The International Writer's Magazine: Our 10th Year - February 2009 - Welcome

Destinations: Travel stories & guides

Opinion: Politics & Issues

Lifestyles: Ways of living

A Trace of Thrace John Edwards In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, John M. Edwards snitches on the mystery-shrouded Balkans’ best-kept secret: an ancient (and enduring) heresy North To Alaska - Part 3 & 4 Sam Black We headed out at 0600 on Highway 2 westbound. Our goal is to drive as far as we can. The state of North Dakota is rather boring until you get to Devils Lake Charlie Don’t Surf Arya Kazemi The small coastal town of Baler in the Filipino province of Aurora; is something of a novelty, a fairly well-kept secret gem of a place to visit. BC's Sunshine Coast An Eco Adventure whatever the weather - Jane Cassie It’s reported that this lush 180 kilometer (110 mi) strip of shoreline, sandwiched between Pacific waves and coastal peaks, receives around 2,400 hours of annual sun. The Orphanage Aram Mclean in Uganda I smelled it in the air, a distant yet vaguely familiar scent that called to me as much as it repulsed me. The compound was full of children, orphans happy to be in school - to be given any small chance in life. Stung by a Portuguese Man-o-War R.S. DeFrance I am struck, stung, I can feel my arm loose power, feels numb, and dumb. I don’t know what to do Pennsylvania Dutch Virginia Hobart There seem to be two guiding principles involved with possessions, namely: none that facilitate travel, and none that connect directly with the outside world

Where have you gone Muhammad Ali? - James Campion I miss Muhammad Ali. I miss his defiance, elegance and grit. Economic Update - New York Dean Borok Obama's solution is akin to a transfusion that by-passes the heart and pumps energy to the rest of the body until a new banking system can be constructed Vox Stimuli James Campion What is transpiring throughout the world economy is about survival now. Writers & Progress in East Africa Ronald Elly Wanda The history of contemporary political ideas of Africa is a neglected field in the continent and more so outside of it. Activating Your Foreign Language Antonio Graceffo Now that I am a teacher, I understand what the nuns were saying back in grade school. They were saying, “Children learn by listening, not by speaking." What the dickens... it's Mr. Dickens Colin Fisher Am I saying that whereas English has evolved throughout the centuries Spanish has remained static? Ballet Without a Programme Eric D. Lehman Some would argue that ballet and opera are no longer living arts. That is, they do not affect the cultural landscape in the same way films or other media do. The Nationality of Hot Dogs In Defence of German Culture Lois Tietzel After discussions and hours spent churning and burning inside about all the terrible torturous things in U.S. history you begin to see the points of the very analytical, drilling and direct German students and their criticism of the U.S. and its role in the world

The Consul and the Serpent Pt 1 James Skinner ‘It’s been two years now since I resigned as Honorary British Consul in this north-western part of the Iberian Peninsula. Loi Tailang Tigers David Calleja For the hundreds of orphans at Loi Tailang Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Shan State, Burma, football is the fantasy escape from the memories of conflict Growing Old James Skinner Alas one reaches the ‘countdown’ age. According to statistics, I’ve got about 8 years to go The gift of tears Jeannine Pitas She kept them in her eye. There were a few of them, six who stayed always, about eleven who came and went. The Maid Amanda Callendrier She must wonder why I look like this.  I am not wearing matching pajamas, a robe, or even slippers The Peter Pan Wannabe Rosanne Stewart I wish tomorrow wouldn't come. I just need today to last that little bit longer because today is just about right. Tomorrow is dripping with negative connotations Silk David Russell When Marco turned towards China, he could never anticipate that this decision was prelude to a journey which would take four years to complete

FICTION plus

FICTION Original Shorts

REVIEWS Film & Books

The Effect of Blue Light on the Human Endocrine System Richard Skinner Prone and alone, I luxuriated in the sun. Unaccustomed to the heat, I dozed. "Hear the gunshots last night?" Coffee and Sex Mary Colvin ‘Wanted to know if you fancied going for a coffee and then maybe have sex after The Plumber Alan Stokes The bed's huge and white, very very white. The whole bedroom's white. Verisimilitude James C. Clar Dayton Apana sat at a window table in the Honolulu Coffee Company café. The window was open, the trades were blowing ... 6 December 1987 Greg Mosse For most of my childhood I didn’t live in fear. You don’t when you are small. But you become aware of it later, as you grow up and the world begins to show its teeth The Cruel War Andy Echevarria They stood face to face, tears falling down their faces. The war had finally come to them. Soon Jonathan would be shipped out

The Telephone Christine Lawrence It was on the skip. Steve was cycling home from work, just another long day in the factory, when he saw the skip sitting in the street just around the corner Blackfriars Bridge Paul Valentine My name is Sister Carmel. I understand that you are investigating the death of Monsegnieur Dwyer?’ Kiss-Ass Andy Jessica Schneider "I would do anything to protect my job," Paige could remember her co-worker Andy muttering upon one occasion The Missing Piece Floyd Frank There is a number of little things in my life that make me remember my mother

Watchmen Directed by Zack Snyder. Jack Clarkson If you’ve read the book, go watch the movie, you owe it to yourself, and frankly, they deserve the price of admission! Skins - Season Two Ruby C Harrison review Maybe I should be the first to say it. Put it out there and stop waiting for one more episode like an abandoned first date still filled with a puny hope that things willgo well. Truth is, the new season of Skins is utter crap. Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls) Aurelie Montfrond Dublins Sugar Club is a great venue The Red Dress by Gaby Halberstam S.N. review It’s 1944 – Jo’Burg, South Africa and Rifke Lubetkin (14), daughter of a Lithuanian Jewish refugee is growing up under the rigid control of her stern traditional mother. 2666 by Roberto Bolano Publisher: Picador (16 Jan 2009) Victor Manley My perseverance was sure to hold out, my patience was boundless, and yet despite my goodwill, I was horrified to find myself flagging. What could be the possible reason for this? The Whore's Child And Other Stories, by Richard Russo Dan Schneider review Perhaps the best way to judge a short story writer is to look at how he ends his tales The Game Of Triumphs by Laura Powell Michael Webb review Cat stumbles into the bewildering world of the Arcanum where questions are answered and secrets are revealed - will this orphaned girl find her answers in the strange world of the Arcanum?

Borderlines Vol 2 A Literary Spark Fiction, travel & poetry From the School of Creative Arts University of Portsmouth - available from Lulu Press & Blackwells, Amazon on-line Vol 3 is in selection now.

Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em and little fleas have lesser fleas ...ad infinitum - Augustus de Morgan

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