JDP’s All Yours Bounty Hunter

Laura and Mike discuss the formal tranfer of editorial power.

Let’s make it official. Starting in November, JDP’s new editor will be none other than Laura Garrison. Laura’s been an integral part of everything we’ve done over the past two years, including guest-editing our astounding Poetry Issue. As a self-professed reluctant academic and aspiring wrecking ball operator, she has just the right mindset to take over the reigns at Jersey Devil Press. Mike will finish up his run later this week with our Fourth Anniversary Issue; after that JDP is Radio Free Garrison. Congratulations!

SATCD: Year One

Shake Away These Constant Days by Ryan Werner

Those with a keen eye on the calendar will note this week marked the one-year anniversary of our releasing Ryan Werner’s debut collection, Shake Away These Constant Days. Helping get that book published was one of my favorite things I’ve done during my editorial reign. If I could change one thing though, I’d somehow magically (but legally) give it more reviews over on Amazon. While it’s fared better over at Good Reads, SATCD only has two reviews on the old titan of Internet commerce. So, if you enjoyed the book and want to consider this a shameless plea to tell others about it, you wouldn’t be wrong.

Apparently inspired by the billions we’ve made in the indie lit game, Ryan also started his own micropress in 2013, Passenger Side Books. He’s published three chap books so far: Murmuration, a collection of five interrelated stories that we’re guessing includes this; Whatever Doesn’t Drown Will Always Rise by Justin Daugherty; and Infinity’s Jukebox by Matthew Burnside, who just happened to pen this little nugget of wonderful for us last year.

And since I seem to be shamelessly plugging work by writers I like, I’d also remind everyone that Graham Tugwell’s collectionette, Everything Is Always Wrong, is well worth picking up. Also, our founding editor, Eirik Gumeny, has a new chap book out from Red Bird that you should definitely check out and while you’re at it grab a copy of Ally Malinenko’s Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb if you’re looking for a great YA fix.

Collect ’em all.

Free Equinox Included!

So here it is, the September 2013 Issue, my penultimate as editor.

Which is interesting, because if there’s a theme to this month’s issue it is decidedly not “next to last,” but rather “firsts.”

First time having sex with General Lee? We’ve got that.

First time stealing a statue of Jesus that actually isn’t Jesus? Yes, yes, we have that too.

First time walking around your new sandcastle? Uh-huh.

First time hitch-hiking? You betcha’.

And first time trying to have your first time at Disneyland…of course, we’ve got that. Who else would?

(Also, because we’re JDP and are statutorily required to print a certain number of stories about the apocalypse, we also have a lovely piece of flash about the world ending, which admittedly bucks the whole “firsts” theme.)

And there you have it. Issue 46 is simultaneously a collection of firsts and my penultimate. Enjoy.