your pants on. Here it is: first, retrieve your trousers from the closet, door knob, or floor where you dropped them last night. Shake them several times to smooth the wrinkles out, to ensure the pants legs are not twisted, and to remove foreign objects. Now, set those pants neatly on the bed, chair, or floor. Youve got to don your underwear before anything else. picking my friends, by Janet Kuypers I had a friend while I was in high school, her name was Kim, she was a bit... progressive, shall we say, a bit outspoken. She was the type that followed rock bands with hopes to get a photograph or sleep with them. She had bright red hair in a mohawk, wore dark make-up. I remember once she came over and dad looked at her and said, are you going to sue your hairdresser for what they did to you? Well, anyway, I spent a lot of time with her while I was in high school, and while I didnt chop all of my hair off (I was too insecure to make a statement with no meaning at fifteen), our friendship had an effect on my well-being. She was often ill-tempered, and I found myself getting into agruments with her, feeling stressed because of her. And mom saw this, and long after the fact Sandy told me that mom considered telling me I couldnt see my friend anymore. But she decided not to, thinking I had to make my own decisions about which friends I had, and besides, if she told me I couldnt see Kim, Id just want to see her more anyway. And yes, I learned, and I ended the friendship soon after the trouble began. Well, I know Im not supposed to know about that, but Ive always wanted to thank her for the trust, for letting me make my own decisions. excerpt from the big sigh, by laurie calhoun I remember how relieved he was... He gazed at me not with interest, but out of gratitude and yes, it was relief. He must have thought that the others would be happy too, now that a diagnosis of the disease had been found. He forgot that they never wanted a cure. They prefer the way things are: false and ugly but apparently nice and secure. They dont like being harasses, least of all with embarassingly obvious truths. blue is the colour, by gary jurechka Blue is the colour of his kind, the blood blue of slumbering rose petals at night, the crystal blue of dancing, sparkling Caribbean waters, the gray blue of a solitary clouds hidden soul, the purple blue of dark storms fierce with power, the airy sky blue of laughing childhood summer heavens, the dusky blue black of twilight shadows swallowing the fading sunlight, the cool blue of soft jazz drifting on the breeze from an open window one warm evening, the mysterious midnight blue that is bathed in pale, lonely moonlight, and blue is the colour of his kind. the missing onion, by Janet Kuypers Every Fourth of July mom and dad would have a party for all of their friends. Sandy and I at night would get a ladder and climb to our rooftop so we could see the fireworks from neighboring towns. Well one year, at the party, mom was getting all the food together, she always made so much food for everyone, and she was finishing the salad, but she realized that she was missing the onions. I know I cut an onion for the salad, she said. Help me look for it. So Sandy and mom and I were walking around the kitchen looking for an onion, cut up. Frantically searching. Not on the counter, not in the refrigerator. Its coming to me! mom yelled out during the search, and we all stopped for a clue toward finding the prized minced onion. Its... its in tin foil. Okay, so now were looking for a smelly ball of wrinkled metal, this is a good lead. And were all just laughing so hard because were looking frantically for an onion mom misplaced this morning. Well, mom finally gave up and left the search party because she had to bring the salad outside, with or without the beloved tear-jerker, and so she starts to toss the salad, but something is heavy on the bottom. Oh, silly me, she says, and pulls the aluminum foil- laden vegetable out from the bottom of the bowl. To this day, whenever we remember something, we say, Its coming to me, and laugh. I was a cheddar cheese gal and he was an American cheese guy, by lisa newkirk I was a cheddar cheese kind of gal and he was an American cheese kind of guy I sat up late Christmas night with him and his roommate Christmas dinner eaten early that afternoon every grocery store, fast food place and diner closed and on the television appeared an actor holding a powerful suggestion: a grilled cheese sandwich before saying it aloud in unison, we both had the same thought - we wanted it. he had the bread his roommate had cheese - Swiss cheese yuck! we both said I said I like mine with cheddar yuck! he said he said he makes his with American yuck! I thought and so we sat wistfully waiting for the stores to open neither one prepared to eat a grilled cheese sandwich made with Swiss You know, it wasnt just the cheese it was his watching television all night, every night while I wanted to go out it was his impatient punctuality when I wanted the luxury of lounging around, get-ready time it was his wearing old boots to a wedding while I wore a black dress from Sax Fifth Avenue tomato, Tomahtoh we both were thinking the same thing about each other but neither one was willing to eat each others grilled cheese sandwiches tuesday nights, by Janet Kuypers tuesday nights were the nights dad went out with the boys in the builders tee club and it was just the girls at home. i remember a story of when mom and dad were younger and dad would come home late on tuesdays, drunk, and one time mom decided to scotch tape the front door lock, and dad tried and tried to use his key but just couldnt get in the front door. well for me tuesday nights were spaghetti nights, because dad hated spaghetti but we loved it. there was no meat in it, i could hear him saying. but when i was younger, i remember thinking that my favorite day of the week was not saturday or sunday, free from school, but tuesday, when he had spaghetti or elbow noodles in a milk and butter sauce and it was the girls night together. that dress, by Janet Kuypers both years i went to prom you made me my dress the first, pink and mauve i looked like a parade float, i think the next year, something a bit more dramatic i wanted black with a touch of ivory, you convinced me to have ivory with a touch of black you made a dress with a fitted jacket i could take the jacket off wear a pair of long dress gloves you know, you never liked having your picture taken mom but ill always keep the photo taken just before my prom night of the two of us im leaning my head on your shoulder i loved that dress jody in the sunlight, by john sweet jody in the sunlight motionless doesnt make a sound doesnt look up when i talk to her or when i walk away doesnt laugh at my jokes anymore doesnt cry when i hit het doesnt flinch when i burn her sits by the window all day and doesnt blink when i put the gun to my head or hers just stares at something i cant quite see |
Nick DiSpoldo, Small Press Review (on "Children, Churches and Daddies," April 1997) Kuypers is the widely-published poet of particular perspectives and not a little existential rage, but she does not impose her personal or artistic agenda on her magazine. CC+D is a provocative potpourri of news stories, poetry, humor, art and the "dirty underwear" of politics. One piece in this issue is "Crazy," an interview Kuypers conducted with "Madeline," a murderess who was found insane, and is confined to West Virginia's Arronsville Correctional Center. Madeline, whose elevator definitely doesn't go to the top, killed her boyfriend during sex with an ice pick and a chef's knife, far surpassing the butchery of Elena Bobbitt. Madeline, herself covered with blood, sat beside her lover's remains for three days, talking to herself, and that is how the police found her. For effect, Kuypers publishes Madeline's monologue in different-sized type, and the result is something between a sense of Dali's surrealism and Kafka-like craziness. |
Ed Hamilton, writer #85 (of children, churches and daddies) turned out well. I really enjoyed the humor section, especially the test score answers. And, the cup-holder story is hilarious. I'm not a big fan of poetry - since much of it is so hard to decipher - but I was impressed by the work here, which tends toward the straightforward and unpretentious. As for the fiction, the piece by Anderson is quite perceptive: I liked the way the self-deluding situation of the character is gradually, subtly revealed. (Kuypers') story is good too: the way it switches narrative perspective via the letter device is a nice touch. |
Jim Maddocks, GLASGOW, via the Internet I'll be totally honest, of the material in Issue (either 83 or 86 of Children, Churches and Daddies) the only ones I really took to were Kuypers'. TRYING was so simple but most truths are, aren't they? |
C Ra McGuirt, Editor, The Penny Dreadful Review (on Children, Churches and Daddies) cc&d is obviously a labor of love ... I just have to smile when I go through it. (Janet Kuypers) uses her space and her poets to best effect, and the illos attest to her skill as a graphic artist. "I really like ("Writing Your Name"). It's one of those kind of things where your eye isn't exactly pulled along, but falls effortlessly down the poem. I liked "knowledge" for its mix of disgust and acceptance. Janet Kuypers does good little movies, by which I mean her stuff provokes moving imagery for me. Color, no dialogue; the voice of the poem is the narrator over the film. |
Mark Blickley, writer The precursor to the magazine title (Children, Churches and Daddies) is very moving. "Scars" is also an excellent prose poem. I never really thought about scars as being a form of nostalgia. But in the poem it also represents courage and warmth. I look forward to finishing her book. |
Gary, Editor, The Road Out of Town (on the Children, Churches and Daddies Web Site) I just checked out the site. It looks great. |
John Sweet, writer (on chapbook designs) Visuals were awesome. They've got a nice enigmatic quality to them. Front cover reminds me of the Roman sculptures of angels from way back when. Loved the staggered tire lettering, too. Way cool. (on "Hope Chest in the Attic") Some excellent writing in "Hope Chest in the Attic." I thought "Children, Churches and Daddies" and "The Room of the Rape" were particularly powerful pieces. |
Cheryl Townsend, Editor, Impetus (on Children, Churches and Daddies) The new cc&d looks absolutely amazing. It's a wonderful lay-out, looks really professional - all you need is the glossy pages. Truly impressive AND the calendar, too. Can't wait to actually start reading all the stuff inside.. Wanted to just say, it looks good so far!!! |
Brian B. Braddock, Writer (on 1996 Children, Churches and Daddies) I passed on a copy to my brother who is the director of the St. Camillus AIDS programs. We found (Children, Churches and Daddies') obvious dedication along this line admirable. |
Brian B. Braddock, Writer (on 1996 Children, Churches and Daddies) I passed on a copy to my brother who is the director of the St. Camillus AIDS programs. We found (Children, Churches and Daddies') obvious dedication along this line admirable. |
Paul Weinman, Writer (on 1996 Children, Churches and Daddies) Wonderful new direction (Children, Churches and Daddies has) taken - great articles, etc. (especially those on AIDS). Great stories - all sorts of hot info! |
Dusty Dog Reviews, CA (on knife): These poems document a very complicated internal response to the feminine side of social existence. And as the book proceeds the poems become increasingly psychologically complex and, ultimately, fascinating and genuinely rewarding. Children, Churches and Daddies. It speaks for itself. |
Published since 1993 No racist, sexist or homophobic material is appreciated; we do accept work of almost any genre of poetry, prose or artwork, though we shy away from concrete poetry and rhyme for rhyme's sake. Do not send originals. Any work sent to Scars Publications on Macintosh disks, text format, will be given special attention over smail-mail submissions. There is no limit to how much you may submit at a time; previously published work accepted. |