cc&d magazine

Volume 166.5, November 21 2006

The Unreligious, Non-Family-Oriented Literary and Art Magazine
Internet ISSN 1555-1555

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Singular     This is another special supplement to cc&d magazine — not a regular issue, but material that is used in the performance art show on 11/21/06 of poetry about the passing of the editor’s mother. These poems have been used in past cc&d supplements (v164.5 and v165.25), but here they are altered for the show, and one of the poems (“Story Telling”) was split so parts of the poem were used throughout the live performance show in Chicago.     This show was performed live at the Cafe in Chicago on 11/21/06, and music from the DMJ Art Connection was used in the background for this show. Material from this show (studio releases and live recordings) should be available at the web page for the DMJ Art Connection, if you are interested in hearing pieces from the show — but they should also be available in a performance art listing as well.     You can also download the PDF file/ebook of this, which appeared in circulation during the live show in Chicago.

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Story Telling Janet Kuypers, 09/09/06 #3 Your see, my mom, eleven years ago had breast cancer and the three girls flew to visit her at her home across the country and mom felt bad that she couldn’t make our trip better because she just found out she had cervical cancer too but we couldn’t have come at a better time and she had procedures she had surgeries and she had a radical hysterectomy and then the cancer was gone she was in the clear so for a decade she went to the doctor and they found no cancer in her and all seemed well she had beaten a killer ### when I was almost killed in a car accident and I had head trauma             no fractured bones,             except my skull they never told me             just my family             but not me, the patient that I’m expected to have a seizure within six months of my accident I had a grand mal seizure seven months after I was almost killed no one explained to me what was happening and I had to figure it out as I went along ### well, a decade after her bouts with cancer she went back to the doctor, had a fever, felt tired and they said, well, it’s funny, you’ve got all the symptoms and most women who have had as much cancer in their history as you’ve had well, you’re likely to have leukemia ### well, she did ### and when she found out at her home in south west Florida she traveled to University of Chicago Hospital             (they’re a good hospital, you know) and she got prepped for chemo was in the hospital shorter than me             (damnit, I shouldn’t be             so self-centered that way) and had chemo lost her hair             (with her new crew cut,             as her hair grew back             she looked just like her brother,             Uncle Pete, from this army photos) and the doctors said she was in remission now, this leukemia is a tricky thing cancer of the blood versus cancer of an organ it was easier when you could just remove an organ and leave it at that but this was cancer in her blood and the cancer crept into her bone marrow and they had to periodically drill into her hip bone for a bone marrow biopsy to see if there was any cancer in her bone marrow fun job, drilling into her hip bone you wonder why there are so many hip replacement surgeries now well, look at how doctors test now a little bone pulled here, a little bone pulled there well anyway, the doctors said she was in remission             (happy happy, joy joy) but because this cancer-of-the-blood thing was tricky they’re going to give her another round of chemo just to be on the safe side             because you know, if people             don’t go through this extra round             of chemo             the leukemia is more likely to come back so mom took the chemo and she recovered at my sister’s house until she was well enough to go back home and recoup in her own home I visited her in her recoup time just shy of my parent’s fifty sixth wedding anniversary bought the cologne dad would give mom for their anniversary while I was visiting she hoped that when her hair grew back after the chemo it would grow back curly and it was she was so used to having a hairdresser style her hair into a bee hive and she’d have to sleep on her nose to keep her hair style in place until her next hairdresser appointment so her hair was curling now she bought curling hair gel she wore a little white hat             (we always could pull off             looking good in hats) and curled the ends of her new short hair around her little cap she looked so cute mom would work in the mornings run errands, get groceries and by lunchtime she would be tired so she’d watch her soap operas but who can blame her, she’s still recovering from all the chemo Hell she went through all of her neighbors said, it’s amazing how well she’s doing after all she’s gone through and they were right ### a month after I left from visiting mom started to feel tired, feverish so dad took her to the doctor and they said, Silly us, she wasn’t in remission they wanted to put her in hospice care immediately and she looked at dad, and they both instantly agreed they’re not giving up that easily so back to the University of Chicago hospitals more chemo for mom a different chemical this time so she won’t lose her hair but after she went through the chemo again they found no change in her condition and then they said, “you’ve got two choices: because you’re immune to chemo now you can go for experimental treatments, or you can decide to stop treatment” she said, “I don’t want hospitals anymore” so she made her choice and the doctors said she had two to six months to live maybe as long as a year and I said to her as she was getting platelets at the Hospital, “When your father had cancer, doctors gave him six months to live. How long did he live?” and she said six years so this was something she could beat we Bakutis come from a strong stock we can do anything I know we can

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Wither Away saw my mother today am getting used to seeing her sleeping called hours before I came over “sure, we should be here,” my sister said “she’s napping now” so she should be awake when I got there and they had game shows on one called Lingo, I think and mom’s eyes were opening and closing over and over again she should be feeling better now, I think she should be on the road to getting home and feeling more at peace with her life I gestured to say good bye today told mom that I didn’t know if she’d be leaving to go back home before this weekend so this is the last chance I might see her but I could visit her at home if that’s okay with her and she said “I don’t want you to me me wither away” and I said, “mom, we want to see you, we love you” and I kissed her arm and her forehead and I did my best to not cry wither away, she says even if I see her for weeks months years lying on the couch falling in and out of sleep my memories of her will not wither away the things she has given me will not wither away and my love for her will not wither away it won’t I promise

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(from “Story Telling”) ### well, I don’t think she wanted to fight I think the pain in her bones was too strong and I think she was tired of fighting a battle she couldn’t win so she let it take over they said two to six months and she lived just shy of three she struggled through it all not telling us about her pain just taking her medicine, so to speak and hoping everythin g would just kill her and get it over with and...

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Your Soul is Shaking 08/29/06 can you imagine a water glass filled with crystal clear water and I don’t know what an earthquake feels like but imagine something you have no control over starting to shake everything around you and and everything just starts shaking and the water in that glass is rippling and it’s starting to splash in its glass and you want to hold on to that damn glass to make the water stays in place but you’re shaking with that glass and you don’t want anything to fall apart you see everything around unexpectedly start shaking like everything’s about to tear in half and you watch the rippling of the water and you realize that your soul is shaking like that too

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Seven Ten, Seven Twenty 08/31/06 received a phone call today “this is Hazel in Naples your dad can’t talk right now” it was probably around seven twenty Central Standard Time and she told me my mother died about ten minutes ago dad got on the phone said I’m the only child he called my husband watches me as I listen to the news my mother has died and my father is falling apart a thousand miles away I I tell him I’m sorry I don’t know what else to say I rested my hands on the arm rests of my desk chair everything suddenly felt very heavy I didn’t want to lift my hands, my fingers it’s almost as if after I heard I’m too numb to cry I’ve been crying enough before she left and the tears will come later trust me

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Knelt and Cried Janet Kuypers, 09/03/06 #3 I was in the minivan or whatever the Hell you call dad’s new car, driven only 930 miles dad driving, sister in the front seat me and brother in the back seats my husband behind me in the far back seat and I waited at my father’s house for a while so we could go to my mother’s services well, they weren’t services she didn’t want that but dad thought the kids would want to see my mother before she was cremated so there we were, the family in ties in black dresses sitting and waiting in our little hearse to drive us to Fuller Funeral Home for our final visit we were in the car and my husband in the far back seat and he knew I was sad he sensed I was crying while the hearse took us to the funeral parlour and he reached his hand forward to take my hand to touch my shoulder, to something and I couldn’t see his face but his hand was a grave consolation as our hearse rolled on to our chance to say farewell I was trying not to cry in the ride in the hearse to the funeral parlour I’ve been a good Marine I’ve been trained to not cry but I couldn’t help the tears at that point and I did my best to stifle them so no one would consider my sniffling and no one would question my faltering emotions we had to take two separate cars and we arrived and we were greeted when we entered and we asked where to go and they pointed the way to lead us in the right direction and I think we were all afraid to go into that room to see her well, I can’t speak for anyone else I know I was afraid afraid of what I’d see afraid of afraid of I don’t know what afraid of seeing how she looked afraid of the finality of it all just afraid so, I’m the littlest one of course I let everyone else go in before me they’re supposed to want to see her more that’s what I hear and we walked in and there were many seats and you could see her face, asleep, peeking out of the coffin in the distance and we all just instinctively sat down dad finally walked to her and knelt before her coffin we watched him watch her pray for her talk to her I don’t know what he was communicating with her he was with her and we all wanted that with her one more time one sister went next, knelt cried then a brother then another brother and I watched a procession of family members all older than me all apparently more important than me all with more history with her than me and and my husband asked if I wanted him to go with me when I walked up to see my mother and I thought, no, I need to do this on my own I finally walked up to her knelt before her and looked at her in the dress she wore to my wedding and thought she looked so beautiful she looked so peaceful she looked like she was sleeping and I hadn’t seen her that peaceful in a long time every time I came to visit her since the disease started she always looked tired when she was awake otherwise she was asleep and looked fitful in her rest I looked at her eyebrows they were penciled in very nicely and I looked down at her nails and they were long, very nicely painted and the earrings we picked for her to wear were so dainty and so lovely and the dress was so nice and she looked so peaceful and that’s all I could keep thinking that she looked so well rested that she was just taking a good nap and she would be just fine she had to be ### I looked at my mother one last time these were my final words to her face this would be the last time I saw her make it good, girl you’re the one with the words tell her what you mean in fifty words or less that’s how these services go, don’t they? and I told her that I loved her and I told her that I hope that I carry on any of her kindness because that’s they way she’ll live on because the world is filled with people who aren’t nice who aren’t kind and losing her makes the world a worse place people have told me that I am kind that I am nice and I only hope I can do you justice that I can somehow make this world a better place like you did I only hope that I can do the world justice because the world needs you now, mom and you had to leave us so what do we do now before I left her that first time I started to run my hands along my chest into a cross because I wanted all of the spirits to know that you are there and that you are to be welcomed because you are blessed even if it’s only from the likes of me

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The Good Ones Janet Kuypers, 09/02/06 #3 I’m back in Florida now, near my mother’s house where everyone on these little streets knows everyone’s name and everyone likes my mom because she’s such a sweet woman and every time I walk down the streets here now it seems that over half of the people I run into have to stop to tell me they are sorry about my mom and you get used to hearing that I mean, not that it doesn’t mean anything or anything but everyone is sorry she’s gone but one woman hugged me and said “they always take the good ones” and that’s when I started to react that’s when I was just about ready to cry because yes, they do always take the good ones and it made me that much more sad and it made me that much more angry to know the injustice of it all and to know there was nothing I could do she didn’t smoke she took care of her husband and her five children she was so sweet and tried to make everyone as content as they could possibly be she followed her husband’s lead in doing what he wanted and kept track of finances so that she could afford a good education for her children her husband seemed violent in his children’s eyes he drank too much and she stood by his side and kept things together and she fought with breast cancer then had cervical cancer and she fought those cancer attacks and won you’d think she had gone through enough for crimes she didn’t commit but, you know, cancer doesn’t fight fair so later cancer struck back by not attacking an organ but all of her blood instead I know she’s a strong woman but how could any one woman fight every cell coarsing through her body so yeah, it’s unfair it’s completely wrong I want to kill someone for doing this to her someone has to be held accountable because it makes no sense that she has to fight a battle she can’t win and she’s one of the good ones and she really shouldn’t have been taken I hate them for taking her and I hate them for leaving us to grieve this way I don’t care who you are but I hate you

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(from “Story Telling”) ### and now I sit and write this story and my father is sleeping in front of the tv in his lounge chair next to me             he says it’s more comfortable there             to fall asleep and I’m listening to his breathing while he sleeps and I hear him panting every thirty seconds while he sleeps like he’s having nightmares about it all still and as I tell this story there’s still a panic in the air even while we sleep

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A Little Angel Inside Janet Kuypers, 09/11/06 #3 it seems strange, that on the day the towers fell five years ago where every television station and newspaper is praising our resolve for all of the death that has been forced upon us well, it seems strange that this is the day the death certificates became available from Fuller Funeral Home and this is the day we pick up my mother’s ashes seems eerily strange my sister is holding some ashes to be made into a diamond from mom so they came to us with a small container for her and a larger cardboard box of all of mom and Kristina from Fuller Funeral Home even handed me a small maroon bag tied tightly shut and she whispered to me, “these are your mother’s earrings” I knew the dress we chose for her the dress she wore to my wedding would be burned with her in her cremation but it never occurred to me that the earring would survive and here they are, in a little velour bag for me like how people try to keep something from the fall of the World Trade centers who lived through that horrendous day well, I think, maybe this is what I’ll keep if anyone argues about them I’ll say, I lost her dress from my wedding for the cremation so these earrings are a gift to me now sorry I know, they’re clip-on earrings and they’re not real diamonds but they are three pretty little stones today, tomorrow and forever and they look so dainty and delicate and they’re a good way for me to remember her when we left Fuller Funeral Home today dad carried the paperwork, the death certificates and I carried mom with us in her little containers and I think I held that little red bag like there was a little angel inside and I had to be delicate to make sure nothing happened to it because I was it’s keeper now I’ll treat it well and treasure it always I promise

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Just Let Her Rest Janet Kuypers, 09/11/06 #4 it was heavy heavy the way I felt after I let the news sink in that my mother died my sister told me to take mom’s ashes ashes of her coffin, and ashes of the dress she wore to my wedding the ashes were so heavy so we were at Fuller Funeral Home today and we asked if the ashes were ready they brought mom to us a smaller container, a larger container sealed tightly along with all the necessary paperwork to prove that yes, these are my mother’s ashes this is really it and I carried mom out to the car with my dad so we could bring mom home one more time mom sat in my lap at first, then at my feet for a safer journey she’s resting on my bed right now all tightly wrapped up like she was covered, in a blanket because she used to get cold there are a few polyester/ cotton button-down tops we keep in the hallway closet you know, for additional warmth for mom we kept them in the closet still because the kids visit and I’ve even been wearing one of them because I get cold in the air conditioning in the afternoons here we keep some of these things around like her crocheted blankets because she’d get cold sometimes and maybe I can think she’s resting now on my bed her ashes in plastic like a blanket around her to keep her warm and to keep her together ### I probably sound delirious talking this way but saying these things makes it easier to handle right now I don’t want to think that my mother’s remains are now only ashes in a plastic bag closed with a little white twist-tie in a cardboard box on top of my bed I don’t want to think of it that way really I’d rather think she’s resting now before I bring her back to where she used to live she’s my mom I even just had to put her under the blankets you know, with a little room at the top her her head wherever it may be I even had to put my arms around her like I wanted to do while she was still alive, dying so I even put my arms around her and cried so give her a rest she’s needed it for so long just let her rest

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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. Debra Purdy Kong, writer, British Columbia, Canada I like the magazine a lot. I like the spacious lay-out and the different coloured pages and the variety of writer’s styles. Too many literary magazines read as if everyone graduated from the same course. We need to collect more voices like these and send them everywhere.     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. Children, Churches and Daddies. It speaks for itself. Write to Scars Publications to submit poetry, prose and artwork to Children, Churches and Daddies literary magazine, or to inquire about having your own chapbook, and maybe a few reviews like these.     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? what is veganism?     A vegan (VEE-gun) is someone who does not consume any animal products. While vegetarians avoid flesh foods, vegans don’t consume dairy or egg products, as well as animal products in clothing and other sources.     why veganism?     This cruelty-free lifestyle provides many benefits, to animals, the environment and to ourselves. The meat and dairy industry abuses billions of animals. Animal agriculture takes an enormous toll on the land. Consumtion of animal products has been linked to heart disease, colon and breast cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and a host of other conditions.     so what is vegan action?     We can succeed in shifting agriculture away from factory farming, saving millions, or even billions of chickens, cows, pigs, sheep turkeys and other animals from cruelty. We can free up land to restore to wilderness, pollute less water and air, reduce topsoil reosion, and prevent desertification.     We can improve the health and happiness of millions by preventing numerous occurrences od breast and prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and heart attacks, among other major health problems.     A vegan, cruelty-free lifestyle may be the most important step a person can take towards creatin a more just and compassionate society. Contact us for membership information, t-shirt sales or donations. vegan action po box 4353, berkeley, ca 94707-0353 510/704-4444     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.     Children, Churches and Daddies no longer distributes free contributor’s copies of issues. In order to receive issues of Children, Churches and Daddies, contact Janet Kuypers at the cc&d e-mail addres. Free electronic subscriptions are available via email. All you need to do is email ccandd@scars.tv... and ask to be added to the free cc+d electronic subscription mailing list. And you can still see issues every month at the Children, Churches and Daddies website, located at http://scars.tv     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. MIT Vegetarian Support Group (VSG) functions: * To show the MIT Food Service that there is a large community of vegetarians at MIT (and other health-conscious people) whom they are alienating with current menus, and to give positive suggestions for change. * To exchange recipes and names of Boston area veg restaurants * To provide a resource to people seeking communal vegetarian cooking * To provide an option for vegetarian freshmen     We also have a discussion group for all issues related to vegetarianism, which currently has about 150 members, many of whom are outside the Boston area. The group is focusing more toward outreach and evolving from what it has been in years past. We welcome new members, as well as the opportunity to inform people about the benefits of vegetarianism, to our health, the environment, animal welfare, and a variety of other issues.     Gary, Editor, The Road Out of Town (on the Children, Churches and Daddies Web Site)     I just checked out the site. It looks great.     Dusty Dog Reviews: 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.     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.     Dusty Dog Reviews: She opens with a poem of her own devising, which has that wintry atmosphere demonstrated in the movie version of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago. The atmosphere of wintry white and cold, gloriously murderous cold, stark raging cold, numbing and brutalizing cold, appears almost as a character who announces to his audience, “Wisdom occurs only after a laboriously magnificent disappointment.” Alas, that our Dusty Dog for mat cannot do justice to Ms. Kuypers’ very personal layering of her poem across the page.     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!!!     Fithian Press, Santa Barbara, CA     Indeed, there’s a healthy balance here between wit and dark vision, romance and reality, just as there’s a good balance between words and graphics. The work shows brave self-exploration, and serves as a reminder of mortality and the fragile beauty of friendship.     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.     You Have to be Published to be Appreciated.     Do you want to be heard? Contact Children, Churches and Daddies about book or chapbook publishing. These reviews can be yours. Scars Publications, attention J. Kuypers. We’re only an e-mail away. Write to us.     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.     The Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology     The Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation (SEREF), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., established on Earth Day 1993 the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) as its central project. CREST’s three principal projects are to provide:     * on-site training and education workshops on the sustainable development interconnections of energy, economics and environment;     * on-line distance learning/training resources on CREST’s SOLSTICE computer, available from 144 countries through email and the Internet;     * on-disc training and educational resources through the use of interactive multimedia applications on CD-ROM computer discs - showcasing current achievements and future opportunities in sustainable energy development.     The CREST staff also does “on the road” presentations, demonstrations, and workshops showcasing its activities and available resources. For More Information Please Contact: Deborah Anderson dja@crest.org or (202) 289-0061     Brian B. Braddock, WrBrian B. Braddock, Writer (on 1996 Children, Churches and Daddies)     Brian B. Braddock, WrI 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.     Dorrance Publishing Co., Pittsburgh, PA     “Hope Chest in the Attic” captures the complexity of human nature and reveals startling yet profound discernments about the travesties that surge through the course of life. This collection of poetry, prose and artwork reflects sensitivity toward feminist issues concerning abuse, sexism and equality. It also probes the emotional torrent that people may experience as a reaction to the delicate topics of death, love and family.     “Chain Smoking” depicts the emotional distress that afflicted a friend while he struggled to clarify his sexual ambiguity. Not only does this thought-provoking profile address the plight that homosexuals face in a homophobic society, it also characterizes the essence of friendship. “The room of the rape” is a passionate representation of the suffering rape victims experience. Vivid descriptions, rich symbolism, and candid expressions paint a shocking portrait of victory over the gripping fear that consumes the soul after a painful exploitation.     want a review like this? contact scars about getting your own book published.     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!     The magazine Children Churches and Daddies is Copyright © 1993 through 2006 Scars Publications and Design. The rights of the individual pieces remain with the authors. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.     Okay, nilla wafer. Listen up and listen good. How to save your life. Submit, or I’ll have to kill you.     Okay, it’s this simple: send me published or unpublished poetry, prose or art work (do not send originals), along with a bio, to us - then sit around and wait... Pretty soon you’ll hear from the happy people at cc&d that says (a) Your work sucks, or (b) This is fancy crap, and we’re gonna print it. It’s that simple!     Okay, butt-munch. Tough guy. This is how to win the editors over.     Hope Chest in the Attic is a 200 page, perfect-bound book of 13 years of poetry, prose and art by Janet Kuypers. It’s a really classy thing, if you know what I mean. We also have a few extra sopies of the 1999 book “Rinse and Repeat”, the 2001 book “Survive and Thrive”, the 2001 books “Torture and Triumph” and “(no so) Warm and Fuzzy”,which all have issues of cc&d crammed into one book. And you can have either one of these things at just five bucks a pop if you just contact us and tell us you saw this ad space. It’s an offer you can’t refuse...     Carlton Press, New York, NY: HOPE CHEST IN THE ATTIC is a collection of well-fashioned, often elegant poems and short prose that deals in many instances, with the most mysterious and awesome of human experiences: love... Janet Kuypers draws from a vast range of experiences and transforms thoughts into lyrical and succinct verse... Recommended as poetic fare that will titillate the palate in its imagery and imaginative creations.     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 the book.     You Have to be Published to be Appreciated.     Do you want to be heard? Contact Children, Churches and Daddies about book and chapbook publishing. These reviews can be yours. Scars Publications, attention J. Kuypers - you can write for yourself or you can write for an audience. It’s your call...     Dorrance Publishing Co., Pittsburgh, PA: “Hope Chest in the Attic” captures the complexity of human nature and reveals startling yet profound discernments about the travesties that surge through the course of life. This collection of poetry, prose and artwork reflects sensitivity toward feminist issues concerning abuse, sexism and equality. It also probes the emotional torrent that people may experience as a reaction to the delicate topics of death, love and family. “Chain Smoking” depicts the emotional distress that afflicted a friend while he struggled to clarify his sexual ambiguity. Not only does this thought-provoking profile address the plight that homosexuals face in a homophobic society, it also characterizes the essence of friendship. “The room of the rape” is a passionate representation of the suffering rape victims experience. Vivid descriptions, rich symbolism, and candid expressions paint a shocking portrait of victory over the gripping fear that consumes the soul after a painful exploitation.     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.     Dusty Dog Reviews (on Without You): She open with a poem of her own devising, which has that wintry atmosphere demonstrated in the movie version of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago. The atmosphere of wintry white and cold, gloriously murderous cold, stark raging cold, numbing and brutalizing cold, appears almost as a character who announces to his audience, “Wisdom occurs only after a laboriously magnificent disappointment.” Alas, that our Dusty Dog for mat cannot do justice to Ms. Kuypers’ very personal layering of her poem across the page.     Children, Churches and Daddies. It speaks for itself.     Debra Purdy Kong, writer, British Columbia, Canada (on Children, Churches and Daddies): I like the magazine a lot. I like the spacious lay-out and the different coloured pages and the variety of writer’s styles. Too many literary magazines read as if everyone graduated from the same course. We need to collect more voices like these and send them everywhere.     Fithian Press, Santa Barbara, CA: Indeed, there’s a healthy balance here between wit and dark vision, romance and reality, just as there’s a good balance between words and graphics. The work shows brave self-exploration, and serves as a reminder of mortality and the fragile beauty of friendship. Children, Churches and Daddies the unreligious, non-family oriented literary and art magazine Scars Publications and Design ccandd96@scars.tv http://scars.tv Publishers/Designers Of Children, Churches and Daddies magazine cc+d Ezines The Burning mini poem books God Eyes mini poem books The Poetry Wall Calendar The Poetry Box The Poetry Sampler Mom’s Favorite Vase Newsletters Reverberate Music Magazine Down In The Dirt magazine Freedom and Strength Press forum plus assorted chapbooks and books music, poery compact discs live performances of songs and readings Sponsors Of past editions: Poetry Chapbook Contest, Poetry Book Contest Prose Chapbook Contest, Prose Book Contest Poetry Calendar Contest current editions: Editor’s Choice Award (writing and web sites) Collection Volumes Children, Churches and Daddies (founded 1993) has been written and researched by political groups and writers from the United States, Canada, England, India, Italy, Malta, Norway and Turkey. Regular features provide coverage of environmental, political and social issues (via news and philosophy) as well as fiction and poetry, and act as an information and education source. Children, Churches and Daddies is the leading magazine for this combination of information, education and entertainment. Children, Churches and Daddies (ISSN 1068-5154) is published quarterly by Scars Publications and Design, cations and Design. Contact us via e-mail (ccandd96@scars.tv)ian Court, Gurnee, IL 60031-3155 USA; attn: Janet Kuypers. Contact us via snail-mail or e-mail (ccandd96@scars.tv) for subscription rates or prices for annual collection books. To contributors: No racist, sexist or blatantly homophobic material. No originals; if mailed, include SASE & bio. Work sent on disks or through e-mail preferred. Previously published work accepted. Authors always retain rights to their own work. All magazine rights reserved. Reproduction of Children, Churches and Daddies without publisher permission is forbidden. Children, Churches and Daddies copyright Copyright © 1993 through 2006 Scars Publications and Design, Children, Churches and Daddies, Janet Kuypers. All rights remain with the authors of the individual pieces. No material may be reprinted without express permission.