Issue 9 - Gold Dust magazine

Zines of the Times [cont’d]
GIV: Both. I don't know that Global
Inner Visions has a role. It is simply
a passion of mine that allows
others to explore their passion,
either the reader or the writer. The
idea has morphed into something
beyond what I started.
GD: Both! I wanted to offer readers
the opportunity to discover work
often overlooked from talented,
up-and-coming writers, as well as
providing a showcase for more
experienced writers. Our literary
articles and interviews are of interest
to readers and writers alike.
We particularly aim to promote
exciting and original prose and
poetry, while also featuring a wide
range of articles on writing-related
topics. I would estimate that a
large percentage of our readers
are also contributing writers,
hence our focus on writing-related
articles. We encourage all contributors
to read at least one issue of
the magazine prior to submission.
Will screen-read ezines ever
replace the short story bookstall
magazines and newspaper and
periodical space dedicated to
fiction and poetry?
SUW: I don't think so. There will
always be a love of printed books.
A lot of people love the look of
books and magazines, the feel and
smell of them. They love the fact
they are portable, that they can
snuggle up in bed with them. It's
like vinyl vs CD. For a while vinyl
disappeared from the shops, but
then it started creeping back in.
True music lovers like the non-digital,
raw sound, the cover artwork
etc. Same with ezines – you can
print off the text if you want to read
it away from the screen, but it's not
beautifully designed like a book.
Also, we went on to publish hard
copy issues of Sein und Werden in
the first place because a couple of
contributors did not have access to
a computer, so even printing out a
PDF was not an option for them.
TT: In a way I hope not! I enjoy
browsing through books and magazines
at bookstalls, and there's
nothing better than the feel of a
book. But I do see the advantages;
it would be so much easier and
tidier in my room to have one simple
machine to store several books
and magazines – advantages
would mean less trees being
shredded to make paper, which
would be a great help to the environment.
Being realistic, I do think
there is a very high chance that
paper editions will dwindle out.
Just the way everything else has
over the years, such as the record
– which became the CD, and now
the iPod/MP3 player, all readily
available via the internet – so it's
obvious that one day books/magazines
will follow those steps.
GIV: Yes, but not totally. It is the
internet thing you know. All print
media is suffering a decline. I don't
think print will die, but it will certainly
shrink. The internet is why.
The reason printed material won't
go away completely is portability.
There is still a lot of world out there
that doesn't have the internet.
GD: Only if the new palm book
systems take off. Currently, I think
people like curling up with a book,
so sitting at a PC screen cannot
compete. Dedicated readers may
print out their ezines, but the
expense and time involved will be
prohibitive to most. This is one reason
why we always provide a print
copy of Gold Dust alongside our
PDF version.
Why did you open a literary
ezine and what did you think
qualified you for the job?
SUW: Because of the volume of
truly great (in my opinion) work
online. Also I was coming across
authors and artists who were too
lacking in confidence to send their
stuff off to the few remaining print
magazines, so I kind of stepped in
and said hey, you know? I really
love what you're doing here. Let
me publish it alongside x and x on
the web. What qualified me for the
job was simply a dedication to getting
good quality writing and artwork
out there. If I had the funds,
I'd set up a publishing company. I
really admire such places as
Afterbirth Books, Twisted Spoon
Press, Centennial Press and
Henry Rollins, who set up his company
to publish the kind of writing
he felt inspired by.
TT: My main reason for starting the
magazine was my own experience
trying to find a market for works
that push the boundaries - twisted
stories. (I've lost count how many
times I've received the reply from
an editor saying my own pieces
were too twisted for their magazine).
There's not that many out
there …
I've worked alongside Gold
Dust magazine, so you could say I
had the 'behind the scenes view'
and I fully understood what was
needed and what I had to do to get
the magazine off to a flying start,
and I had a handful of very good
friends who were willing to help me
get going.
GIV: It was part of my grand
scheme to conquer the world.
What qualifies a person to raise a
child? Giving birth! Twenty-five
54 www.golddustmagazine.co.uk - Issue 9 - Winter 2007