When Fireflies Swarm

Lately I’ve been feeling hosed, hosed by the stock markets, hosed by politicians, hosed by much of what passes these days for news, hosed when I think back to a time when people played horse shoes and bocci, badminton and croquet until dusk, and didn’t go indoors until   the fireflies swarmed.  You knew it was time to quit when the bats zipped by at hair level.

* I’ve always been amused by the differences a single letter can make at the beginning of a word: Mother and sMother, for instance, the evolution of which may have come from an overwhelming desire to protect one’s offspring; Mile and sMile, for the sense of accomplishment one might earn after an energetic walk; Age and sAge, which could apply to anyone old enough to know better, and who is willing to sHare their life experience.

* When I saw on television this afternoon that the Aurora, Colorado, theater shooter was sentenced to life plus 3155 years, or thereabouts, I thought that really isn’t long enough, unless there really is a hell. In which case the few years he’ll have on earth behind bars will seem like paradise. On the other hand, extremists in the Middle East taking pleasure in destroying the beauty of centuries, believe by doing so they’ll one day find themselves in Paradise. Go figure.

* Interesting to me the more police wear cameras to take pictures of people taking pictures, the more privacy trends from transparent, to invisible, to non-existent. That’s not all, of course. Where there once were shaming and shunning, now there are cameras, blue tooth detectors, and telcom snoops and sniffers. Virtually every government, and myriad companies, have an intelligence arm wrapped around someone’s throat – some to protect, some not, some both. What to do when there’s nowhere to go but …. ?  I’m not saying.

* This issue of Ragazine is packed with amazing stuff. (I know people who hate that word, stuff, but I depend on it. Like peanut butter.) Rather than run through the names and work of all the people who made this issue happen, I’ll just ask that you take a little time to scroll down to review the Most Recent Posts to see the diverse elements that we’re made of – you, us and “them folks out there” we can’t see, but who we know are listening. And seeing. And reading.

* One more thing: This is the season for our Fall Fundraiser. Please have a look at the Fundraiser Post that explains a bit about what we do with the donations we receive, and how you can contribute to help keep us growing.

Thanks for reading!

Mike F., Founder/Managing Editor

“Timing is Everything…”

If “Timing is everything,” the timing of this issue is on the money.

 Galanty Miller’s regular Retweets are accompanied with an essay by the author as sociologist (Galanty is a sociology professor) in a conversation about Race – “an honest discussion,” at that, preceded by “an honest discussion about Slavery.” Especially relevant as the nation climbs out its foxhole after the Charleston shootings, and as a conflicted world deals with an epidemic of intolerance in all its forms that threatens peace and freedom from South Carolina to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, et al, ad nauseum.

If you’re as tired as am I of the use and abuse of the words “literal” and “literally”, then read Casual ObserverMark Levy’s column… the sooner the overworked adjective and adverb are put to bed, the better.

Music editor Fred Roberts kills it again, this time with his review of The Base, who kill it themselves with music that’s as addictive as anything we’ve heard in quite a while…. Think of it as a combination of The National and Leonard Cohen, with a dose of Dada.  Haunting melodies, haunting lyrics from what could well be haunted musicians.

Politics Editor Jim Palombo presents his provocative and timely observations following a month-long stay in Cuba.  And, in a bit of a change from his usual work, Palombo, along with 30-year Rolling Stones’ roadie and guitar tech Johnny Starbuck, presents an engaging piece on Johnny’s career.

The featured image (above) is one of several from the Chinatown Series of photographs taken by Bud Glick in the 1970s, when Chinatown was still a most distinctive neighborhood in lower Manhattan. Today, it’s spread northward into Little Italy, and other parts of “downtown,” but the flavor hasn’t been entirely lost as those who frequent the areas can attest. The photo gallery is accompanied by a revealing and personal interview with Glick by Ragazine.CC photo and layout editor Chuck Haupt, and commentary by the photographer about some of the feedback he’s received from people who have seen the images and recognized themselves and loved ones in them. Not a feature to be missed.

From the nation’s heartland, Rolla, Missouri, comes a short interview with the progenitors of The Basement Tapes, a Saturday night program on KKID created to share the music of individuals and groups wherever they’re from.

Poetry?   OK: Tim Suermondt, Stephen Kaplan, N. David Pastor, Tony Magistrale and Gina Larkin round out the list.

Book Reviews? Carol Smallwood comments on Mary Barnet’s “86 Sonnets”; Natalie Sypolt examines Elisa Albert’s challenging “After Birth”; Jeff Santosuosso reviews Cindy Hochman’s “Habeas Corpus”; Eva Halusprovides an insider’s look at the Val David Literary Festival whose principal Flavia Cosma brings together authors, poets and artists from around the world twice a year to her residence in the Laurentians near Montreal.

Where to find these and other books? Peter Wortsman provides a discourse on the rise and fall of independent bookstores in NYC, representative of a state of affairs facing independent bookstores across the nation as internet behemoths widen their staked claims. The independents are not all gone (yet), but some of the more memorable really have lost their way. Is there hope on the horizon.

In Stephen Poleskie’s Then and Now, the columnist looks back at fast times on two wheels in New York’s Lower East Side, and how he went from his first ride to a roadster.

Our friend in France, John-Paul Gavard-Perret explores art in the capitals of Europe, this time the concept of “temple space” explained through the work of Lisa Beck, on exhibit now at the Center for Contemporary Art inLausanne, Switzerland, and the photography of Jean-Claude Bélégou on exhibit in Innsbruck, Austria.

Check out the short interview with Canada artist Chris Dale and a portfolio of his paintings. For the most part self-taught, and by all means persevering, Dale creates concepts and values immediately recognizable, making them simultaneously simple and complex.

Regular contributor John Smelcer shares an excerpt from his latest book, “Savage Mountain.” Smelcer’s 50^thbook, this mountaineering tale examines the relationship of two brothers who climb Alaska’s Mount Sanford, achieving more in their shared adventure than reaching the summit.

And for a dose of Dark humor, don’t forget to check out Walter Gurbo, whose illustration heads up Galanty’s Retweets.

Reminders:

CALENDAR: If you have public events to share, make use of the Ragazine.CC Calendar of Events. It’s free to registered subscribers.

NEWS FEED: Subscribe to Ragazine’s daily Arts and Culture news feed, for the latest in what’s happening in the Arts around the world.

* * *

As always, special thanks to our contributors, editors and donors, and thanks to You for reading!

— Mike Foldes

Founder, Managing Editor

To begin somewhere …

If you have to begin somewhere, why not a hotel room in Alexandria, Virginia? Especially after a day on the National Mall walking with some little direction and certainly no special distinction, from the Museum of the American Indian, past crowded, cone-marked playing fields of Stonewall kickballers, to slowly rising granite steps of the National Gallery? All in a line between the Capitol building with scaffolded dome glinting under midday sun, to a recently repaired obelisk that appears to have once collapsed and been rebuilt using different colored stone? Or did they just not finish sandblasting before the rigging came down?

And, OH! to spend time with Monet, Corot, Pissarro, Rousseau, Gaugain, Manet, Picasso, Cassat, Van Gogh … the question arises, and I’ve asked it before, who will take care of these masterpieces when we’re gone? When taxpayers and lawmakers refuse to carry the burden longer, or when ignorant hordes with little use for culture and history have their ways with it. I tremble at the thought. And so should you. For nowhere else in the world can one visit at no charge some of the greatest collections of visual and sculptural art on earth, the handiwork of a thousand generations, truly the proof of life, to which loathesome mobs, given chance, would set afire or asunder.

A large part of our gig is to throw open the windows and let the sun shine on a few friends in each issue whose works grab our imaginations today, and in doing so hold hope for tomorrow. For all yesterday’s rejects that line the walls of museums today, we have to figure at least a few will be remembered, a few more recognized, many more acknowledged, and thousands if not millions more lost forever, except to say, “They lived, and so we are.”

Now, here’s what you’ll find in this issue of Ragazine. We trust at least some will stick… and maybe more.

Music Editor Fred Roberts has the inside tracks on Club K’s “Let M Shake”;

Walter Gurbo kicks it with a couple of new panels from the Drawing Room;

Paul Sohar reviews the Strange Theater of John Amen, and while you’re reading, check out the other book reviews, old and new.

“Then and Now” contributor Steve Poleskie describes how he came upon his magic shirts, while  fellow columnist and Casual Observer Mark Levy gets down with the docs ;

You’ll appreciate Karen Schubert’s fictional exploration, “Saving Space” and the creative non-fiction narrative by Tonya Dale about taking in an abused dog;

Mollie McNeil writes of misplaced trust in Underpass;  an excerpt from João Cerqueira’s “Second Coming of Jesus” challenges and affirms what we know and think we know about the spiritual life;

Michael Jantzen’s conceptual architecture illustrates what’s possible with a little adjustment;

You’ll find the powerful and defiant poetry of Dio-Genes Abreu and Miriam O’Neal, and new work from emerging poet Cheyenne Dorsagno.

Be drawn in and moved by the personal photo essay from David Aschkenas,  and thrown off balance by surreal images created by autodidact photographer and visual composer, Alec Dawson;

Regular contributor Ginger Liu interviews Chaz Royal,  producer of  the greatest burlesque shows on earth, On Location in London.

Have an event coming up you want to publicize? Take advantage of Ragazine’s Calendar.

Want to stay up to date on cultural events in your area and around the world? Subscribe to the Ragazine.CC daily news feed.

And, numb as you may be from all the fundraising events that inundate us daily, we’re always grateful for the contributions that have helped sustain Ragazine since its founding in 2004. We take dontations year-round, and every little bit helps. Donations are tax-deductible when given to Binghamton Imaginink for the purposes of Ragazine.CC.   We appreciate your support and trust you’ll continue to enjoy the zine.

Thanks for reading — and for spreading the word!

Mike F., Founder/Managing Editor

Remember When

How often do we meet an old friend and say, “Remember when …”?

And how often do we hear, these days, of people who don’t – or can’t?

The Lenox Hill Neighborhood House in New York City is one place among many where those afflicted by dementia in any one of  its considerable forms have a chance to drill down into the well of lost memories to bring something back they may not recognize even while “remembering.” The method employed is Art Therapy, and the maestro is Elizabeth Hartowicz, whose efforts to help those in need – including family members – keep a spark flickering in the lives of those for whom the flames are clearly being extinguished.

Ragazine Contributing Art Editor Zach Seeger recently sat in on a session at Lenox Hill, where noted Spanish artist José María Sicilia had volunteered to work with Hartowicz in exploring ways to help residents get back in touch with their lost or hidden selves. Seeger, an artist himself, goes to the rich fundamentals Sicilia brings to his sessions, giving special meaning to the title of the piece, “The Ghost, The Mirror and Narcissus.”

Photography. This issue is filled with it. Images you will remember… and images you may not be able to forget.

Photographer Art Kane left behind a hugely memorable archive of images reintroduced by his son Jonathan Kane, and daughter-in-law, Holly Anderson, with their recently published collection, “ART KANE.” In a short interview, the editors tell how the book came to be, and give a hint at the influences the photographer had on his industry, and those who knew and worked with him.

In an interview with curator Marc Feustel, contributing editor Ginger Liu explores the changing style of photography in Post-World-War II Japan. The exhibit at Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool, England, presents the work of 11 photographers whose works over two decades documented the nation and its people in “metamorphosis from defeat to global economic power.”

Photo editor Chuck Haupt interviews Gabriele Viertel on the unique style of photography that is her passion, a “lust” that’s brought her to the fashion forefront.  Haupt’s pick for Photo Editor’s choice is Mark Richards, an English photographer who takes his cue from such artists as Edward Hopper – only projecting the concepts in black and white.

On the music front, Music Editor Fred Roberts reviews Eric Ross’s aptly titled new release “Music From the Future.” Roberts also translates an essay, the liner notes from German musician Felix Kubin, that describes his motivation, reflections on the power of music, the  “scene” in Hamburg, and why he hasn’t watched television in 25 years.

Art is integral to Ragazine, whether in the form of poetry, painting, political theory, music, photography, fiction – even the art of living, as revealed in the contributions of some of our columnists. We are pleased as always to welcome back Mark Levy (Casual Observer), Steve Poleskie (Then and Now), Jim Palombo (Politics – this month Cuba), Galanty Miller (ReTweets), and Bill Dixon (From the Edge).

Mixed in you’ll find literary gems in the poetry of Jeannine Hall Gaily and Lyn Lifshin; the bittersweet story of a mother and daughter in fiction from Kristen Clanton; a chapter from the surreal “True Tales of a Fictitious Spy,” by Ferenc Aladar Gyorgyey and Paul Sohar, and Stephanie Golisch’s recollections in the creative nonfiction account of the short connection of two travelers in China for whom the wall between was simply timing.

Art, and life, are revealed in an interview by On Location/France contributing editor Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret with artist Rosy Lamb, whose work Ragazine art editor emeritus Dr. Jose Rodeiro insists the whole world must know about.  Rodeiro proclaims, “This 21st Century ‘Neo-Newrealist’ artist…. Rosy Lamb’s paintings  directly allude to great 20th Century New-Realist Radical-Postmodern figurative works by three 1980s’ Radical-Postmodern masters: Antonio López García, the Spanish New-Realist, which  the late-art critic Robert Hughes once considered “the greatest living painter,” before Hughes gave that weighty distinction to Lucien Freud.   But, whether Jenny Saville, Lucien Freud or Antonio López García, the Marlborough Gallery ought to be apprised that Rosy Lamb exists, because L. Freud is dead, Lopez-Garcia is very old; and Jenny Saville has apparently gone over to the dark-side.

“Hence, the whole world desperately needs to know that Rosy Lamb exists!!!”

Gavard-Perret also presents us with a modern-day “French postcard” photographer Gille Berquet, whose work balances viewer and voyeur in an anything but bookish way.

And one more thing: Registered Subscribers can now enter their events on Ragazine’s Calendar page. Sign up and sign in. It’s free. Thanks for sharing and spreading the word.

With that, let’s get on with the show!

Thanks for reading.

— Mike Foldes

Founder/Managing Editor

A whole new look…

Bina Sarkar Ellias from Mumbai, publisher of the exquisiteInternational Gallerie magazine,preceded reading a few of her poems at Jadite Gallery in Hell’s Kitchen (New York City) in late December with a brief commentary on her goals and wishes: that her magazine, and her life, help illuminate understanding for and an appreciation of the diversity of characters in the great play we’re all in, with its new passages and chapters written into history with each passing moment. The diversity of the assemblage at that gathering was certainly representative of her dream, and of so many others’ dreams, of finding purpose in life to help end the daily conflict with which we live.

Some find purpose in cynicism to help keep them on track ; some find it in making art, music, photographs, poems and stories; others in developing mathematical models that advance technology and change lives, hopefully for better, sometimes for worse. Others in keeping a home and family happy, healthy and together. Scores of publications focus on the microcosms at the foundations of our culture,Design World, Scientific American, Architectural Digest, Esopus, National Geographic, Smithsonian... Thousands of online zines enable millions to see their names in print, and to share their ideas and opinions with others.

We find ourselves somewhere in this soup tying knots in a net to catch and land living, breathing evidence that even now, under the hard shell of reality, there remains the soft underbelly of an Humanity that can live with itself. In our case, kind of like looking for the right shell on the beach to take home from vacation.

Special thanks to the many donors whose monetary donations helped make possible recent changes in Ragazine’s platform and format.  Kudos to Photo Editor/Layout Director Chuck Haupt, who spent more time by far than any of us pulling ends together to make this happen; and, as always, to our many, many contributors of the material we help bring to light.

This issue’s shells:  Steve Verona, “Mao to Now”, photography & essay; Fred Robertsprovides an overview of the German Local Heroes music contest introducing some of the top new groups in Germany’s — and Europe’s — music scene; Alexis Rhone Fancher & Murray Alfredson, poetry; Race and Racism – another view, Jim Palombo, politics; review of Michael Goldberg’s book “True Love Scars”; A Legacy of AIDS, by Molly Krause, creative nonfiction; Life is Full of Surprises, Steve Bromberg, photographer; Normal Mailer, Poet? by John Smelcer; Corbett Reynolds – Artist Remembered, byThomas Queen; Photography Spot, Benoit Jammes; Columns by Mark Levy, Bill Dixon, Steve Poleskie, Galanty Miller, and an “On Location” at Art Basel with Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret.

We’d love to hear what you think of the new format, of the material we publish, of what you’d like to see that you haven’t…. In other words, Comments Welcome…. Thanks for reading, and may the New Year meet your greatest expectations!

Mike F.

– Mike Foldes, Founder/Managing Editor

Better Late Than Never

It’s been an eventful two months since the last issue of Ragazinepremiered in September. The Ebola Crisis. Beheadings broadcast by Islamic State  in SyrIraq. A GOP landslide in the recent American elections. They say bad things come in threes; we don’t have to let them be a lesson. Leonard Cohen wrote and sang, “We have the music…” Well, we have the music and more. Not enough to turn the tide on insanity, but enough, perhaps, to give one a break from it.

We got off to a slow start and it wasn’t because of Halloween… though it did feel like a haunted site for awhile. Computer issues left things confused (on the page, that is), and it took more time than we would have liked to resolve them… Hopefully, we’re over the hump, but if you find broken links, photos missing, ghost pages, and all that awful stuff that happens once in a while, " target="_blank" rel="noopener">let us know.

This issue includes the provocative artwork of Japanese-American painterMasami Teraoka; the photography of Gene Lowinger and Neil Carver; poetry by Gail Gerwin, Sonia Greenfield, and Clint Margrave; an intriguing interview with the late literary icon Erskine Caldwell, conducted by Charles Hayes; our returning columnistsMark Levy (Casual Observer), Bill Dixon (From the Edge); humoristGalanty Miller (ReTweets), Steve Poleskie (Now and Then), andJean-Paul Gavard-Perret (On Location/France); and an invitation to the Retro Video Club from Fred Roberts (Hamburg, Germany-based Music Editor).

Politics editor Jim Palombo offers a balanced look at the complexities of the American military experience, including the affect of military life on the individuals who serve (and those who don’t), their families, and those who would do harm to the country.

You’ll find a precautionary tale by Mitch James (“What We Always Did But More”); creative nonfiction in “Laughter Yoga” by Marlene Olin; book reviews edited by Alan Britt and written by Miriam O’Neal andEileen Dandashi; and a biting commentary on American life (and the loss of it) by John Smelcer (“Gun Nation, Under God”).  And more …

Our Fall Fundraiser was the most successful ever, and has allowed us to begin making changes in platform and theme that you will see rolling out over the next few issues. To all those who contributed to the fundraising effort, and for helping us meet the financial needs of a growing publication, “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You”. To the curious about who – besides the contributors of our editorial content itself – helps bringRagazine to you every couple of months, take a minute and read more about our staff and editors in About Us.

Thanks for reading … Happy Holidays

– Mike Foldes, Founder/Managing Editor

Chilling

They say there are 8 million stories in the Naked City. Some days it seems like every one of those 8 million stories is being told in an independent magazine, on stage, in a zine on the web, in a TV show or movie theater, distributed on a broadsheet, voiced in a spoken word performance in a poetry bar, or even — emulating Speakers’ Corner in London — shouted out by someone standing on a soap box in Times Square. Not to be forgotten are the Mimes, whose actions speak louder than words. An artist acquaintance recently explained her paintings as an attempt to portray the noise she hears all around her every day, that anxiety-inducing clamor that seems almost sub-atomic, in that it carries on even when the screaming stops. This issue of Ragazine cuts through some of that noise, at the same time it contributes to it. Kind of like an air conditioner that cools the room you’re in, while it heats the air outside. A thermoelectric device that sparks a creative fire, even while you’re chilling out.

Now here’s this issue’s mix — in no particular order. It’s ALL GOOD…  Enjoy!

* Short Fiction: Jason Allen puts love on the block;

* Art: Hawk Alfredson takes a classical background and puts it to work in surreal explanations of an inner life. Find out what makes Hawk tick in an interview and gallery of some of his favorite work;

* Musician and Theremin master Eric Ross interviews himself on the extraordinary and groundbreaking video artistry of his late wife and long-time collaborator, Mary Ross;

* The We Are You Project International traveling art exhibit goes to Colorado, and takes along a few new artists;

* Photography: Mia Hanson spent years living in the Hotel Chelsea with her husband Hawk Alfredson; now the couple live in Washington Heights, and she’s still taking photographs of superstars. See what’s behind the lens in an interview with the photographer and a gallery of her images;

* Stephen Verona, filmmaker, photographer, artist, writer and world traveler. Verona can’t be accused of sitting still, unless it’s at one of his favorite restaurants. Next project: Compare and Contrast China, Then and Now!

* Contributing editor John Smelcer cuts to the quick with his take on “We Are Still Here,” or, “How American Indian Literature Re-visions the American Indian Experience in American History.” A must read for all “red-blooded Americans”.

* Poetry: A terrific mix of poets and reviews of poetry and poetry volumes.  Emil Fishcer reviews  Paul Sohar’s translation of In Contemporary Tense, the most recent collection from Sandor Kanyadi, considered by some to be Hungary’s greatest living poet. True to our mission of publishing both established and emerging talent, you’ll also find the poetry of Chloe Marisa, Daniel Rehinhold, Carlton Fisherand Dana Shishmanian.

* Books & Reviews: Something a little different here are capsule reviews of three chapbooks by Robert Joe Stout, and back to “normal” are studied reviews of four books, not all of which were published last week… Reviewers and books include: Kathryn Levy’s This Is For Life, by Jorge Rodriguez, who also reviews Micah Towery’s Whale of Desire. Matthew Ray examines ethics in The Kidney Sellers: A Journey of Discovery in Iran, by Sigrid Fry-Revere. andWilliam Taylor Jr. reviews A. D. Winans’ In the Pink.

* Creative Nonfiction: “In Breathing Underwater,” Mark Montgomery marks the time he spent growing up,  trying to get to know his father, and staying alive.

* Columns: Jim Palombo takes a careful look at the Common Corecurriculum and the direction of post-secondary education; Stephen Poleskie in his “Now and Then” has at it with an episodic look back at life in NYC in the ’60s; Mark Levy keeps himself awake with a Casual Observer‘s take on napping; and Bill Dixon goes to the edge reflecting on suicides he has known.  Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret, On Location” in France interviews artist Valentin Magaro. And Barbara Rosenthalreviews the work of Allison Berkoy.

* Music: Fred Roberts opens doors to other worlds with reviews of new music groups playing in Hamburg‘s underground. The piece includes a few lines from one of the more memorable tunes of the summer in Germany, one that got the group’s catchy video banned from YouTube. Not to worry, we’ve got the Vimeo Link.

* Memoir: Artist-Writer-Sailor and world traveler Helene Gaillet has provided Chapter 42 of her memoir, I Was A War Child.mother’s art gallery, and her private decision to secretly provide safe haven for a French Jew who eventually chose to go his own way.

* News, Haps, Snaps, Short Takes & Events: Check out these pages for updates on recent happenings and upcoming events. Updated at random, so don’t ignore….

* And don’t forget our illustrators, those artists and photographers whose works help tell our stories. Thanks as always to Walter Gurbo, Edmond Rinnooy-Kan, Jonathan Kelham, Angela White and Lynda Barretto.  For more about the editors who help bring you this zine every couple of months, see ABOUT US, where you’ll also find links to the websites of the artists who contribute to our “headers”. It’s a great group of people who work hard to make this an entertaining and visual treat.

* We’re running a Fall Fundraiser to keep our program in the air … Contribute if you can; want to if you can’t….

Thanks for reading … and spread the word.

– Mike Foldes, Founder/Managing Editor

The Old World Order

(Chaos)

While many of us are watching the World Cup or enjoying the first real days of summer – or in the Southern Hemisphere anticipating the coming snow of winter in the mountains – the Old World Order appears again to be gaining ground. Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central America, and in the United States itself … the list goes on. And on. One would think that peaceful co-existence would have made headway by now, in the broadest sense, but no one is holding his/her breath that will happen anytime soon – at least not without intervention by external forces – and we all know how effective that is. While the seemingly endless cycle of senseless human activity continues, there are a few people feverishly working outside the fray to understand the underlying cause of Conflict, and to artistically express both frustration with current events and wonder at the amazing accomplishments that come about despite the resistive drag of conflict on progress and harmony.

Whether or not you agree with this premise, we trust you’ll find the latest Ragazine.CC articles will provide grist for the mental mill where these and other ideas are constantly at play. From the photo essay and interview with “war” photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie, who provides an alternative view on Ukraine, to a review of the recently released “Writing of Blue Highways,” by John Smelcer, to the art of Robert Soffian, there’s just enough in this issue to keep you reading and on your toes until our next issue in September. Stay tuned…

Thanks for reading … and spread the word.
Mike Foldes, Founder/Managing Editor

Winter, Spring, Sum…

WHAT’S INSIDE?

OK, the plan was to take the summer off and figure out what we’re going to do next, and how. Then all this stuff starts coming in that we didn’t expect and that couldn’t wait until September to be published. Time sensitive, and all… So “Voila!” Special Issue. Easy … and a very good collection it is, at that…

Thanks for a Great Ten Years

This issue of Ragazine.CC is the first of our tenth year of online publishing. It contains a wealth of material from around the world. Literally. Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, the United States, Mexico…. We think that’s just one of the things that makes us a little bit different from the enormity of other online and print publications available today. The variety of material we publish reflects not only diversity of humanity, but also the diversity of interests of those people who inhabit the planet — and who work on or contribute to Ragazine. The family tree of our contributors runs along the right side of this page, on the About Us  page, and in the growing number of readers, known and unknown, to all of whom we owe a huge debt of Gratitude.

And while V10N1 begins our 10th year, watch for V10N2, the real anniversary issue (coming in March) that promises to offer one of the finest collections of material on the web. Eclectic content for a global audience …. Thanks for reading!