It's with great pleasure that we can announce the online preview for Word Street Magazine, viewable at:

[link]

Word Street, projected to launch this Autumn, intends to do for poetry what Rolling Stone did for Rock 'n' Roll, promoting the and supporting the spread of live poetry events and spoken word as a medium of entertainment, and a means of social change, while exploring its relationship to alternative politics & culture, freedom of speech and civil rights.

That's the mission statement, but the Web site speaks best for itself. In our online premier, you'll find an amazing array of stories, including:

• A National Poetry Slam Preview, brought to you by Deborah Edler Brown, Phil West and Guy Gonzalez

• An interview with poet/activist Jerry Quickley on his recent trip to Iraq, by Patricia Smith

• Cass King's ever-popular sex column, Organ Grinder.

• Guest-Columnist Jillian Venters (aka Gothic Miss Manners) telling us the best way to react to your friend's bad poetry

• A review of Spoken Word Revolution by G. Murray Thomas, and more

Within the next few weeks, we'll be spreading the word on subscription information, and will soon be moving to our own domain name.In the mean time, enjoy, and let us know your thoughts at ocvictor2002@yahoo.com.

Feel like heading Down East? JavaCat and I are making preliminary plans for a trip to my house in Deer Isle Maine. I'll probably be there from about the 27th of September to the 5th of October; JavaCat will be there until around the 3rd. There's room for at least one or two more people, and more than that if you don't mind sleeping bags. Let me know at my profile address if you might be interested.

NYC area folk/blues/bluegrass fans, take note!

Naomi Sommers & Dan Tressler:

Tuesday, August 12
7-8 pm
The Cutting Room in NYC!
19 W. 24th St. (between Broadway and 6th Ave)
$5 at the door

Unfortunately, I'll be in Canada, but I strongly encourage anyone who's in town to go! I can personally guarantee the music's fabulousness, and if enough people show up, this could turn into a frequent venue for Naomi, which she so so so deserves.

More stuff for the book ...

Michael Adams, author of Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon ($19.95 hardcover, 0-19-516033-9) will be interviewed tomorrow night on CNN Headline News.

The live interview is scheduled for Thursday, August 7, during the 7pm EDT broadcast, with several repeats throughout the evening.

Also, I'm gratising right up to my limit of Slayer Slangs, and I want to give some away to randomly selected Buffistas. Email me at my profile addy if you want one, and if I get more "I wants!" than the number of freebies I get, then I'll choose names randomly for them. Don't forget your mailing address!

Boucing back after a debilitating computer crash just in time to finish the last of the Dru deathmatch! The winner of this bracket goes to the final round!

Elena "The Quotable Buffy: She said that? When?" Aug 6, 2003 2:40:54 pm PDT

August Astronomy:

The best time to look for the Perseid Meteor Shower this year is Aug. 8, 9 & 10. Because of the full moon on Aug. 11, seeing them will be tricksy. You have to catch them between moon set and sunrise. The window will be greatest on the 8th, less on the 9, lesser still on the 10th. The link below gives exact times and windows for 12 U.S. metropolitan areas. [link]

In the absence of moonlight a single observer might see up to 100 meteors per hour on the peak night, a number that sadly cannot be hoped for in 2003. (I'm trying anyway.)

Also, "Mars recently emerged into the morning sky and has begun an orbital dance with Earth that will, over the next several months, lead to the best viewing opportunity since Neanderthals looked skyward. We’re not kidding." For more info, go to [link]

(exerpts:) "So it's not like you're going to see something gigantic in the sky," he said. "It’s not like Mars is going to look like the Moon or anything."

Mars will appear strikingly brilliant, however. It will be about as bright as Jupiter ever gets. It will shine like a beacon in its characteristic red or orange, in stark contrast to most of the other planets and stars, which exhibit little color.

A handful of even closer oppositions, seven to be exact, will occur between the August 2003 event and the year 3000. The next one that will be closer than this year's occurs in 2287.

The closest of all comes in 2729, when Mars will be about 34,580,000 miles (55,651,000 kilometers) from Earth.

Baltimore Dinner Update:

I have made reservations for 6pm on Sunday the 10th at The Helmand (806 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD). If anyone wants to join the party, needs directions to the restaurant, or would like to meet at my house to carpool, please send me an email at my profile addy (missweber AT hotmail DOT com).

For those waiting by CNN and slavering, Michael Adams (author of Slayer Slang) will be on tomorrow night starting at 7 EDT, not tonight.

Hey Cuties!

Come see Secret Crush Society playing with Our Nation's Capitol's affections.

When: This Saturday August 9th 9 pm or so

Where: Blue Nile 600 Florida Ave NW (at 6th St.) (It's around the corner-ish from the 9:30)

How Much: $5

Who With: Morris and we don't know who else. Morris is described as playing "pretty solid power pop/punk type stuff." I like to say we're playing with Morris...sey

FYI - Our webhost has begun migrating everyone over to our new server. They have promised us zero downtime but don't be shocked if you find yourself unable to connect for a little while this evening. It's only temporary and should result in a much more pleasant posting experience.