Letters from the Editor

by twickster

Welcome to the second issue of the resurrected teemings. With this issue, we start getting serious about making this a multi-media ’zine.

For the visually-oriented we have several kinds of artwork and graphics, including an article by the very talented jewelry maker freckafree. In addition to providing photos of her pieces, she also describes how she got into the intricate, freeform beading that is her medium. I’ve long been a fan of her jewelry, and am lucky enough to have a pair of earrings that she gave me as a “thank you” for organizing the ’08 Secret Santa exchange. If you haven’t already seen her work, make sure you check out the story and photos.

For the audiophiles, we have a pair of great submissions from Le Ministre de l'au-delà. Café Society regulars know him as a knowledgeable participant in music threads of all sorts, but may not realize that he’s a professional singer of opera and other classical music. I asked if he’d consider providing an audio clip of his singing, and he went one better. Hear his contributions in the “Audio” section.

While you’ve got the speakers on, there are also music clips in two different articles. Atomic Mama is not just a fan of the blues, she’s a world-renowned expert, and she has written a very personal piece about meeting a pair of blues greats. WordMan continues his efforts to introduce the Teeming Millions to some (undeservedly) lesser-known guitarists: in this issue he tackles Cliff Gallup, Gene Vincent’s guitarist.

Of course, this being teemings, there’s plenty of good writing as well. CalMeacham provides an interesting point of view of points of view; his essay makes an excellent companion to DocCathode’s meditation on the Icarus myth.

But wait! There’s more! We have the second chapter in blinkie’s memoir, and … well, I’ll leave the rest for you to discover for yourself.

If you like what you read/see/hear, please drop us a line and let us know; and if you have suggestions or criticisms, they’re welcome as well. And if something you experience here inspires you to your own act of creation, please send it along! I hope you’re already getting the idea that there isn’t any such thing as a “typical” teemings piece, just as there’s no such thing as a typical Doper. (See the “guidelines” link at the bottom of this page for more information about submitting your own work.)

Enjoy!