Review: Neon Literary Journal, edited by Krishan Coupland

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Neon Literary Journal, edited by Krishan Coupland (cover)

Neon Literary Journal

Edited by Krishan Coupland

FourVolts Productions, 2007

Booklet, 50 pages

ISSN: 1753-4240

Neon #14 is available in print or to download at http://www.neonmagazine.co.uk.

British literary magazine Neon describes itself as "a journal of brilliant things", and issue #14 belies its small size with an enigmatic and striking picture of a shingle beach on the cover. Throughout this fifty-page literary journal are monochrome images that set off, illustrate, or provide backgrounds to the poetry and prose. This is a serious work of art created by people who take art seriously.

Since the journal is short, the contents tend to be short, too, which means Neon can easily be consumed in a series of quick reads. This makes it ideal for the West's rush-rush-rush societies. But what about those contents? Are they worth the effort?

If you're not going to read GUD (although why wouldn't you?) give Neon a try instead. Or even better--try both.

From the beginning of Rupert Merkin's Second Coming--"Hyde Park is mined"--to the end of Jarod Rosello's This is What the Robots Do--"...robots are sleeping in people's beds"--Neon offers variety, intrigue, and solid writing.

Brits might be disappointed that so much of the content of this British journal is by writers from or connected with the US, but I have to say, from my experiences with NFG (Canadian), GUD (American), and ASIM (Australian), that's pretty much the way the wind blows. The US has a huge English-speaking population, and some days it feels like they all want to write.

To stand out in that crowd, non-US content has to be extra-sparkly. Perhaps like Grant McLeman's poem Fall In:

he was the name,
who gives no reply,
the gap
in the parade ground,
the empty echo
across the square.

Definitely one for the nightstand.


- reddit, digg, facebook, stumbleupon, etc... please! ;)
 
posted by Debbie

3 comments; 2 subscribers

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 / 05:34:30
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Sadly, due to rising postal costs, prizes repeatedly getting lost en route, and the general not-playing-fair-edness of the universe, GUD has decided to discontinue its review raffles.

However, who knows--someone in the UK who buys a print copy of GUD might find Neon #14 smuggled into their parcel. It could happen. I'm just saying.
 
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 / 05:34:58
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Or in the EU, even. Maybe.
 
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 / 10:27:42
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Sorry to hear about that. :( Those were always fun.

Maybe you could always ship them with the latest issue. To be able to participate (or to be able to win) you'll have to have the latest issue on order or something? lol. But there may be some issues with that suggestion. hm. yah.

On Topic: Neon looks pretty cool. And all of this is free, I see? :D
 

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