An Editor's Farewell by David Shapiro
I joined up with flashquake at the start of its second year. As a lifelong journalist, I couldn't resist an opportunity to work with actual fiction instead of just being accused of fictional newswriting.
Over the years, I was endlessly amazed by the quality of the work we published. In reviewing submissions every quarter, there were many entries to wade through that weren't ready for prime time, but they only made the jewels that were always in the pile sparkle all the more.
When I was recently trying to recall some of my favorites, I was surprised how many immediately popped to mind and what vivid impressions they still left years after reading them. For the record, the first three I thought of were "Blind Lemon" by Gary Cadwallader, "The Principessa of Montenegro" by M. K. Hobson and "Kerosene" by L.G. Hunt .
Even more than the stories, I cherished the chance I had to work with the many multi-talented writers and editors from around the globe who passed through flashquake, especially the three founding editors who stayed all the way through — Debi Orton, Roger Paris and Vanitha Sankaran.
Debi, our heart and soul who kept us going so long by the force of her will, is a fine writer of fiction and nonfiction as well as a computer and design wiz. Roger can turn a flash story with the best and is also an amazing visual artist. Vanitha is a novelist and a biomedical engineer. Talk about a stimulating crowd to hang with.
Not to mention Didi Wood, my editing partner for many years and a killer writer who kept things real with her disturbing doll collection, her rants about the Mariners and her scathing wit (which she concealed behind way too many smiley faces).
When I started with flashquake, few others were publishing quality flash literature — or paying for it. I feel comfortable letting flashquake go now that we've run our course because we leave a market blessed with many worthy publications.
I wish them success in matching the body of work that flashquake leaves behind.
With fond aloha from Honolulu,
David Shapiro