Lizzie Borden Society Forum

The 3rd issue of The Literary Hatchet, a free online magazine that contains provocative short stories, brief fiction, uncommon poetry and prose, and drollery that frightens and surprises, is online TODAY!

Please visit The Literary Hatchet to download your free copy. A print copy will be available soon!

From the editor's remarks:

Welcome to 2009 and the third issue of The Literary Hatchet. Reviews have been more than positive and our authors are grateful for your patronage. This is a free magazine, so please share it with your friends and family around the globe.

In this issue, we are honored to publish three poems by the great Ada Jill Schneider, award-winning author of Behind the Pictures I Hang, Fine Lines and Other Wrinkles, and The Museum of My Mother. I have met Ada, shared poetry at her poetry club, and basked in the gentle goodness she brings to the world. I know you will enjoy her work as much as I do.

In addition to Ada’s work, we offer you some lovely pieces by two of my favorite poets—Michael Brimbau and Kat Koorey. Both of these substantial artists astound me in the breadth and scope of their talents. I am pleased to present them again to you here.

For short stories, nothing beats a work by David Marshall James. In this issue, he gifts us with two of his works—both related to the subject matter of Lizzie Borden, but in very different ways.

Readers of The Hatchet: Lizzie Borden’s Journal of Murder, Mystery & Victorian History will recognize regular contributor Eugene Hosey on these pages as well. Eugene’s short stories, while dark and brooding, always surprise me. They are a perfect companion to a thundering rainy day.

We are planning to have another issue out before the year is over, and submissions are being accepted now. Please send your short stories, poetry, humor, and artwork to [email protected].


Stefani Koorey

publisher/executive editor
stefani koorey

production/design
stefani koorey

design consultant
michael brimbau

contributing writers
ada jill schneider
kat koorey
david marshall james
eugene hosey
michael brimbau
aurora lewis
larry allen
stefani koorey
grim k. de evil
julia fisher
mark sashine
kathleen a. carbone

I've been reading this for the first time, today! Good job everyone!

And the design is fantastic, as usual, Stef!

When I show past issues off at work, the question asked first of me is *Who designed this?- it's impressive!*

Great work, I agree. Its an honor to be included.

k

(wow)

Beautiful, Kat. You took my breath away!

kash

Wow Thank you Kash!

Threading Needles by Michael Brimbau I loved too.
I am currently hooked on Salem and Nantucket Maritime history, and this poem fit right in with the stories I am reading.
(just reread the story of the whaler Essex (stove by a whale!) and "Two Years Before The Mast"
God, I love living near the Atlantic.

kash

I'm going to order the hard copy issue when it becomes available. Will read you then, Kash!

Thanks Kashesan. It pleases me greatly that you liked the poem.

The poem was written about my sail from Florida to New England.

While we crossed the Gulf Stream, about 150 miles off the Virginia coast, we hit some huge breaking seas. The crossing was an unfortunate one in that the wind was blowing hard against the flow of the gulf stream.

While sailing and steering through it in a tiny sailboat, I felt like a LION TAMER taming the waves. One wrong move and I could have been in trouble. As I steered, I felt like I was "Threading a Needle", where the boat was the Thread and the waves the Needle.

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But yes, I could never live inland. I need to see the ocean, the open water. I can fully understand your mania about the sea.

Nantucket is my favorite Island to sail to. Though a tourist trap like most, it is not as bad as the Vineyard. From Swansea to Nantucket it is a long sail and I don't like the Vineyard. So, I usually end up going in the other direction, to Block Island, or tiny nowhere Cuttyhunk, where there is not much to do or see..... just how I like it.

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And, as you should well know, the Essex was the original Pequod.

The story of the Essex was probably the model used by Melville to write Moby Dick. With his experience on the Whaling ship Acushnet, along with the story of the Essex and the story of the albinso whale, Mocha Dick, which escaped many whale hunts and was known to attack whaling ships of the coast of Chile, Herman Melville weaved his tale. GREAT STUFF.

I have not seen this issue yet. I am waiting for the hard copy to be published.

Thanks for the mention Kash.

you're welcome mb. My hat's off to sailors past and present.

Moby Dick is one of those books I re-read every few years (always in summer. The Scarlet Letter, in the fall) But I had not a clue about the Essex until I picked up "In The Heart Of The Sea" And me a New Englander! I've been too wrapped up the the witch trials and Lizzie.

Your needle and thread description paints the voyage for even a land lubber like me. I can only imagine how difficult (and gratifying) it must be to come through a high sea like that. (I read that the Essex was nearly capsized in the Gulf Stream only a few days out of Boston)

I am bound for the New Bedford Whaling Museum this summer-as soon as I get through an upcoming move. The Peabody/Essex here in Salem is nothing to sneeze at. Considering we were all merchantmen with plenty of snuff on board.

Ciao! Write more!

kash